A Typical "Mates Rates" Pain-in-the-hole Project

Fussgangerzone

No good deed goes unpunished.

A mate had f-all money to make a site, so I told him I'd give him a design and a Wordpress site one if there was a quick turnaround. We've all done it.

Where I messed up is I thought "It's not like I'm going to write a spec for a job this small".
So of course, now changes are still happening to the site, I'm wasting a couple of hours a week on it. I know that doesn't sound so bad, but I value my evenings, and I'm effectively doing overtime work for about 1/16th of my rate, which is bloody stupid.

My mate has a secret website in his head, and I don't know about it until it isn't the one he sees. And he's taking the piss a bit and keeps wanting to deviate from the design.
And then he wants to restructure the site and the old structurally dependent-css that Wordpress so often entails needs to be modified.

So yeah, the obvious next-step is that we agree a final list of everything that's left, and he understands that anything not on that list is extra money. At my normal rate.
How would you handle this?

Skrynesaver

Be honest and let him know it has to stop, agree project spec, draw up change list, apply changes, get sign off, resume as a normal business relationship separate from your friendship.

Mates rates works for one-offs, for anything that needs ongoing maintenance it's going to cause resentment in the long term.

TonyStark

I suppose the first question you have to ask yourself is this costing you ultimately? From what you've posted it is in terms of annoyance, free time wasted.

Create a list of everything that you see as outstanding. Itemise it at the previous rate, set a deadline for when the work will be completed. Tell him you need to close off the project by this time and that ultimately he needs to get someone else to support as your busy with "other" projects.

The Corinthian

Fussgangerzone wrote: »

How would you handle this?

You have to be extremely clear with friends that you're doing them a favour. A strictly defined one, that has a beginning, middle and end that you've defined. He has to understand that he has to let you know what he needs, he has to let you know within a reasonable time-frame. And if he fails in this or changes his mind, then tough shìt. And you need to let him know straight away.

If you don't this will end up dragging on and inevitably damage your friendship.

TonyStark wrote: »

I suppose the first question you have to ask yourself is this costing you ultimately? From what you've posted it is in terms of annoyance, free time wasted.

No such thing as 'free time'. All such 'free time' is and should be treated as potential billable time.

Fussgangerzone

All my jobs are done, just for him to populate it and I can flick the switch.
There's a firm line drawn under everything now.

Trojan

This is why I recommend either do stuff for free, or full commercial rate, but no in between "mates rates" stuff. If you do something for free you have 100% control.