Family expecting freebies!

[Lolly22]

Hey, as I dont post often I will start by introducing myself

So my name is Lyndsay and I am 21 from Glasgow. I recently left my job as a spa manager and have an interveiw next week but in the meantime I am going to do some courses and through time hoping to set up a home salon

Anyway, thats not the problem here. I have booked on to do extreme waxing course with kim lawless and shellac! So I update my FB status saying ive booked my courses Woo kinda thing! And my cousin replies saying Oooh great you will be spending a fortune but saving me money! And I used to do just pasrty lashes for her for free which I didnt mind but she also didnt once offer me any money, even though it was my stock.

I just thought that was awful cheeky, even that she aknowledged the fact I will be spending alot of money and still wants it for free. Was just wondering how do you geeks get around this? Do you give a family discount? Or even close friends?

Sorry to go on! I

 

[Pinkies101]

The only person I dont charge is my mum

Everybody else I charge, as they are no doubt just as fussy time wise as all other clients you still have to do it properly and you are using your products.
From the off I woul maybe send her. Text that looks like it's to many and say just to let you know prices for my new treatments

 

[Lolly22]

Yeah I don't charge my mum either and I wouldn't mind doing then initially for free to get some advertising but not every time! And that it great advice about the text, I'll try that.

 

[Alex-Lydia]

Hi Lolly22,

There are quite a few post regarding similar situations, but here is what I do...
My Mum, my husband and my best friend never get charged... they have given me far too much support over the years mentally and practically, other friends get 25% discount with the provisio that they book on quieter days, and know that if I need to adjust their appointment for a full paying client I will, as long as I give them fair notice...I have to say no one takes advantage and if they did I would mention that I need to run a successful business to live...I think you need to start be strict straight away so no bad habits form..explain that your courses make you a better therapist but are expensive and you simply cannot afford to do freebies...it can be hard to begin with but once they start they will be fine with it.

Maybe tell them if they recommend you clients they will get extra treats included too. x

 

[pinkies&tooties]

I have 4 sisters and I charge them 50% so basically I font charge for my time! Mum of course don't charge her but where do you draw the line you can have lots of best friends when you do a job like this I mean wouldn't we all like freebies! People take the Mick if your not careful! My sister always says if you need to practice tanning I'll always be your model and when I say yeah if you pay for solution she says well why would I pay for it when I don't want it I'm just helping you out!
X

 

[Lolly22]

Yeah thats true where do you draw the line?? I think that I will do is mayube do something like 50% off for family and friends and do my mum etc for free obv.

People can sometimes take advantage but I will be firm and let people know my prices and anyone who I will honor a discount for I will let them know.

Thanks all! x

 

[mell8282]

I'm also having people that want freebies, there excuse is, it's helps you practise. Mmmmm, no I don't think so, my courses cost a lot of money and the kit I'm using cost a small fortune. I was doing freebies, until my best friend had a word with me, lol. Won't earn a living or pay for courses giving freebies. What I do, do is, if I want to try something new out, I ask them do they mind (usually my best mate), but it promotes me and lets me try something new.

 

[emsie]

I dont charge my mum and my sister, thats it. Everyone else I do,but I offer discounted rates to family, not to friends though.

I dont advertise what courses Im doing on FB either, I dont post anything until Ive done them. I then send a text/post it on my profile to them with the rates, otherwise, i think people would expect to get them for free, (I get a few people saying they will be models for me, but I dont need any models!) and besides, after youve done the course, your not practising, you are qualified.

The only thing I did was when I first started out (before the courses and was practising) offered the first time free, but only to family. hth xx

 

[Mbzh]

Hi there,

From the beginning be firm, if you offer freebies to friends and family they will always expect that and the longer it goes on the harder it will be for you to tell them you can't do freebies anymore. Think of a rate that you wouldn't mind doing for family and friends and stick to that.

Good luck with your new venture and I hope it all goes well for you

 

[gr8nailz]

Think about some of the girlie things we women love and then think about this: If you had a friend that were a seamstress, would she make all your clothing for free? If she were a jewelry maker, would she make you jewelry for free? NO! And don't say it's not the same thing, because it isn't.

 

[StephR]

My mum gets her treatments free, she's helped me out so much plus she's my mum so would dream of charging her. Don't charge my sister or best friend either but we do swaps. My sister does treatments for me and my best friend us a hairdresser. Everyone else pays full price.

 

[eskimonailtech]

Yes, my mom gets everything free. I have her on as a co-signer for my skincare line so she even gets that at only 30% of retail cost. I would never and will never charge her. Her and my dad have footed me every single cent to start my business, which has soared to over 12K. !!!!!!!!

I'm not close with any of the rest of my family except for two cousins but they havent come in yet.

All my girlfriends pay full price or whatever my current special is.

 

[Sam81]

Even my mum pays for product costs! She insists because she knows how hard I've worked and the cost of setting up. My sister gets freebies because she's a poor student but she only has her eyebrows done every 6 weeks unless I offer to treat her

 

[gr8nailz]

I don't charge my mom or my sisters-in-law. Everyone else..they gotta' pay! ;o)

 

[JHall]

I gave all my family free tans while i was practising but made it clear to them that the next one would not be free, plus I used my samples on them so was a bit mean to charge them.
Now the only ones I do free is my daughter (cause she babysits for free) niece( cause she does my nails free) and 1 sister (cause she is always doing things for me) the rest pay the normal price, I agree you have to be firm from the beginning, I can't afford to do them all free or my kids won't be eating xx

 

[TracyS]

A bit like others really, my mum gets freebies and that's about it. The only other time I do things for free is if I offer, for example, My best friend was going through a tough time and I knew she would benefit from reflexology so I went around and did that in my 'off' time.

And I did my mum's best friend's nails before they went on holiday.She's so good to my mum and is always buying or my kids I would've felt sooooo bad taking anything of her.

Other than that, full cost.

 

[becky30]

I have a friend, and when i was practicing nails, i practiced at her house and her daughter was a pain in the ass, i swore then i would never do it again at her house, and although i was practicing she still moaned about them, anyway, now i can wax and shes like, "when can you do my eyebrows, i told her i would them this evening,free. so in the day she text me and says when are you coming to do my eyebrows, i say, your coming to me, she says i cant, i havent got a car, i say, i am not carrying my waxpot in my car and i have 4 kids in tow... anway after an hour of texting she then says can you do it tomorrow...erm no, for f**ks sake, your getting your eyebrows done for free and you want me to chase after you too. some people make me so mad.

 

[happyfeet]

My mum has told me she'll pay more than products cost but I've told no if you feel the need to pay anything JUST product costs will do. My sister on the other hand will get a reduction but knowing my sis hell would freeze over before she asked me to do her nails ha ha sisters aye! I've chosen one friend that i will heavily discount one because she is a good mate and two cos i know she'll tell anyone and everyone she knows about me and my nails and will hand out my business card cos she's lovely like that!

 

[kjs78]

Ive found this thread very interesting. Ive just started up my own business and have lots of friends family wanting me to do thier hair. Anyway a couple of weeks ago i done my mums best friends hair for her wedding, including trial- she didn't bring any money with her and I felt arkward asking her (even though she is a very sucsessful business women and she never offered. Ive just done my sisters hair, took me almost 4 1/2 hours as it is soo thick, it was a complete mess to begin with, so I put 3 different colours through, and gave it a complete restyle, she looked lovely. I had decided to charge her £40 which would be a 50% reduction but as she was leaving she handed me £20 then dashed out the door; I was mortified! Now I'm really struggling with how I deal with friends/ family and pricing etc.

 

[Tonimaxwill]

I have been lucky and not had anyone take advantage. My mum pays full price and it drives me mad but she insists and says she wont get anything done again if I dont take it (I just make sure I take loads of goodies when I go visit), my sister and niece both pay with a small discount, but every now and again I dont charge, but they always offer) I also have five very good friends and they get 25%ish discount and if they ever get freebies (birthdays or as a pick me up) they are so delighted it worth while. I did sit and think about it a lot in the beginning, make a rule and stick to it. Your time and experiance and products are all worth something.

Annie xx