Bidding for work WWYD?

[user1483972886]

A friend of mine has bid on some work for me as I am an associate of hers. It's her 1st time bidding.

She bid at £80 an hour which is competitive for the industry. The client came back saying someone else bid at £60 did we want to reconsider our bid. So then she bid £72. Then the client said the other bidder is desperate and has dropped their price to £53 per hour. This is for 6 weeks work and our industry has been really struggling for 2 years now and people are desperate for work.

Is the client taking the pi55? I told my friend final bid and walk away price £62.

Below this the cost of childcare (easter hols) and travel make it marginal. That said I need the cash...

Is the client leading us on? Why would the lowest bidder lower their price?

Wow, I've never heard of this.

Do relationships/quality of work/your ability to deliver count for nothing in this sector? It's quite a high hourly rate (about what I charge) so I'd imagine there's a qualitative element to it.

Nope. They're taking the piss.

'Our rate is £80 an hour. Let me know if We are successful'

You might lose this one, but if you keep dropping the price you'll be expected to always work at a rate that's massively lower then the competitive market.

GrumpyOldBag 2 years ago the hourly rate was over £100 but the sector has collapsed in the last 2 years. I was lucky in the 1st year that an existing client kept me busy but last year I only worked about 10 weeks! So previously it was all about relationships, quality etc but now several of my clients have been made redundant so its all about cost!

Catinthecorner - this is what my husband has been saying... the thing is it might be take this job at a low rate or have nothing for a month or two?

I let you know what happens - we should find out on Monday...

You'd be better off holding your rate and picking up some hours cleaning/pulling pints/whatever for a month then permanently devaluing yourself.

They clearly don't want the desperate bidder or they'd have just accepted the lower number. So either, Desperate doesn't exist OR Desperate isn't actually up to the job and they know it but want to use their bid to manipulate you.

Will your area pick back up or are you looking at having to move your career?

If they pay peanuts they will get monkeys.

If the other firm wants to work at a loss let them. If they are that desperate it begs the question are they any good?