Meet My Busy Mind.: Business

Why you should not do work for free

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

I was going to make this a Facebook post. Then remembered: I have my tribe on my blog, whom I’ve not fed for two months now, since I missed February’s post.

Ahhhhh... the Nigerian Presidential elections shewed me shege. It really dealt with all of us, and we’re hopeful that the judiciary will do right by over 200 million Nigerians.

But that is talk for another day.

Today, let’s explore why you should not do work for free. (And I will do my best to keep this as ‘real’ as night and day)

A long, long, long time ago... in my first year of practice as a rookie lawyer, I had a very interesting boss who would drop these interesting nuggets unsolicited from time to time, but I have since then come to appreciate as real life lessons

(I have a feeling he follows this blog, and is reading this).

Let’s call him O.B.

One day, from out of the blues, O.B. called me into his office, sat me down, and started explaining to me that as a lawyer, I should never do work for free.

Ah. My rookie self wondered why he decided to share this epiphany with me.

He continued; “Not even family. Don’t ever give your professional services for free”.

He proceeded to give me his reason unhindered, which I will share with you below, as well as other reasons I have found in the course of my sixteen year career...

Here goes...

1. You will never graduate.

Confusing right? Lol.

This was O.B.’s own explanation actually, which I have also come to learn first-hand.

You know how you’re a law student, or medical student, or even engineering student, and members of the family fondly refer to you as “baby-lawyer” or “baby-doctor?”

Well it’s cute and all, until you actually become a professional and it’s time to charge for services.

“Ahh ahh ahh... see this one that was a baby doctor the other day o. Charge for wetin?? Abegi”. So you never actually graduate into a ‘serious’ professional, if you start giving services free to family and/or friend.

As O.B. would advise, instead, you could have discounted rates and call it “family price” (lol, my inner Nigerian giggles about this lingo all the time). This is what you offer to those close enough to be considered ‘family’.

And that is what has worked for me ever since.

My first client ever was courtesy of my sibling, and as I tell anyone who requires my services, if I can charge my sibling, best believe I will charge you.

2. Freebies are never diamonds

There are indigent persons, or perhaps, not-for-profit organisations that would require your services, but would quite frankly be unable to afford it.

Like me, you could decide to provide probono services or do volunteer work for such organisations, in these (limited) instances. And it is clear that you are providing pro-bono or volunteer services, for the greater good.

You know however those prospective clients who can actually pay for work, but ALWAYS have a “quick question”, after which they let you know that they got a “second opinion’, and are going with that second opinion?

Ehhn, the second opinion had to be gotten, because who actually does agood work, for free?

The hard truth is that (more) value is usually placed on services that have been paid for. If you randomly provided services for free, those services are likely to be taken for granted.

And as O.B. Would point out to me, you are not likely to be first tipped for significant work that is actually paid for, since the value placed on the free work you have given will be at the minimum.

Place proper value on your work, and be paid for it.

3. Exposure will not pay your rent

Lol. This one unfortunately is a favourite used against creatives.

“Come and perform for us... you will get exposure”.

And when it’s time to do your weekly groceries, you will fill your wallet with exposure, and pay the casher... ehhn??

I understand that for newer businesses or professionals, there is a need to publicise your services. The temptation to provide services for free to already established people will be high, with some taking gleefully taking advantage of these new entrants and actually asking for the free services, in exchange for ‘exposure’.

And boy, will you feel the pressure to just cave in.

Just like in 1) above, this could be the time to pull the “family price”. You can offer highly discounted rates, showing what the original cost would have been. You can pull a Beyonce at Coachella, ask to be paid a quite minuscule amount in cash, while being paid the rest in other kind, such as an irrevocable license.

My personal favourite in working with young start-uppers in whom I believe but who may not be able to afford my services is receiving payment in kind, such service for service, or shares.

(Who knows.... it could be the next Amazon?)

4. You could get in trouble

When you provide services for free, there is the temptation to allocate minimum time/resources to it, since it is not being billed.

If you are in a regulated profession, like Law, you could easily get into trouble.

How?

The definition of a client is regardless of payment of ‘consideration’. So that if you give work for free (other than humanitarian pro-bono or volunteer services), and are deemed to be negligent or make the client suffer some harm due to poor quality of work, you would still be held liable.

What that means is even if you did work for free, you’d still have to apply optimal resources for that work to your highest quality expected for a Client, regardless of the absence or adequacy of payment for said services.

Otherwise, you could be punished for doing a ‘good’ deed, albeit at subpar.

5. Don’t enable bad behaviour

The thing with giving free services (other than volunteer or probono as enumerated above) is that you could be sowing seeds of entitlement, which the next professional will bear the brunt.

Edakun, ask to be paid for your services, because we cannot all pay for electricity bills with ‘exposure’.

And if you must give free services, make it very clear that same expectation should not prevail with other professionals offering same services.

Just like ‘exposure’, “I got it for free the last time” will also not pay for groceries o.

(Have you seen the cost of eggs??)

Now you know why you should insist on getting paid for services. The next time someone asks for free services, and you feel shy to complain, just forward them this post, and let me be the bahd ghuy.

And if you feel I’m just being a stingy winch by this post, please share your comments on why, and what you advise instead.

Paz,

Meg.

Photo Credit: Charles Deluvio on www.unsplash.com

1 Comments

Business

Us First... or Us All?

Friday, September 18, 2020

Prior to 2020, China was that exotic oriental place, where anything and everything could be manufactured. New Zealand was the land of Hobbits, and Italy was the home of the Pope.

Africa was that cute ‘country’ with starving children - who just LOVED to take selfies with tourist benefactors - with lions and zebras as the popular mode of transportation.

The United States of America was the loud uncle whom everyone secretly despised, yet everyone wanted to be with. And Canada, his pleasant little brother.

Prior to 2020, we all lived in la-la-land, and rarely identified with the realities of our brothers and sisters around the world.

Happenings in other countries sounded really far-away; something to lift our eyes from our phones briefly, look at the television for a second, shake our heads in distracted sympathy, mutter a silent prayer, and quickly go back to scrolling through Instagram for the latest deals on shoes.

In recent times, this dissonance has been heightened by growing far-right (who made them ‘right’ anyway?) calls for a return to nationalistic policies, as against globalization. What with movements such as BREXIT and chants of “build the wall!”

2020 and COVID-19 was the game changer.

All of a sudden, China became known as the place where COVID-19 was said to have originated from. New Zealand became known for instituting one of the toughest lockdowns, and keeping the virus at bay for the longest time, at the (possible) cost of its economy.

Italy became associated with heartbreaking, tear-jerking news of thousands of daily deaths, with healthcare systems overwhelmed and doctors having to make the difficult decision of who to keep alive.

Africa emerged as the continent, whom against the odds of poverty, coupled with corruption and aggressively mediocre leadership, still managed to record the lowest number of deaths and cases, peaking at a surprisingly low rate.

The United States has become known for … phew! (Honestly, I cannot even get into that right now. I’ll just pass)

And Canada has shown strong national and provincial leadership in the face of the pandemic, with its leaders putting aside party allegiances to come together in fighting the common adversary, all the while appropriately giving the true steering wheels to the scientists and healthcare personnel.

If there is one thing that 2020 (and COVID-19) has taught us, it is that we are all connected to each other. What affects one affects us all.

No country, no community, no person is an island. This is evident in even rich countries, recognizing the need to reopen their borders, so as to reboost their economies.

No amount of chanting “go back to your country” or millions of dollars pumped into building walls can remove from the fact that we are all one human race, simultaneously occupying the earth.

What affects one, irrespective of the geographical distance, ultimately affect us all.

It is very important to remember this, even as the race to find a viable vaccine seems to be making progress. At this time when everything is still uncertain, and everyone is affected, information sharing and cooperation seems to be a no-brainer.

But a time will come when the dust has settled, and COVID-19 has begun to seem like a receding horrible nightmare, just hanging within the recesses of our minds as an unhappy blur.

At that time, it is important to remember how we were all in this together; how we were all affected all over the world.

At that time, we should not see vaccines being hoarded in only certain countries or continents, leaving the rest of the world vulnerable. We should not see countries that have bounced back suddenly climb on their high-horse in putting other countries through unnecessarily and undignified hoops, in admitting their nationals, under the guise of protecting residents from the virus.

We should remember that there was a time when we all held our breath and our hands all over the world, while praying for the pandemic to come to an end.

Which is why I am penning this, for posterity sake. Our perpetual reminder.

After all is said and done, and ‘normalcy’ has returned fully, let us remember that Us First is not sustainable in keeping our world safe from other future challenges. For if one is compromised, we all are compromised

It should always be Us All; leaving no one behind.

Paz,

Meg.

Photo-credits: By Morning Brew on Unsplash

1 Comments

Business

The Art of Professional Networking

Monday, August 26, 2019

Professional Networking Events in Houston

There are many things we are taught in school.

How to sit quiet. How to speak proper. When to write our exams. Where to write our names on exam sheets

In courses like Law, you’re taught the basic rules of Contract. That one cannot give what they do not have, a.k.a nemo dat quod non habeat. And that you have some obligation to be your sister’s keeper, under the law of tort.

We are urged to make the best grades, and are assured of the good life waiting for us outside the gates of school, once we stick to our teachers’ every wise word.

What we are seldom taught (if taught at all) is the need for, and the art of networking.

Networking entails constantly meeting, discussing with, and exchanging ideas with people of same (professional) interests. In these times, where ‘being intelligent’ has been made the new average by the many tools that the internet affords, networking has become as fundamental to career growth, as tomato is to Nigerian jollof.

I learnt this the hard way in the course of my career, especially moving to a whole new place, and having little number of professional contacts in my field. I would go to a professional event, sit tongue-tied, feeling lost the whole time, and leaving lostier than I was when I came.

Over time however, I came to understand (and appreciate) the value of networking. Through networking, I have met amazing mentors, built professional (and personal) bonds, and even gotten awesome job opportunities. And I have learnt that even for the self-employed, networking is an AWESOME tool in putting your brand out there, and keeping the business rolling in.

While I cannot promise you that I have locked down the "48 Secret Laws of Power-Networking" (lol... if you find them, please share them with me too) I can share with you tips I have learnt along the way, to help you get started on this networking journey.

1. Build your online Profile: If you're still under the mistaken belief that your employability is only based on your CV, then you're still stuck somewhere in the mid-80s.

With the availability of digital footprints, it is easy scour the internet for a quick due diligence on a prospective employer, employee or business partner.

Be deliberate with your digital footprints. Keep your online profile consistent, and marketable.

If you do not have a LinkedIn account, again, you're somewhere in the mid-1960s. At the very least, have an up-to-date LinkedIn account. And it doesn't matter if you're still in school; the earlier, the better.

2. Join Professional networking groups: Snoop around your vicinity and profession. What networking groups would afford you the opportunity to build your professional community? Join professional associations where you can, sign up for networking events, and strive to attend these events when you can.

3. Engage: It is not enough to just join professional groups, then sit pretty. Engage in events you attend. Engage on LinkedIn. It could be as simple as asking important questions to clarify salient points in an event, or clicking an article by someone in your field that you admire, and adding your own views.

Reach out to members of your network on LinkedIn. When you do, keep it simple, and straight to the point. If you get a chance for a chat or coffee, find shared interests to chit-chat on as well.

4. Volunteer: There is often the mistaken belief that volunteering one’s services only benefits the organisation being volunteered. This is not true.

In addition to increasing one’s professional network based on interactions with people met at volunteering opportunities, there is also the advantage of gaining better knowledge first-hand in the area of specialty of the organisation. You could also volunteer your time with the associations you join, as well as your immediate community where you live.

5. Aim at building relationships: This is a tough one to digest sometimes. The truth is that nine out of ten times, no one will meet you at one sitting and hand you a job, or give you the keys to their business empire. But if you build genuine professional relationships, you would be increasing the number of people willing to refer you for or to an opportunity in future. More importantly, you'd be enriching yourself with valuable associations, which will carry beyond just finding the next gig.

When you start a networking relationship, look beyond "what can they do for me?" to forming an actual (professional) connection with the other person. See every network connection as a potential opportunity for long-term professional relationship, rather than as a means to an end. Nobody likes to be a "means" to an end.

6. Keep reading: It is important to keep yourself apprised on happenings in your area of interest so that at the very least, you can hold meaningful conversations during networking events/opportunities.

Make out time a week to read, either core materials, or online articles. Keep increasing your knowledge in the area.

7. Network laterally: While job-hunting or even business-hunting, it is easy to spend the most of your focus on networking with people more senior than you in your field, as they probably wield more influence and make the most of the business decisions.

But people greatly underestimate the huge resource that one's peers constitutes in networking. Your peers have their ears closer the ground; they know of the existence of that opportunity, even before "management" has decided to publish same. They understand the inner workings of the business or organisation, and are likely to be more emphatic in understanding the challenges you face. Accordingly, your lateral connections are more likely to be rooting for and with you, than connections hirer up the ladder.

Even your lateral connections also searching for opportunities (like your) are great avenues for networking. They may come across opportunities not suited for them, but which would be a perfect fit for you. They are also likely to be ready to go into business partnership with you, and take same risks with you.

In networking, never under-estimate your peers.

8. Keep Networking: When you FINALLY land that perfect job or the business client... you would be hurting yourself to stop networking. While you may not be available at the drop of a hat for every event, it is important that you keep yourself 'out there'. It would help you stay on top of potential opportunities for your organisation, and especially, for your own future development.

And even within your organisation, you will find that it is as important to continue to apply the networking skills you have acquired. Particularly if it is a bigger organisations, with various opportunities to explore for exciting work streams.

Whatever you do, remember that networking never gets old. Keep attending events. Keep meeting people. Keep making (and growing your connections)

Keep networking.

Paz,

Meg.

Photo-credit: www.unpakt.com

2 Comments

Business

It is NEVER over

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

If you're anything like me, you might have felt a ~~slight~~ heavy sense of alarm when we stepped into December 1st, and you were still miles away from hitting those 2018 aspirations.

(Am I right? Or, am I right??)

As I rolled into the month of December, there was this subconscious sense of urgency that rolled in with me. Like:

I literally panicked. Because I realised that I had not achieved all of what I had set my mind to for 2018. And BOOM! The year was almost over, just like that.

This panic made me slow down for just a teeny-weeny second.

And then, I dived right back into the hustle.

I realised December had 31 days left. Heck... all I needed was just one day, an hour even, maybe just a minute for something significant to happen.

And it did happen.

I have crossed the topmost item on my bucket-list for the year, while I keep pushing to cross out the remaining items on the list, and eventually tear the list.

It does not matter that everyone around seems to be ‘shutting down’; I am still revved up and going at full throttle.

After all, Life does not pause to drink a beer, just because Christmas rice and chicken is around the corner. 🙄

So this is for you, who feels the year is pretty much over, and “Meh. I’ve lost out. What's the point anyway?”.

Flush that pity-party - or whatever witchery that is - down the drain, and keep pushing right on. The year is not over. You still have 19 days to meet your set target for the year.

And if come December 31st, you have still not met those targets... that too is ok. The important thing is that you never stopped pushing. It is only when you stop trying, that you earn the luxury of beating yourself up for failure.

And I will happily climb up a palm tree, to cut the cane for you, like:

Right now, keep pushing until you achieve your aim. Be it this year, next year, or when ever it crystallizes. Just keep putting in your best, without giving in or throwing down the shovel.

Because it is never over. Unless YOU say it is over, braw.

Aluta continua!

Paz,

Meg.

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Business

Being a ‘hustler’ in today’s business world

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

If you are like me, and love musical dramas, you should be a fan of Lee Daniel’s Star. If not, oh well..

Expectedly the star of the series is Star, with all of her drama, fire and spirit. But my favourite character has remained Jahil, a washed-out music talent-manager, always looking for who to sell “the next big thing!”, and often coming close to mainstream success, but having it slip through his fingertips.

Benjamin Bratt as "Jahil" in Star

Notwithstanding his inability to sustain his trickling conquests, I have admired his (blindly?) optimistic spirit over the past three seasons; always up and about one new deal or the other. The one thing I took exception to was his ‘shady’ personal lifestyle, which though separate from his ear for genuine talent, raised eyebrows.

But everyone in the show acknowledged him as a ‘hustler’, and for some reason, even though he worked genuinely hard, this was not always made in the most positive light; he attracted scorn with the use of the description.

Why? Is being a hustler a bad thing??

While more conventional (online) dictionaries such as Oxford and Cambridge see a hustler as a person who “tries to trick another into giving them money”, a hustler is also defined in other sources as a street-smart person, working hard to make ends meet by “using his smarts, and outcunning everyone out there” (www.urbandictionary.com)

(Sounds familiar?)

Keeping it real… a lot of us would well fall into this latter definition of hustler, especially in today’s business world where certificates simpliciter no longer suffice to keep one ahead in their chosen field.

A hustler is that person who is always one step ahead of everyone else, finding the next untapped potential, and turning it into a thriving business opportunity.

Argue all you want, keeping one’s head well above water in the business world requires being a (well-bred) hustler. For example, people like me, who new to a particular environment, will put themselves out there to sell their exceptional products, services or skills, in order to compete equally with other professionals in their field, and carve out their own niche.

In case you missed the memo, “Networking”, “Entrepreneurship”, “Consultant”, “Contractor” and even “Politician” are all bourgeoisie euphemism for describing the art of hustling.

You know that inventor always looking to sell a new invention, or app?? That too is a hustler.

So hustling - or being a hustler - is not a bad thing in itself, per se.

But…

(You knew the ‘but’ was coming… right?)

There are ways you can go about your hustling, which would ensure it is a totally good thing, and not subject you to the scorn and derision with which Jahil was always met.

For starters, your hustle has to be legit.

I mean, this goes without saying that if you are known to hustle in things that would pit you against the law (or your side-hustle is pseudo-illegal), you would be a pariah, and a lot of legal businesses would want to have nothing to do with you.

Even if your hustle is legit, do not be like Jahil and maintain a rather unattractive personal lifestyle, which could invariably affect your professional hustle, and make potential investors or business associates question if they want to be associated with you.

Secondly (and equally important), you have to gain integrity in your hustling i.e. ‘street-cred(ibility’).

In other words, it is okay for example, to be that Nigerian contractor who is always looking to execute one contract or the other. But also build a reputation around yourself, and ACTUALLY execute your contracts, to the standards promised in your proposal.

It is not enough for you to “network” (or hustle) your way into a job. You cannot network through your career. You have to actually bring the goods, i.e. know the stuff for which you are employed, or build that knowledge on the job.

For you to gain credibility through your hustle, you have to develop actual substance. The hustle may only get you a foot in the door. But it is the substance of the products or services you are selling which will guarantee you a permanent seat at the table.

Finally, as a hustler, you need to know when to stop hustling, and consolidate on the acquired fruits of your hustle. You need to know when to stop chasing shadows or “the next big thing”, as this could affect your focus on things you already have on your plate.

(Remember that proverb about the bird, and the hand, and the bush??)

Sean Combs. JayZ. Bill Gates. Steve Jobs. Oprah. They all were hustlers at one point or the other. But they knew the right time to stop hustling, and consolidate on what they had attained, even diversifying when necessary.

This does not imply that you do not exploit avenues for improvement or development. Rather, do not place your sights so narrowly on (unguaranteed) future ‘deals’, that you fail to adequately develop the ones sitting squarely in your laps already.

Calm down.

You got through the door. You got your product out there. Now, develop your product or services into something formidable.

Grow your brand. Grow your personality also. Build your empire from your hustling, and make it as attractive as possible.

Then, let the hustle come to you. Let investors, employers, clients be the ones to seek after you, based on your proven track record of delivering on your products/services, and the niche you have carved for yourself.

And when you recognize young (legit) hustlers just like you once were, just smile to yourself, and provide some mentorship/guidance to them when you can.

But you cannot forever aim to just be a hustler, if not, you would be doing yourself a huge disservice, and limiting yourself in a world of otherwise limitless possibilities.

Be more than a hustler; be phenomenal.

Now that you have read this, go and hustle properly.

And may the odds be in your favour!

Paz,

Meg.

Photo-credit: Wilford Harewood/Fox

5 Comments

Why you should not do work for free

Us First... or Us All?

The Art of Professional Networking

It is NEVER over

Being a ‘hustler’ in today’s business world

MEG CHINELO EGBUNONU

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