Don't Be Afraid To Get Paid!

I recently attended my friend/neighbor's "Gab and Dab" event at her newly-opened children's art studio. It included open access to her adorable studio for the parents to chit chat while they let the kids dive into the art goodies. I was so impressed- amazing projects on display by current students of her structured curriculum, a treasure trove of art supplies organized through colorful bins and shelves, great music by which to create, colorful kid-sized furniture... everything except... wawh wawh (trombone sound) this empty tissue box near the back sink that said, "$20. Thank You." That was how she was charging for this fabulous event? We were supposed to shove our $20 fee into this tissue box? She was presenting herself as a step up from panhandling.

A few days after the event over a push-trike walk with our girls, I raved to my friend about her studio and the fun my daughter and I had at Gab and Dab (and how I loved that she got to explore the world of glitter without being in my house). I couldn't resist teasing her about her fancy 'cash register' though and she admitted that her event revenue was (not surprisingly) slim. She further confessed that she HATES dealing with the money--she almost invited her husband just to collect it! As an added complexity, she's friendly with all the parents now and isn't comfortable charging people she 'knows' (she actually offered for my daughter to be a freebie and I vehemently declined!!)

There I was about to dole out the "Just do it- ask for the money!" advice when I recalled that I had a similar problem myself in my freelancing days. I could have made a lot more money than I did but I actually felt uncomfortable charging for my services- especially when my work came so easily to me and I liked my clients so much!! Why did I undervalue myself like that? After all, they had hired me and they fully expected to pay.

fwm contributor Joni Daniels, creator of Power Tools for Women (DEFINITELY check out her work when you have a chance--she's amazing), recently gave this advice to the Yahoo! Seeds For Success contestants. It really rings true for my friend and I suspect, many women business owners:

Stop being flattered when asked to do business. You have every right to be in the game, play the game, and win!

Do you get sheepish when it comes to money matters? Did you find a way to overcome it? Are you a freelancer or entrepreneur who's plagued by or recovered from treating too many clients and customers to your "friends-and-family" prices?