But there is a line between business and friendship and it is one some people seem to have no problem in crossing.

A connection on LinkedIn shared how she recently spent two hours helping a friend with a complex HR issue, getting little more than thanks in return.

That alone is above and beyond a chat over coffee about a serious problem their business was facing. If the owner didn’t have a friend who runs her own HR firm, she would have had no choice but to hire someone to deal with the issue.

But what really rubbed salt into the wound was when the friend’s husband was invited to look at some building work at the HR expert’s home, he quoted her full price - no discount, no ‘mates rates’ - despite mentioning all the help the builder’s wife had been given.

As she said, it was a lesson learned.

But it is something that has been nagging at me all week. Some people perhaps don’t understand the distinction between your livelihood and friendship, but it’s more likely that they are taking what they can get.

I wouldn’t dream of stretching the bonds of friendship like that and when friends have asked me for advice, I’ll happily suggest things in general terms, such as creating social media accounts, or getting a write-up in the media to help their business.

But, if they want to talk trends, key timings for posts or putting something together for a press release, give me a call any time between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. I take bank transfers, cash and cards.

We all want to get on with the people we work with and we want to support our friends’ businesses wherever possible, so you cannot ever say don’t mix business with pleasure.

But you also have to be practical and understand that this is what your friend does for a living and not to take liberties. Their job keeps a roof over their head and food on the table.

Imagine walking into a Mercedes dealership and spending two hours with the sales team creating your dream AMG GT Roadster with all the whistles and bells – an easy £150,000. Who in their right mind would expect to walk out with it for free?

You wouldn’t, and that is the difference between how people see businesses that offer goods and those that provide services.

When there is a physical product that changes hands, the grey area becomes more black and white.

As in the case of the HR expert, employment law can be a minefield if you do not know what you are doing and there are things that you have to get right, with no margin for error. People go to university and keep up to date with changes to the law, which is what makes them experts in their field.

Get it wrong, not only will you have an unhappy worker or workforce to deal with, it could prove costly and could even end up with prosecution.

We all bought scissors and hair clippers to try to tackle the lockdown locks. Without dwelling on the results, it’s fair to say that having the right equipment hasn’t turned us into hairdressers and barbers.

This is an issue that photographer friends frequently come across. People want professional images for business, or to have someone capture special moments at family events such as weddings.

But many start pulling faces when it comes to prices, presumably expecting to spend £30 to £50 for a day’s shoot and full wedding album. Most people have smart phones that can take crystal-clear close-ups of the moon and can’t see why photographers charge hundreds or thousands of pounds for certain jobs.

It is because they are experts in their field. They have studied to gain qualifications and understand every aspect of their camera, lighting and any other equipment and how to use it. They have had to pay for that equipment and it requires their time both at the shoot and processing images afterwards to deliver results.

Their experience also helps them picture the shot before they take it. They know how to avoid capturing the tipsy person in the background with cigarette in one hand, drink in the other, about to photobomb an intimate portrait of the happy couple, or a candid image spoilt because someone has their eyes closed. They know how to produce crystal-clear images that the bride and groom will treasure and do it in a few shots, rather than spending hours shooting thousands of images in the hope that a few good ones will come out. They also are used to dealing with the variety of emotions and characters weddings attract.

As with anything, you get what you pay - or don’t pay - for.

By all means, chat to friends about what you need or ask for general advice about a problem, but to take it further, you have to be prepared to put your hand in your pocket and not exploit that friendship.

The bottom line is you are asking for an expert, not a friend.