I’m not talking about the ‘friend zone’ that Ryan Reynolds experienced in Just Friends. I’m talking about the fine line between casual advice and a paying job. Thoughts, opinions, advice anyone? The folks at Freelanceswitch.com just published a great post about this very subject.

I’m all for being friendly and building relationships but it has to be a two way street. I think the best method to avoid a bad working relationship is to individually evaluate each client and make your decision from there. Does he or she contribute to your relationship with advice and help when you are in times of need? If the answer is no then I feel totally comfortable in asking for compensation. Let me know if you’ve experienced this on one level or another and how you dealt with the situation.