When They Ask for the "Family Discount"

aka how to keep your boundaries, your business, and your relationships intact

I recently got this question from a Creative High subscriber and felt like it’s an important one to post about!

It’s something every creative entrepreneur faces at some point: the balancing act between wanting to help support your friends and family with your skills, and knowing when to draw a firm boundary. In other words - do you shit where you eat?

You love your people. You want to support them. But you also worked your ass off to build your business—and that deserves respect. So how do you honor your relationships and your rates?

Personally, I’ve done it all. I’ve made free logos, websites, and everything in between for family and friends, and I’ve also charged people close to me. But the worst of all? I’ve seen money and business tear family apart, so while I think the occasional handout might not hurt anyone, it’s also crucial you know how to create firm boundaries when the ask just doesn’t feel right.

Here’s how I’ve learned to handle it with clarity, kindness, and zero guilt.

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1. Assume Good Intentions, But Stand Firm

Most friends and family aren’t trying to devalue your work—they just don’t fully understand what goes into it. Educate them, gently:

“I totally get wanting to save where you can! Just so you know, my pricing reflects all the time, experience, and strategy I bring to the table—not just the final deliverable.”

This opens the door to a real conversation instead of a flat-out “no.”

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2. Decide Your Policy Ahead of Time

For me, every situation is unique, and I don’t have a strong policy I stick to 100%. It depends on the person asking, what they’re asking for, how easy and fast I can do it, and many other factors. However, having a go-to response makes these situations way less awkward. If it helps you to have a response you can bookmark somewhere for when you need it, here are some ideas:

• “I don’t offer friends/family discounts, but I do the same high-level work for everyone—so you’re in good hands.”

• “I actually have a ‘friends & fam’ package that’s leaner in scope and easier on budget—want me to send you the details?”

• “I’ve reserved my discounted/free work for a few causes I deeply support—so I’m not able to offer personal discounts right now.”

Setting a policy = protecting your peace.

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3. Offer Value Without Discounting

You can still give them something without giving them everything. If you do want to support them in some way without lowering your prices, there are other options. These show you still want to help, while sending the message you won’t do free work:

• Share a free resource or guide you’ve made

• Offer a short discovery call or brainstorm session

• Point them to a lower-budget offering (if you have one) or someone else in your industry who does great work at a price that better fits within their budget.

This shows generosity without undercutting your worth.

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4. If You Do Say Yes, Set Boundaries

Sometimes you do want to help—and that’s okay. But be clear:

“I’m happy to take this on at a reduced rate, but I’ll need to keep it within a tighter scope and timeline. I’ll send over the details so we’re aligned.”

No loose ends. No unspoken expectations. No regrets later.

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Now, say it with me: you can be kind, clear, and unapologetically professional.

Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? Given away a service for free that you later regretted? I’d love to hear about it!