Today's question comes to us from Kyle and Kyle writes,

Dear Mr Forbes, I recently watched your episode called

Should I Work for Freee.

I think you made some excellent points, but honestly now I feel more confused than before.

I'm just starting out, I need to be able to get some experience and I don't know how

I'm supposed to do that. I don't mind working for free now because I'm still learning

and I think it's the best way to get experience. I will start charging someday but after hearing your advice I'm not so sure

I know where to start now can you help thanks and love the show. Kyle.

Kyle thank you for your question this has been asked a number of times both in the comments and I've gotten

emails from people about a follow-up to that episode of well I'm

inexperienced I'm starting out how am I supposed to do this without working for

free well I still stand behind everything I said in that episode.

You should never work for free.

And I know that's my opinion, but, and I'm glad you asked about this, but I really stand behind it.

Let me tell you why.

When you start doing jobs for free, you develop a reputation as the person who works for free.

And when people don't have a budget, you're the guy they call

because they know you'll do great work for free

because you put a lot into it.

When they have a budget, they'll think,

oh, we're going to go over the top

and we need to get somebody else who really shoots

...