My Hottest Freelancing Take
Listen, I am not one for 🔥hot takes🔥
Unless we are ranking Taylor Swift albums, in which case I have many, many, MANY opinions
(Red is her best album, followed by 1989, you cannot and will not change my mind)
But recently, I have noticed a lurking, nagging, and festering take in the back of my mind…
And honestly, it is just time that I come out and say it.
I stand by this hot take tbh
You should never do any freelance work for free. Ever.
I don’t just mean this for experienced freelancers who should NEVER be doing free sample projects for potential clients…
I also mean this for ANYONE looking to break into freelancing with not a single freelance project to their name.
Let me explain why:
#1 — You deserve to be paid for your work
Point blank, period. Writing for free is a hobby or a favor for friends and family. If you want to build a freelance business, you must charge for your work, even if you are just starting out.
#2 — Doing work for free builds bad business habits
As a freelancer, you are the CEO of your business. Choosing to take on free work not only disconnects you from that role but it also increases your risks of taking on low-paying and poorer-quality clients in the future.
#3 — Clients who want free work are not worth working with
Finally, possibly the hottest take of it all, is that anyone who is asking for free work or free samples is not the type of client that you will build a sustainable business with. They may give you one-off projects, but they are not the right people for long-term business growth.
One more time for the people in the back
DO NOT DO FREELANCE WORK FOR FREE. YOU NEED TO CHARGE FOR YOUR WORK TO BUILD A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS.
(Sorry for yelling but this is serious, yenno)
Have you ever taken on free work before? What was your experience like — I’d love to hear about it.
Claire 🙂
P.S. This is a big reason why I advocate for (and still personally use) Upwork for any level of freelancer. You are pitching to clients looking to pay for work, and the chances of you getting roped into free work are much lower than from cold pitches!