

2 Choices For Rates And Cheap Isn't One Of Them - MrAlmostWrong
http://www.drawar.com/articles/two-choices-for-rates-and-cheap-isnt-one-of-them/242/

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jokull
It's hard when family members ask you to do work for them and you don't have
time, they still offer to pay you. They expect that you'll somehow find the
time because there's now a financial incentive at play. My mom is starting a
company and she really needs updates to a crappy website. "This only takes you
a couple of evenings" she'll say. I'm inclined to do it for free but that
means we wait for me to have time off. All of a sudden my holiday breaks and
evenings are website jobs while I'd rather be chilling out with my family.

Anyone share the same experience?

Really enjoyed the wisdom in this article btw. Thanks!

~~~
lars512
I've helped out my mother in her business for years, on evenings and weekends.
Overall, I haven't found it a good experience, mainly because of two issues.

Firstly, I really don't have the time to put her affairs in order (and keep
them that way), only enough to put out fires. I do get paid, but it's really
not a matter about money. As you say, it then begins to pollute the
relationship with that person, since you can no longer spend time with them
normally.

Secondly, it's quite painful to see bad decisions being made against your
advice when it's someone you know and care about. It also makes the motivation
to put out fires much lower, since you know there'll always be more on the
way...

Having chatted to friends, I understand that the situation becomes much easier
where both parties have some kind of help they can trade with each other,
instead of most of the help going one way.

~~~
cloudbrain
Seriously?

Who wiped your butt when you crapped your pants? Who taught you to ride a bike
and held you when you skinned your knees? Who bought you your first computer
and fed you and drove you to school and held you when you were scared and
comforted you when you were sad and cheered for you when you won?

Help your mom out with her website.

It's the least you could do.

\- - - (Sorry. First time posting - my wife is 9 months pregnant and this got
me fired up...)

~~~
simonk
Mixing family and business is never a good thing to do. I love all those
memories and I want that to be the time we spend together not that ____ is
wrong with your website/business because you may start out with a website but
it never seems to end with just that.

