Your Time Is Not a Bargaining Chip! Discover Why You Must Value Every Minute as an Entrepreneur.
As professionals and entrepreneurs, our time is our most valuable asset. Yet, it’s surprising how often others expect us to give it away, especially when we’re marketing, sales, consulting, or design experts.
Time: The Irreplaceable Asset
Unlike money, which can be recovered, time invested never returns. Every minute dedicated to a project that doesn’t adequately value our experience is a minute not spent on truly profitable opportunities or our professional growth.
The “Fantasy Project” Syndrome
Does this situation sound familiar? An excited friend or acquaintance approaches you:
“I have the idea of the century. The only thing missing is your marketing/design/sales talent. It’s the best business in the world! I just need you to create a website, a platform, or lend your contacts and image to make this work…”
These proposals often include grand but empty promises of commitment. The reality is that these people value your experience but not enough to invest in it.
“You Do It and Keep the Commission”
Another recurring proposal is that they offer you the opportunity to manage the entire project in exchange for a future commission. They don’t consider sales management and representation to be costly in terms of time and resources. A serious professional cannot afford to work on promises of future earnings without tangible commitment.
The Invisible Cost of Professional Time
A reasonable proposal must include compensation for:
- Hours dedicated to analysis and planning
- Knowledge accumulated over years of experience
- Resources you must divert from other profitable projects
- The mental and creative effort involved in each new challenge
When Friendship Complicates Professional Relationships
This phenomenon occurs especially frequently among friends. They believe in our capabilities, but we must clearly convey a fundamental message: “I love my work, but it’s not a hobby.” If they truly value our experience, they’ll understand that our time has a fair price.
The Most Dangerous Proposals: “Do It for Free”
“Do it for free, and I’ll give you exposure” or “You’ll earn a big commission in the future” are phrases every professional has heard at some point. These proposals ignore the present value of our work and the uncertainty of those future promises.
The Lack of Sensitivity About the Value of Time
In fields like design or consulting, many potential clients don’t understand that we bill for our time. They ask questions that extract our intellectual assets or expect unlimited modifications after initial work as if our time were an inexhaustible and free resource.
The Myth of “Just Make This Quick Tweaks”
In design, consulting, or marketing, clients often request “a small change” that turns into 10 revisions, endless meetings, and urgent deliveries… all unpaid. Here’s a key principle:
- Your knowledge and time are intellectual assets. Every question, idea, or edit is part of your professional capital. If you don’t charge for it, you’re devaluing your worth.
A Necessary Reflection
As a professional, you deserve respect for your time and expertise. While proposals may sound attractive to those offering them, that doesn’t mean you should dedicate your energy to a new project without fair compensation.
To those seeking to collaborate with experts: before proposing a “revolutionary” idea to your consultant, designer, or marketing specialist friend, ask yourself if you would be willing to pay for that same service from a stranger. If the answer is no, reconsider whether you truly value your friend’s time and talent.
The moral is clear: professional respect begins with properly valuing others’ time. A true business opportunity includes a fair investment in the talents needed to make it a reality.
