What's My Line?

Dear Alisa and Gina,

I seem to constantly grapple with friends overstepping bounds, asking for me to work for them for free under the guise of "help."  I wish I could say that it only exists with friends, but I do find myself in some sticky situations when people are referred to me by business colleagues and surprised that I won't give of my time to help them. With that long introduction, my question is "How do I delicately talk about my money and value without feeling heavy handed?" ~ Over-asked, Underpaid

Your question brings up many more questions from me,

Why do you need to be delicate when you talk about money?

Does it make you uncomfortable to say you’re trying to run a business?

What has your experience been with speaking up about fees?

Are you anticipating this response, or have you actually been called heavy handed?

Before you can speak up for yourself you need to be familiar with what drives your habits, so I’d suggest you start off dedicating some time to observe your reactions so have a clearer understanding of what holds you back from being direct and precise with potential clients and friends. ~ Alisa

When someone says, “Can you help me?” smile and say, “Can you afford me?” ~ Gina