Most people understand that a business woman is in business to make money. But on occasion, we get someone – generally someone who doesn’t know any better – who will ask us to work for free.
Being in business means offering goods or services for a fee: If you want the product or service, you pay for it.
This is not a new concept. Here are just a few of the things worth having in life that are not free:
- We go into the grocery store, unload our cart at the cash register, and pay for our food.
- We hook up to the local power grid and water company and get lights that turn on and toilets that flush. We pay for what we use. And we recommend that everyone does the same, especially when it concerns electricity. Deciding to look into companies like Just Energy in Houston can help people to secure a cheaper rate when it comes to their utilites.
- We need gas, so we plug in our credit or debit card information at the pump before the first drop of fuel is put in the tank.
Given that basic economic principle, why should providing business or career coaching – or any other service – be something that some people expect to receive for free?
Working for free
I can’t speak for others, but here are some reasons why I do not work for free:
- I am not trying to impress a prospective employer. When I was a newspaper newbie, I did work for free at a local paper that was short-handed at a critical time and had a huge special section to produce overnight. When I left my job that day, I volunteered to help…which I did until about 7 a.m. At that point, I went home, took a shower, had breakfast and went to my day job.
Due in large part to that free work, and my college degree in journalism, I was offered – and accepted – the next opening they had at that paper. It launched a 30-year career in media that took me all over the country, shot me up the management ladder, taught me many things and exposed me to so much that was new and interesting. That free overnight shift more than paid for itself down the road.
I’m no longer than young reporter. I have knowledge, training and experience…that I paid for.
- I am not building a resume. Work experience is just part of the professional picture; a large part of it also is giving back to the community. I did that, in spades, as a volunteer, doing everything from picking up litter alongside the road to serving free pancakes at oh-dark-thirty to holding various seats on various nonprofit boards of directors.
But while I was building my resume, I was also building relationships and continuing to learn and grow. Many of those relationships are still treasured to this day, as are the lessons I learned in leadership and volunteer management (now there’s an oxymoron for you). Yep. Working for free was absolutely worth what I gave to those events and organizations.
- I am not trying to impress college admission boards. I don’t think I ever did an unpaid internship, which was fairly common when I was in college. Today, unpaid internships are frowned upon as slave labor, but I can see the value. (See Reason No. 1.) I know colleges and universities look favorably on applicants who put their volunteer time in the trenches, which is terrific. Been there, done that. With the emphasis on “done.”
On the other side of the argument:
- I am educated and experienced. Coaching is about training and credentials. I have both. To get my coaching credentials, I completed 60 hours of training coursework and 100 hours of verified coaching experience. And yes, I had to pay for that training.
I know moms (for example) who call themselves a moms’ coach because they have kids and think that qualifies them for the designation. It does not.
- I am a business owner, not a nonprofit. I don’t know of any coach who goes into the business to make a killing; they do it to make a difference in people’s lives. Nevertheless, they have bills, just like you. While an hourly rate may seem high, remember that the business owner is generally paying her own taxes, her own insurance, her own overhead, her own licenses and every other business-related expenditure. Honestly, her hourly rate probably should be higher if she wants to retire someday or even take a vacation.
For the record: Even nonprofits need money to survive.
6. You get what you pay for. If I am coaching someone for free and a paying client comes along, guess who will get priority? As crude as that may sound, them’s the breaks, kiddo. Plus, you (as the client) won’t value what you get for free as much as if you paid for it it. And speaking of which:
- You’re worth more than that. It’s kind of embarrassing to be asked to give away coaching – not because I’m afraid to say “no” but because the other person (generally a woman) – has such a low or skewed opinion of herself that she does not see the long-term value in investing in herself.
I had a discussion with a colleague recently on a similar topic. He was reluctant to spend $300 for an attorney to review a contract. I said, “If by spending the $300 on a legal opinion now, you can either make or save at least that $300 down the road, would it be worth it?” If you want to get ahead, you need to think strategically, beyond the cost of investment and to what benefits the investment will bring.
All that being said, understand that I do offer a free coaching consultation to people who are interested in getting a taste of the experience. I am happy to do so; it’s part of my business marketing plan – not a sustainable, ongoing business practice.
How about you? As a wage earner, would you work for free? As a business owner, do you work for free? If so, under what conditions? I’d love to hear. Please add in the comments below.