Can BFFs be clients?
One of my friends just offered me a job to rework the copy on his website. A running buddy asked me to look over some marketing materials for her. A former colleague wanted me to build his website for him.
I keep saying yes, but am I making a mistake?
The jury is still out on whether it’s smart for me to be a friend first then a service provider later. A few weeks ago I wrote about how my clients keep becoming my friends, but I’m not really clear on how things will work the other way around.
I know I go by the motto that people work with people they like, but what if something goes wrong? What if D.J. (yep — the one with the occasional ex-boyfriend title) hates the copy for his website? What if Rebecca finds my suggestions for marketing unhelpful? Will they all respect me in the morning?
I’m treading lightly here, but I have a tough time saying no. I would love to be able to help friends with projects, but I’m scared that I’ll get into trouble, especially if they want to pay me. Let’s say I hire a friend to take care of my cat, and I come home and find she never came by and the cat is dead. Yeah. Not so good for our friendship, and I have a dead cat to boot. (I actually have a great cat sitter who is a great friend.)
For now, I’m diving in. I finished Jim’s website, had lunch with Rebecca to look at her marketing stuff and am meeting with D.J. next week to talk about his web copy. I sure hope I don’t screw things up.
steph on 26 Jun 2008 at 11:21 am #
I say keep going for it! On the flip side they may come to respect you even more and thus bring in more business by word of mouth. That they asked in the first place is a good sign they think you’re going to be helpful.
I do work with my friends. Sometimes the issue of pay gets sticky but never the issue of quality. Because they’re friends, we’re allowed to be more open than we might be with other clients. I can tell them my concerns about working with them, and I can keep checking to make sure they’re happy and I know they won’t lie to me. They feel comfy telling me they don’t like something and why and then we work it out.
I wondered about this regarding my husband’s website. He asked me to edit his content and at first I was hesitant. But then I thought: I’m always wanting him to see that I have a legit job I’m good at. Here’s my chance to show him what I do (and can do)! And it is great. He just said the other day, without my asking, that the changes and suggestions I make are so effective he would hire me any day were we strangers. I know he has a new respect for me and I’m happy that he feels we’re such a good match because since we’re close, I know what he wants to say. I find that works with friends as well.
Rebecca Eberle on 26 Jun 2008 at 4:20 pm #
Beth, No matter what you do to help me with my marketing stuff, I’m sure you’ll make it better than it is now! Rest assured that I know I have to do the rest of the hard work…like making the calls, providing good solutions and service to my clients, etc, etc. I think we’ll be ok.
Beth on 27 Jun 2008 at 7:47 am #
Bec,
Sometimes I forget who reads here…
I think we’ll be ok as well.
Now me and DJ… the jury’s still out.