Recently, I was negotiating some work with a client, but the client couldn't afford to pay the going rates in California for what he needed for his start-up. Rather than deeply discount my rates (by 2/3 was what he needed), I recommended a wonderful colleague I knew who lives in Missouri, where the cost of living and pricing is very different. As Kelly Butler said, "If you can't take a gig, offer up a qualified colleague's name vs. just saying 'no.' It's a great way to help the client and fellow freelancer, who may return the favor in the future when they can't take a job," And for me, it has paved the way to bigger projects with the client's more established companies (since he owns three others that have much bigger budgets). Paying it forward is always a best practice.