Be Kind when it comes to In-Kind

We all come to a point when a buddy, friend or associate would like a service for FREE. It is good business practice, in my opinion, to offer services for free once in a while that can really help a non-profit or when it involves helping the general public. Face it; there are also those instances when it is beneficial to YOU to be associated with a project.


However, learning when, and how, to say no can be a difficult thing. As an entrepreneur, our days are pretty packed with getting things done as it is. Sometimes putting off a project that will provide dividends to work on one that doesn’t isn’t a smart idea. I am a big fan of community service. I think every person in the world should have at least one service organization, project or non-profit that they support. But in order to keep your business afloat, you have to make money, plan and simple. You ARE your company. Showing that you believe in helping your fellow man gives your business a glint of integrity, humanity and belief in your local community.

Determine a number of in-kind projects you want to work on a year. Whether it’s once a month, twice a quarter or six times a year, setting a certain number of projects may also give you the opportunity to be more selective – to really get behind a project that has special meaning or importance to you. You may even be able to alert organizations in your area that you have a certain number of in-kind projects available and they can submit proposals, etc.

Of course we want to help as many people as we can, but let’s do it in a way that is beneficial to all. Instead of telling the person who wants a free service no, maybe not NOW would be a better term. And you should have the right to determine when that NOW will be.