When (if ever!) is it a good idea to work for free?

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I know, this sounds like a dumb question…why would it ever be a good idea to work for free?  After all, a per-word or hourly rate of zero isn’t going to get you very far (or get you anywhere) in your business. However, I would put forth that there are several situations in which working for free is actually the preferred option.

Scenario #1: When a good client asks for a discount on a small project

This actually happens to me with some regularity, probably a few times a year. A client I like and who pays me well, contacts me and asks:

• “My daughter is applying to study in the U.S., could you translate her birth certificate?”
• “We have a 25-word photo caption, could you translate it into English?”
• “We need someone to interpret for a ten-minute phone call for our CEO”

In some of these cases, the client will actually ask, “Could you do this for a little less than you usually charge us?” or “Would we need to pay your minimum charge for this?”

Personally, I would rather do these types of projects for free, than offer a discount. Here’s the issue: I think it’s risky to do discounted work for well-paying clients, because you risk giving them the impression that your regular rates are kind of a bluff. Like you’ve been thinking, “Hah! I bet this client would pay XYZ for my work!” when in reality, it’s just what you charge.

In these situations, I’ll typically say to the client something like, “I would be happy to do this as a courtesy, at no charge, to thank you for your ongoing business.” Of course, it’s important not to allow clients to take advantage of this gesture. It’s totally fine to charge a client your regular rate for everything that you do for them, and it’s totally fine to bill that amount for everything they send you. If you want to tell them that they need to pay your half-day interpreting rate for a ten-minute phone call, I’m here to support you in that. Just personally, I would rather use these opportunities to build some good will with the client.

Scenario #2: When the other alternative is low-rate work “for the experience”

Whether you’re considering a new specialization or a new service offering (copywriting, editing, voiceover, etc.), you’ve probably been told to essentially start from the bottom of the freelancing barrel. “If you want to branch out into editing for non-native English speakers, maybe look for jobs on Fiverr and Upwork, then move up from there!” It’s fairly common advice, and I don’t totally disagree, but here’s another option:

Instead of working for the depressingly low rates you’ll often see on these marketplaces, look for clients who definitely need your services, and offer to work for them for free, on a limited basis:

• If you want to branch out into translating about women’s health, look for NGOs in that sector and offer to translate their Home and About pages into your language.
• If you want to do editing for non-native English speakers, target, for example, a professor who is your ideal kind of client, and offer to edit one academic paper for them, for free.
• If you’d like to pursue content marketing writing, find a potential client and offer to write three to five blog posts for them for free.

The keys here are:

• Put a limit on it. Never work for a client for free on an indefinite basis. Specify exactly what you’re offering (three newsletters, 2,500 words of translation, five blog posts).
• Moderate your expectations. In my experience, it’s rare, although not impossible, for a freebie client to turn into a paying client. Largely because freebie clients tend to fall into two categories: those that could really use your services but have literally zero money to pay you, and those that might see your services as mildly interesting but not mission-critical to their work, so they’re not necessarily going to use you if they have to pay you. That’s totally OK. You’re in this for the experience, maybe some samples to put on your website, and maybe a nice LinkedIn recommendation.

Working for free is never the ideal scenario, but I honestly believe it’s better than the alternative (discounts or low rates) in certain situations. I hope these tips are helpful!