Protect Yourself

Protect yourself on bids by preparing for the client to respond by handling some of the line items themselves. 

For example, if they had contemplated supplying the props, expect your prop cost to eventually be removed from your total. If you know their budget or have one in mind, place those prop costs over the final amount you want to come in at. You cannot add to your bid once you submit it, so strategically place your numbers with this in mind.

There’s a way to protect yourself on bids that I keep learning about—I just experienced it yesterday. I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I want to emphasize it again.

There are line items on your bid, such as overtime, retouching, consulting on post-work, or food, that the client might later say they will cover. Be cautious with these items because once they are removed from your budget, you’re stuck with the remaining amount. Even if the client initially said they have a budget of $20,000, if your bid now comes in at $15,000 after these items are removed, they’ve already seen the original bid. You can’t change it at that point.

So, be careful with these items. It’s better to come in over budget and discuss potential removals with the client rather than adjusting your bid after submission.