OK, Sometimes I Do Work for Free!

Well, I’m guessing that title got a little attention! And, it’s true! Now, there are a couple of different kinds of working for free. The first, is the kind of icky situation so many of us have run into with GeeksOnTime. We take a job, we expect to be paid for it, that money never shows up, the company ignores you…this is NOT a good kind of working for free! It was sad and unexpected for many of us.  And even though I stated in one of my recent comments that I don’t work for free, in real life, I sometimes actually do! But, intentionally and in a good way.

For those of you who read the Labor Day apology post, I spent that weekend, and a little time before and after, working for free intentionally. You see, I do realize that even though I have it tough sometimes, there are still those less fortunate than I am. So, I have a couple of local charities that I donate my time to sometimes. I always wish I could do more – if I had it, I would give these guys some unbelievable cash donations. But, I don’t have that much extra cash to just give away. But, considering what they would pay somebody to do some of the things that I do, it all works out for everybody. They get free computer services, I get to help out some worthy causes, and everybody walks away happy. Oh, and I also push helping these guys out to other people I know. So, if I know they have an event coming up they need printed material for, I can try to help by finding somebody I know to donate the printing service. Or the event space. Or whatever.

So, if you take on something like this, you are, of course, helping make the world a better place. And, there are extra added benefits for you. First, other people that donate their time to these charities have jobs in the real world, too. So, if you do a good job for somebody in connection to the charity, there is a good chance you’ll be remembered and called next time that same person needs the same kind of job done in their office. And, did you remember to hand them one of your handy Vistaprint business cards I recommended to you? I hope so, because they will pass that card on to somebody else they know. And, when this fabulous charity hosts their event, make sure you have these cards on hand then, too. These events are often fun, casual, and a great way to network with other people. The more you network, the more calls you get, and he more extra money you make. Sweet deal all around.

Oh, and one other added bonus – charities are grateful for your services and time. They will almost always do anything they can to accommodate your schedule, so you can easily fit in a little charity work around your full time gig (especially if you work with local charities). So you manage to do a really good deed, while theoretically working for free. But, these little freebies are well worth it – and sometimes very profitable  – in the long run. So, find a cause you like, jump in, and see if you can help. Worst case, you still get a tax write off, spend a couple of hours doing something you usually do anyway,  and do something that makes a difference. Best case? You still do all of the above, and manage to work it into a little extra cash in the future. Not a bad deal at all.