Doing a job for free?
Out of context: Reply #6
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- hellobotto0
I regularly donate time/ability to clients/causes. In the past, I've also discounted rates for companies/organizations who were just starting out and/or could offer back something that I determined has value to me and/or my business interests.
In both cases, I established a threshold of time/talent. Once the threshold was crossed the project would be wound down. By doing this, you won't ever see the person as being "cheap" because you've taken measures to protect yourself.
Non-paying clients are just like paying clients in that they both reside on one's schedule. If someone can afford to allow non-paying clients to consume the majority of that schedule because their paying clients demand little time for large reward, then brilliant. But if those same non-paying clients are allowed to negatively impact a balance sheet at each month's end, then the issue might not be "cheap clients." It may the designer who allowed their P&L to go upside-down.