My uncle told me to never work for free, even for family

He said it after I did a full website for my cousin's bakery in Denver. I spent about 20 hours on it, thinking it would lead to paid work. It didn't. My cousin just said thanks and never mentioned money again. Now I have a clear rule about a free hour of consulting, then my normal rate. Has anyone else had a family project go south like that?

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3 Comments

grant.margaret3mo ago

Read somewhere that 70% of freelancers get burned by family gigs.

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henry_webb684mo ago

What's your normal rate for that kind of work?

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vals384mo ago

Actually, there isn't really a "normal" rate for this. Every project is so different in what it needs. I always give a custom quote after we talk about the details. That way the price fits the actual work, not some one-size-fits-all number.

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