Times is hard
I signed a contract with a builder last week. Ordinarily, that would be no big deal. But this contract with a builder was the first contract I'd signed with anybody in weeks. I do my best to resist the punditry's cries of wail and woe concerning the state of the US economy, but enough of it gets into my head that I start to get nervous when my phone doesn't ring for a couple of days.
Anyhow, so that it will get this activity with this builder, I had to do a couple of things I wouldn't normally agree to do. But as every person knows, instances is hard and the time to loosen up requirements is upon us. Well, it is upon me at any charge.
The first thing I agreed to do that I wouldn't do usually become to put together a bid. Now, underneath everyday circumstances I decline to participate in bids. I do not promote tile, cabinetry, counters, and many others. What I'm without a doubt selling is me --my angle and my knowledge. I'm the handiest one that has those things, so a "bid" is meaningless. I usually paintings within a price range, but a bid? I don't think so. That became until I remembered the testimonies I'd read that morning about a collapsing Florida housing market.
So in any case, my new buddy the builder had a elements list, a layout and a bid from every other provider. "Can you beat this?" he wanted to know. My blood stress commenced ticking up and I had to talk myself out of explaining to him that I wasn't within the commercial enterprise of assisting humans to keep. Since I'm greater involved about business slowing down than I am in protecting onto my delight, I regarded over what he'd prepared.
The format become appalling, just awful --real suburban tract house crap. I informed him that there were a few technical issues with his format and he stated that I'd be capable of exchange matters round if I got the task. Then he left me his set of prints and I told him I'd get returned to him day after today. The best technical trouble changed into my bruised ego by means of the way.
I spent the subsequent four hours placing collectively what I would do with the distance if these were normal times and I were loose to do my factor the manner I've come to be acquainted with. With that out of my device, I spent a 1/2 an hour recreating the crap he left me and making ready his bid. I used half my normal mark up and spent the relaxation of the day being with the concept of now not making as plenty cash as I'm used to. This became a double whammy I haven't needed to cope with in years. This guy was now not simplest telling me what to do, he turned into controlling how an awful lot money I stood to make at the identical time. Ugh.
So I wrote up a bid and faxed it to him the following day as promised. He referred to as me almost right away and instructed me that I had the process. I'm grateful to have one closing element on the books for 2008. Really I am. But I can't help however surprise if this is what 2009 is going to look like.