I swear I already wrote this blog post before… but I guess not so here it goes!

When I make it you make it. The famous last words of someone trying to get something for nothing. Now that does not always have to be the case. A lot of times as creatives, entrepreneurs or small business owners people see our skills as their magic bullet or the one thing they need to “make it”. For us we money is usually the one thing we need that is the magic bullet for our business. Unfortunately, sometimes they don’t make it.. So then you don’t make it. They got what they wanted whether it was a free website, video shoot or whatever it is you do and you are stuck with nothing. Now I’m not saying that you should stop taking the risk of believing in others. I’m saying there are ways that you can leave the situation without being butt-hurt about it. Below are some of the ways I’ve prevented my self from getting butt-hurt.

(P.s. I’m not sure if you hyphenate butt-hurt but Grammarly didn’t correct me so it must be right)

#1 – Know Who You’re Dealing With

This one is straightforward. Know the person’s character, know the persons track record. Let’s face it. There are a lot of bad people in the world. Before rushing into the project flip the roles and interview them. Check their refrences. Some of your peers may have worked with them in the past and can give you some inside knowledge on what went right and what went wrong.

#2- Set Your Terms

This is the most important point. In fact, it is so important that there will be no points after it. You need to define what making it is. The phrase when I make it you make it is way too vague. The more than likely money is not on the table so think of other ways they can help your business without spending a dime. Here are a couple of ways you can “make it” even if they don’t

  • Social Media – They may have a large following that you can benefit from. Set terms that require them to share your content a certain amount of times.
  • Services/product – Depending on an individual they may have a service that they provide that you can get for free for your work.
  • Business Equity – If you have enough faith in them and are delivering a great enough service the could be a great option for you in the long-term.