About a year ago, maybe a little more, I started using a designer named Kasey Kelly. He’s done a about 40% of the total output from stuff you see on the web.  I like his ethos, efficency and work.  He and his brother Issac created a site called Servee, and for those folks not wanting to use/learn WordPress it might be a fit.

The phrase that he contributed to my thinking was this: “If the offer still stands.”  He did a logo for Right Right Now, an idea I had on creating a small project specialty company.  The idea was OK, maybe, the logo looked great.  He got back to me a day or so later and said, “If the offer still stands…I’d like to work on this project.”

He’s done a about 40% of the total output from stuff you see on the web.  I like his ethos, efficency and work.  He and his brother Issac created a site called Servee, and for those folks not wanting to use/learn WordPress it might be a fit.

The phrase that he contributed to my thinking was this: “If the offer still stands.”  He did a logo for Right Right Now, an idea I had on creating a small project specialty company.  The idea was OK, maybe, the logo looked great.  He got back to me a day or so later and said, “If the offer still stands…I’d like to work on this project.”   The humility of that phrase, and the earnestness was top shelf, and it struck me at the time as a good ethos.

I’ve employed, off and on, probably 15 people in the last year, all freelancers.  Maybe as many as 20.  I’ve sought quotes from probably another 10 or 12.

One common theme is this: the outrage when a bid is passed on.  I sought a quote recently for a project that I wound up outsourcing for $500.  I sent the bid out on Monday to 3 people, in separate emails.  I said that I’d go with the first person with a reasonable offer/delivery time.  One guy did the work, no harm, no foul, Tuesday.    One guy passed due to schedule reasons.   The third guy gets back to me late on Wednesday saying that the work could be done by Friday or Saturday.

I told him hey, I got this handled.

I got a 912 word email telling me that I was treating him  badly.  That I didn’t know what I was doing, and that I should lose his email.  I’ve sent the man 7 offers, he did and was paid for 4 of the 7.   He declined one, and didn’t get back on another.  Then there was this gig.   The one that I undervalued him.   I probably ask too many people for quotes, but I don’t think I’m too far off base.

Sure, sure: best practice for sure would have been to send a follow up and close the loop.   Just like best practice is to ALWAYS acknowledge both delivery of a job and payment for the job.  But, I don’t want to create a race to the bottom.  I don’t want to make it so that I play people off each other, make a weirdo competitive thing.  I want people to do the work, I had that gig pegged at between $350-600, and $500 was in the range.

Anyway, if more than a day passes, confirming that “the offer still stands,” is a great best practice for accepting a bid and taking in work.  It’s a great way to start and keep a relationship, and it’s a great idea long term.