If You Know, You Know

I told my hairdresser to stop making her pastor's wife's hair for free. And I am not sorry for telling her that. Her pastor's wife is notorious for waltzing into her salon and demanding that her hair be fixed immediately because she has some church stuffs that needs her attention. It doesn't matter if there are customers waiting on the queue. And the worst part of it was that both the attachment, hair extensions and wools they used on her hair would not be paid for, together with the services. Free of charge.

One day she met me there and she was putting pressure on my hairdresser who was already prepping my hair to be fixed, to leave my hair and do hers sharp sharp so that she could leave because she had alot of things to do. She didn't even bother to plead with me to give her my space. My hairdresser was torn and I could see her contemplating if she should leave my hair and attend to her mommy GO"s hair first. I told her madam, wait for your turn.

Mommy GO gave me that superior smile I am sure she uses to intimidate her church members and addressed me as her daughter. She said "my daughter wait let her fix my hair, I have alot of things to do" Her first mistake was her calling me her daughter, no one calls me their child except my parents, I don't accept it. Even if you are God's right hand man, I still forbid you from addressing me as your child. I told her "Ma'am I am a very busy person, I have so much on my plate" she laughed and said what can possibly be keeping a small girl like you busy? I gave her my signature look that is always guaranteed to keep people shut and uncomfortable.

She quickly respected herself and waited for the hair dresser to be done with my hair. She was sulking the entire time but who cares? Worst part of it is that, her daughters were also fixing their hair there for free. It was a family affair. I took my time to explain to my hairdresser how these things work and in the end I made her realize that if the pastor's wife really had her best interest at heart, she would want her church member's business to grow and how will that business grow? By paying for her services and recommending her to others.

If your friend owns a business and you go there everytime to collect items and do not care about paying for those items because after all he/she is your friend. You are a wicked person. If your friend renders services, for example let's say your friend is a graphics designer and you demand that she renders her services to you for free because you are her friend. Then you are an enemy of progress.

I once had a business and my supposed friends ran it down because I trusted them to look after the business while I was away. They were eating fish and drinking bottles after bottles of alcohol for free. I got back and discovered we were owing the depot that supplied us drinks thousands of naira. I paid off the debt and closed down the business. Since then I have learnt.

I decided to address this issue with you, Never allow anyone to guilt trip you into running your business for free, simply because they have a relationship with you. When the business fails because of the many freebies, they will be among the ones to tell the story of how you have attempted various businesses and failed.

Collect your money. Charge them.