bidding on projects
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- seed
...can be a very time consuming pain. Does anyone here charge a fee to consult and analyze someones project? Do you give a proposal price without fully getting into the requirements?
Just digging into what the real requirements are takes a lot of time. I have found myself spending a lot of time analyzing other peoples project this week with potentially nothing in return.
- seed0
bump
- joyride0
yes, this generally comes out of the profit of your bid. One of those things you don't really add to the cost, but is included.
necessarrrrryy evil
- nocomply0
I think most people do not charge for that. Its definitely a turn off to clients.
Just make up for it by billing for an additional hour or 2 somewhere else. THat's what I do.
- lowimpakt0
free pitching should be banned.
- Soler0
pay me twenty dollars on paypal for my advice, and then I will tell you what I think
- lowimpakt0
"£38,000 is the average annual cost of free pitching to a design agency"
- lowimpakt0
sorry : link
- seed0
soler, are you saying that because I did in another thread?
- seed0
I don't mind tacking it on later but if you don't get the project you have spent potentially a lot of time analyzing their project for free. Which sucks.
My friend who runs a studio said he spends half his time chasing and bidding on projects.
- nocomply0
My friend who runs a studio said he spends half his time chasing and bidding on projects.
seed
(Sep 19 06, 11:10)I think that's considered normal...unfortunately.
- normal0
Haha, in the process of this right now. It's an amateur client, a boutique store that wants an fancy online shop. Amateur because they came to me without a brief or a budget, I've had about 4 meetings with them so far so that we could work out the brief together and we have. They wanted some initial designs, I told them I didn't mind doing a couple of mock ups and design thinking but they would be charged for them. I said they wouldn't be charged right away, but it would certainly be in the proposal costs. They balked and said they'd be okay with just the proposal then. I'm always honest with my clients, I'm not trying to take anyone for a ride, or overcharge them so that was a warning sign to me. I don't know what they're expecting really as the merchandise photography for the site alone is almost £8k.
I've put in probably about 4 days with meetings, writing the brief and now the proposal. I've hashed out the functionality, got costings from photographers, developers, copy writers, stylists, POS providers and all that stuff.
Day of truth is tomorrow, proposal day. Not moving an inch until the deposit has cleared into my account after that. But if it doesn't happen, I've done loads of free work for them, basically figured out all their functionality including some pretty unique products and what they'll need to get going. I should be paid for that at the very least. But that's the way the cookie crumbles, sucks though.
- Soler0
No, I said that because it is as ridiculous as expecting a client to pay for something they know nothing about
- joyride0
wow... that's to much to do without a deposit. Most of that work should be done after they agree to go with you or not. I think that's considered part of the job. I roughly see what they want and go from there with the bid. It can always be adjusted. But good luck! hopefully we don't see a Stupid Client thread about this
- seed0
"basically figured out all their functionality"
That is what I have just done for a project that was a sure thing. In the process I discovered it was over their expected budget so now I am waiting to hear back. That is 8 hours of work, traveling and meetings so far.
- seed0
Most of the projects I have bid on in the last two weeks have really poor requirements outlined. Even for large applications.
- seed0
I am haggling as we speak.
Do any of you lower you hourly expectation if you think there will be more work in the future?
- joyride0
sure, then i just add more time to make it right. gotta be a magician some times.
- seed0
One friend refers to the final cost as a black box. You can tweak it in anyway to make it work for you.
- doesnotexist0
dont lower your price for a "promise or anticipation of future work" because in my experience, more work never comes.
go to no-spec.com.
unfortunately ive found all the work you do in preparing bids/proposals is what you HAVE to do to operate as a "business" and be legitimate.
always charge for mock ups.
- lowimpakt0
If someone is getting prototypes or concepts for a product they will expect to pay. why not the same for other design disciplines?