Be prepared to pay for the professional services you use!

(cross-posted to Yatmedia.com)

I got an e-mail from a mailing list/group I follow but am not active with this morning. Seems the group is re-designing their website and they're looking for a professional graphics person to make a logo for them.

For free.

Well, they're willing to give them credit on their webpage. Here's the offer:

For designing our logo, we'll give you credit on the homepage + a link to your site.

The site currently has 8,700 members + a widget that's installed on more than 1,300 web sites which has have more than 348,000 views...

Those aren't bad numbers. This is a social media/social networking group who point-blank advises their members not to build a social network without profiting.

Let's assume they're following they're recommendations, and they're making a dollar/euro/yen or three off of their efforts. A professionally-created logo shouldn't cost more than $200-$300. If they're monetizing a network of that size a couple hundred bucks doesn't sound like a major sacrifice.

Let's say these folks aren't following their own recommendation. Even if they asked all 8700 members for $5, let's say they got a 1% response. They could easily write the check to the graphic designer.
ls willing to volunteer/donate their time and skills to the right project. When you're in it for the money, as clearly these folks are, however, expect to pay.

When I tweeted my frustration on this subject, my Twitter-friend Jason (@MarblesXIII), sent me the link to this video. Pretty much sums it up!