Love jobs...

utiler

Hey guys,

Just thought I'd see who else out there is constantly doign 'love jobs' for family, friends, friends of family, and family of friends....

I am going nuts with getting through deck extentions, cafe' fitouts, promotional illustrations, etc for those who are to close to say no too....

I work for myself, no staff and have ahead of me:
3 x 800,000+ houses
800sqm retail development
1500sqm retail development
600sqm proffesional office
1400sqm Medical facility
1200sqm Factory development
6 Storey Apartment project or Hotel
58 room motel
12000sqm Industrial development
8 unit multi-res development
7 unit Townhouse development

Maybe I should just say no...I guess I should be glad I am not a hairdresser.....

A

solo

Nope, no 'love jobs', I love those close to me too much to complicate the relationship by doing business with them.

Thats quite a load you have there, are they paying with 'love' or 'moola'?

alpro

I feel your pain er I mean love. Friends and family know I do 3D drawings for my projects so when they want a deck added to their house or a wall knocked down in their kitchen it's "Can you draw up something "quick" so I can see what it will look like?". But what makes it worst is that I do remodeling for a living so I also get "I'm building that deck you drew up this weekend, think you can give me a hand?" or "Can I borrow one of your nail guns?" Then having work trucks I always get "Can you pick up this playset?" or "Can you help me move?" But you gotta love your friends and family, that's what gets you through bad times. I almost stopped a guy in traffic the other day to ask where he got his bumper sticker, it read "Yes this is my truck and No I won't help you move".

Mike

utiler

No Solo, definately 'moola' jobs those ones.... I just haven't listed the love jobs [already spending enough time on them!!!]

Fair comment Alpro, although I am one who would rather do something myself rather than ask for help... maybe my downfall..

Love the bumper sticker though!!!

Have a good one!!

A

linea

9 - 5, if I'm not getting paid enough to make a living, I can't spend too long on a job regardless if they are friends (family is different). I work for myself, my friends bosses would not ask them to work a day unpaid.

I have found that if I've done free work for friends, people assume that what I do has little professional value. If I send out the message that my time and service is worthless, friends will think nothing of taking more of it in revisions and tweaks.

I planned a shop for a friend for no charge, because at the time he was short of cash, but he still had to pay his contractors (all friends) who needed my plans to work off. At the end of the day I had made a loss on printing plans etc. But if somebody walked into his shop, they wouldn't get free groceries however well they knew him.

I think you answer your own question in the title of your thread. If you love your job, you have to make money, or you can't afford to do it.

alan wood

Hi,
I've learnt to say no. Some time back a friend asked if I would rebuild some picture frames that they had bought cheap. The mitres were poor. You were looking at a couple of days work.

I asked if their husband would replay the favour by doing some work on my computer. 'Oh I dont think he will have time to do that'

Sorry, I dont have the time.

We still do small jobs for one another, but not ones that days to complete.
Alan