Months ago I spoke to my friend about passive incomes and looking into doing something along side my full time job.

I had an idea and I told her about it. This is not a revolutionary business idea, it’s something people have done before, and revolves around graphic design. Something I’ve done for 8 years and is part of my regular job.

A few months later and I meet up with her, she talks about wanting to find another income as her current role doesn’t pay much. I haven’t had time to do my plan, and I don’t need the money either, so I say “hey why don’t you do that plan instead, I can help you out”.

She replies, “oh I already started doing that, but it hasn’t kicked off yet”. I don’t immediately confront her on it, because I don’t want to bring her down and if I was going to offer her to do the idea anyway then there is nothing to say.

A week passes and I get a message from her asking if I can create a logo for her new business, this would not be a paid service, more a favour. I said no I wouldn’t.

She got upset and said “but you made a logo for random people in the past before”. Which I do often because I like supporting small businesses.

That’s when I told her that I wasn’t really happy about how she had gone about making her business. Yes I don’t own the idea, but I told her about it and she instantly went and tried doing it herself without even talking to me.

Had she spoken to me, I would have said she should do it, as I did at dinner when I knew she was struggling. She can’t see the issue because if I would have offered it anyways then no harm, no foul.

She is calling me an arsehole for supporting many other new businesses, but not supporting hers when she is my oldest and closest friend. While I can’t help but feel betrayed.

Am I right for not helping her?