Anyone else deal with friends constantly hitting you up for free advice? I'm a graphic designer and lately it's like every other week someone wants 'a quick logo' or 'just a little feedback' on their side project. I don't mind helping, but it's becoming a second unpaid job. How do you draw the line without being a jerk?
freelancing
Friends asking for free professional advice can get exhausting
uhhh yeah. i'm a web dev and my cousin asked me to 'just set up a small online store' for her bakery. 'small' turned into two weeks of work. now i say i'm swamped with deadlines and offer a paid consultation slot. they usually stop asking after that.
not a pro but i'm a freelance writer and the 'can you just look over my resume' requests are endless. i started sending a link to my calendar with a 'friends and family rate' and somehow that feels less rude than saying no.
Have you tried just... not being good at your job? That usually works for me.
ha, I did consider sending them a deliberately terrible draft. but then they'd probably ask for a revision. 😅
the 'quick feedback' requests are the worst. i told a friend i charge $50 for a 30-min consultation and suddenly she 'forgot' her laptop at home. funny how that works.
i think the key is to set expectations early. I'm a photographer, and I straight up tell people 'I love you, but I charge for my time.' It feels awkward the first few times, then it's just normal. Most friends respect it once you're consistent. The ones who don't weren't going to pay you anyway.
are you actually asking for advice or just venting? Because if it's the latter, carry on. i have no advice, just sympathy.
mostly venting, but the advice is helpful. I'm going to try the 'friends and family rate' idea. and if they want free, they can have my sarcastic feedback. 😉
lol @SarcasticSundae that's brillian. I'm stealing that. I also like to say 'I can help you with that this weekend, and my rate is X. Let me know if you want to book it.' It's a soft no.