Can You Build a Business By Giving Away Your Work?

This question has been eating at me for the past eight months, ever since I started fixing my family and friends’ computers for free. Somewhere in there I got interested in building websites also, so I built some of those for free too. Giving work away to those who really need it makes me feel great. But can it work as part of a business model? Leave a comment after the post and let me know your thoughts.

I’m Cheap & Happy

The last few weeks have been amazing. I left my corporate job to follow my gut and be an at-home mom and entrepreneur – a.k.a. a “mompreneur.” I love that I am being true to things that are important to me – my family and my dream.

As soon as I made this career choice, the business requests started pouring in. I did some site maintenance work for an amazing woman named Lisa Charleston on her site http://www.nighthelper.com. I’ve also been seeking out people on Facebook and Twitter that are looking for help with their blog or website, and have been providing them with answers, coaching, or the actual service of fixing their issue. I even created a blog post focused solely on supporting the efforts in Haiti; for every comment left on that post, I am donating $0.50 to Heartland Alliance. I truly enjoy doing these things. I’ve built some great relationships already with many people through working with them, and I go to bed happy and sleep well every night.

I LOVE what I am doing. And in the cases mentioned above, I did not make ONE PENNY (in fact I am giving away at least $15 due to the Haiti help post!), but I DON’T CARE! You see, it’s about helping others with their cause, being proud of yourself in what you know and are able to do, and focusing on how happy you are, not on how much money you are making.

Where Things Get Sticky

But I am trying to build a business. At some point we’ll have to put kids through college, maybe pay for a wedding or two, and eventually will have a nursing home bill or two. I don’t need or want millions, but I’d like to remain comfortable through all of these times. Even better, I’d love it if this business that I am building could eventually support my whole family and possibly some friends’ families through its success.

So here’s where things get tricky for me. I’ve put out several estimates lately. Out of those I’ve gotten two contracts (that pay), have had one that has technical limitations on making the site happen, and two that just can’t afford a website right now. I’m going to concentrate on the latter two. Both of these potential clients are people who are trying to make something big happen for themselves – they are chasing dreams (just like me). The only thing standing in the way is me. Is my time. Is money. That does not feel right to me. This has been eating at me the past week, as this is when I had the second of the two clients come to me saying that they just couldn’t afford the site right now. We both lose.

Finding a Win-Win

It took two conversations with great friends over the past two days to put me at peace with some ideas I have regarding doing work for “free” and the two clients I mention above.

First of all, we all need to get past this thought that money is what creates happiness. I feel like I am there, but the pressures are all around regarding money and business. My husband wants a business plan so that he knows what our 2010 budget will look like, others want to know how business is (aren’t they really asking if I’m making any money yet?), and there are commercials and Twitter posts barraging us with “make $5000 per month working from home!” I know it’s not malicious, but it easily throws me off track from my New Year’s Resolution number 4 – “Keep the focus of my business on helping others succeed.” (See full post on my 2010 New Year’s Resolutions here.)

Second, building a business is a marathon, not a sprint. I’ve really only been doing this work for about a year, and I have no doubt that with my skills and values that I will make this into a successful business that helps others succeed. But it won’t happen tomorrow, or next week, or probably not even next year. I need to remember that as long as I keep doing right by others, good things will come (namely happiness). No need to get greedy and expect big paychecks right now.

Third, doing work for “no dollars” does not have to mean without benefit to my business. I can get creative with folks who may not have the money to pay. For example, if I’m building a site for someone who wants to sell their product online, how about ad space on their site, or revenue share? For the local band that’s trying to make it big, how about a mention at their shows or a logo spot on their show posters? These other forms of compensation still help to build my business while I’m helping others succeed. Win-win, anyone?

Putting It Into Action

That brings me back to the two clients who can’t afford my work. I’m about to contact them again to see if they are still interested in working with me, but more to see how we can help eachother. If anyone thinks that I am WAY off base here, call me now at (847)528-0321, because these emails are going to fly out quick! I don’t think any of you will call, though, as I am very confident that this is the right thing to do. Not only that, but I believe that this should be typical business practice, especially for entrepreneurs.

So, how can we help each other today? =)