Re: Tired of giving out technical advice for free

[Andrew Plato <intrepid_es -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

"Emily Berk" wrote...

> Can you suggest some polite way for me to reply by saying, "I'm so glad you 
> liked the piece I published.  Wouldn't you like to hire me as a consultant so

> I could feel good about answering your question while also feeding my
family?"

I think what Maggie suggested makes sense. Tell him you'd love to help him out
with his project. Your rate is $xx.xx per hour. I get this all the time. People
asking me to help them repair their firewall, Exchange Server, or something
else I know very well. I agree to set up a meeting and tell them my rates. Some
places agree and pay the rate. Others never return the email. 

Don't ever feel ashamed about charging people for your time. Your skills are
what make you valuable and if people want your experience, they should be
willing to pay for it. Its one thing if you volunteer your time for free...its
something else if people request your time for their own needs. 

Andrew Plato 

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