An interior designer from Nigeria emerged from my  program in Dubai  this month determined to start charging for her advice and expertise.

It was music to my ears.

Titi Ogufere, the director of a design association in her country, told of getting flooded with requests for free information on design resources and solutions.

She’s overun with queries at all hours of the day and night from individuals seeking outlets for everything from flooring to furniture. Lots of questions come from other designers.

“I get all of these questions about how to get into interior design, and how to run a design business and how to charge,” she explains.

She’s given away dozens, maybe hundreds of hours of free advice. But not any longer. Now she intends to charge for her time and advice.

Great idea.

Once she starts “valuing” her time, her callers will too. They’ll pay for that time because they’ll view it — and her — as a priority.

Fred Berns is a Colorado-based trainer and coach for the world’s interior design professionals.