I recently had a conversation with a non-profit client of ours, in which we were discussing the current setup for the different websites they had for their organization.  One of the particular sites that came up was one that had been provided free of charge by a previous site developer.  The customer then went to to explain how the website limited them and that they were very unhappy with it.

All I could think of was, what a missed opportunity for the company that provided the website for free!  A medium to large non-profit organization is usually well connected in the community, and offering discounted or free services and products to them can often promote your business better than any advertising campaign.

There are two ways to look  at providing a free service. The correct way is to treat the recipient as a valued, paying customer,  providing what they need for their website and resolving any issues promptly. The wrong way is to view the project as a freebie, and therefore  feel that your business has no obligations to the customer who is getting a free service.  Having the  wrong attitude makes  your offer of free services a waste of both time and effort. The customer will not be satisfied with the end result and will have nothing positive to say about your business.

If handled correctly, providing free services can help market your organization and grow your business... just remember to keep the right attitude in the process!