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My neighbor offered me a $500 cash side job, but it's for his direct competitor
I was at the hardware store last week picking up some brackets when my neighbor, Dave, pulled me aside. He knows I install fencing. He offered me a weekend job, $500 cash, to help him put up a privacy fence at his brother's new house. The thing is, Dave's brother just opened a competing landscaping business two blocks from my main client. Taking the job feels like a direct conflict, even though it's just a one-off cash deal. I told him I needed to think about it. On one hand, it's good money and he's my neighbor. On the other, my loyalty is to my regular client who gives me steady work. It's not about a signed contract, it's about the principle. Where do you draw the line with side work when it brushes up against your main gig's interests?
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wendy1317mo ago
Would your main client see this as a betrayal?
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hannah4007mo ago
Dave's brother is basically asking you to help build his own gallows. Wendy131 has a point about betrayal, and $500 isn't worth burning a bridge with your steady client. Tell Dave you're booked solid, maybe with a phantom dentist appointment.
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lee8474mo ago
Friend of mine tried the phantom dentist trick once. Awkward when they showed up at the same clinic.
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