Stop Panhandling Fellow Business Owners

willworkforfreeSomeone asked me recently, “If you really want to help people, why don’t you do it for free?” To which I replied, “For the very same reason you don’t work for free. Just because you do what you love, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t receive payment in exchange for the products or services you offer. At the end of the day, we all have bills to pay!”

If you don’t desire the service being offered, you have the option to say, “No Thank you!” If you think their work is easy and unworthy of pay, do it yourself. If you desire the service and can’t afford it, then ask to barter. Most business owners will understand and try to work with you. If you can afford to pay, don’t be a Scrooge-Like-Cheap-Ass. Pay for it!

You’re a business owner, which means you likely understand the difficulty of building and/or running a small business. That said; unless you’re a charity organization, stop trying to get other businesses to serve you for free. They are trying to build a better life for themselves just like you.

In the words of the Golden Rule, “Do onto others as you’d have them do unto you!”