Recently, I learned that I was famous in India.
I know, right? I didn’t believe it either. Apparently the reaction to me arriving in India would be similar to what would happen if Tom Cruise was to visit.
Really? This didn’t sound right. I mean, how could I be famous somewhere if I’m not even famous in my own country… or my own city?
Well, apparently the latest strategy to getting a discounted or free website built is to flatter someone, and to convince them that they are famous.
While I admire this guy’s efforts, it’s his reaction when he was given a rough overview of pricing that is my favorite part. Yes, I actually liked his insults better than the quite frankly weird beginning to our conversation.
Take a look at the full conversation here:
It’s understandable that he may not have been able to afford to hire a designer – not everyone has a budget, but surely he must have been expecting some kind of cost associated with the work. Do businesses usually give away things for free, just because someone wants it? Generally speaking, no – but depending on the business and the work involved sometimes a barter situation or payment plan can be involved.
So what do you do if you can’t afford to pay someone for their services?
1. Find out if you can offer something in return. Maybe you’ve got some great connections that could be beneficial to the other party. See if you can pay your costs in referrals, or see if you can make some valuable introductions. The important thing is that you only offer an exchange if you can offer genuine value to the other party – don’t waste their time because it will create a poor working relationship and will reflect badly on you. In many ways, that could end up costing you far more.
2. Find out if they are willing to offer you a payment plan or will let you pay in more instalments than they would normally offer. Perhaps you can split the cost over 6 months – you will never know until you ask.
3. Start saving and contact them again once you are able to afford the services. It might sound harsh but it is unfortunately a reality – businesses need to make money, and while many will offer some advice and may provide some consultation for free, it’s not a viable option.
Do you have any experiences of offering your services or talents in exchange for another’s? What would you do if someone wanted you to work for free? Please leave your comments below and share your ideas!
