[consulting] Getting Freelance Work

[Christian Pearce]

I only read one reason there. They got scared. What was the second reason? 

My experience is a freelancer should be cheaper than a firm. The reason is they have no overhead. But that comes with the risk of a freelancer not being able to finish the job, away on vacation, or decides they want to do something else for a living or simply flakes out. Working with a firm you have more over head but should have more stability in the project. I have often won business over freelancers for this very reason. A lot of times customers have been burned and decided they would rather work directly with a company that costs a bit more. Now this isn't to say all freelancers are flakes or what ever. But having a team a of people makes it easier to cover for each other as needed. 

Personally I think freelancers are just as good (better?) as people in a firm but fall into the trap of taking on all the business they can handle and then some. They do this so they are keeping business rolling in the door versus saying no and not having the work later. This is understandable. But can translate into poor performance if they can't manage the customer and time lines. 

All you freelancers do you subcontract to handle excess workload? If so why not start a loose firm of a couple people? 

----- "Sam Polenta" <sam.polenta at gmail.com> wrote: 
> I recently sent a proposal in response to an RFP. I was told that I 
> made the final four and they asked me more questions. Then I was told 
> that I made the final two but that they chose the other vendor, a 
> firm. I of course am a lone freelancer. I know that people on this 
> list have advised against freelancers responding to RFPs, but I did 
> anyhow make the #2 slot in this case. 
> 
> The guy who I spoke with was so nice, however, that I asked him for 
> feedback, if he could, as to why I made it to the final two and also 
> as to why I did NOT make it to #1. He was happy to respond. He said 
> the Board made the final decision, but he explained two reasons why he 
> *thinks* they chose against me in the end. 
> 
> One was that a different freelancer also contacted them but when they 
> (eventually) clarified that they require a proper proposal for the 
> Board to review and consider, he declined to proceed and sent a very 
> strongly worded warning against working with freelancers who bid low 
> on projects like this one, claiming that a common strategy for 
> freelancers in this business is to start with a low bid to secure the 
> deal, and then charge outrageous amounts for change orders and 
> anything not covered in the original specifications. 
> 
> He said that my bid was indeed the lowest and that the Board had read 
> the warning letter from the other freelancer. He said probably some of 
> the directors must have been thinking, "Gee, what if that other guy 
> was right? I'm glad he warned us about this!" 
> 
> How do you like that? Perhaps if I had bid more they would have 
> accepted my proposal. Maybe I should *raise* my rate! ;) 
> 
> Sam 
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-- 



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Christian Pearce 
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