Handing in a few reports for free has led to different (paid) opportunities for me, and some were pretty unexpected. Just wondered if this was fairly common, or if I've been lucky? Please share if you have any experience.
Like most things, "it depends". Doing a freebie guest post, for example, can lead to traffic and work. Doing a free (short) sample (and publishing it yourself so they can't) can lead to acceptance. Doing a favour for a friend or colleague can lead to word-of-mouth opportunities. But doing free stuff for random clients can also lead to them saying "thanks" and disappearing for ever, or even hiring someone else. Without future potential, I wouldn't do it - except for a friend or fellow freelancer. Those folks who believe in "what goes around comes around" are always worth a hand.
If you are working for a startup and do a major contribution to the growth, then it can result to a big result.
I agree that startup can be free! But if you are a good expert in something, and it is your intellectual property, you must have a price! Try to respect yourself)
Working for free is better than working for peanuts, I think. Working for free means you are passionate and you are able to focus on your own projects and maybe achieve something you haven't been expecting in the professional aspect. I never give up on work. It keeps me breathing and I feel liberated when I work on my ideas.
It really depends. If you have the opportunity to learn something while working for free, I would encourage it. But if I have nothing to learn, and you ask me to work for free just for the possibility that I MIGHT get paid in the future, you won`t see me doing any work for you.
Yes, you can work for free in exchange of testimonials. If you are new to any line of business, you can build your reputation fast by offering free services to begin with. As your prospects start trusting you, you will start getting more business.
Always consider what's in it for you. Is it going to increase your exposure? Is it going to give you a highly credible reference/clip (major mag, news outlet, organization, etc.) Is it going to lead to paid work, for sure - not just maybe? If not, invest that time and effort into marketing yourself (writing for your blog, website, etc.). On a side note, if it's a non-profit cause you feel passionately about, I'd say go for it.
It depends on what you are working for and why. If you're doing volunteer work for a cause that you truly are passionate about, then I see no harm to it. But if you're contributing your skills for the profit of an individual or a business entity, then you should be getting something for your effort.
It's only worth it if you can get something out of it in the long run... such as recognition and samples to present to clients.