Last years I lost two contracts, which mean I could have made 18 000 euros. But I lost more than that.

It first begun with this big company. The first contact was in January or February I think. The mission was amazing, I was thrilled, I wanted to do that. I'm a webmaster. I can make websites and do various stuff on them. The client's demand was huge and I know I was up to work with them for several months and probably long term too. The contract was for 10 000 euros.

I though this was it. It was the moment that would help me lift my game. At least.

A month later, after some calls, they told me they would need time to organize themselves and set a date for the beginning of the project. I blocked it on my calendar.

Several calls later, they pushed the date further.

I blocked it in my calendar.

I couldn't take other missions because I knew I had this big project coming and I needed to block time in my calendar.

I refused opportunities.

This big client postpones again. And again. And again. And I had this big time schedule block to move, again and again. I blocked schedules for calls, and for planning how to do the job.

And I had to refuse opportunities.

In the end, the client abandoned the project.

 

It was 10 000 euros. It was a big project. I was very passionnate about it.

 

 

Then another big client came. They needed help for their website. It was an interesting mission and we had calls about it. Again, I blocked my schedule. It was supposed to be paid 8 000 euros.

 

And then they abandoned the project.

 

I’m making approximately a bit more 14 700 euros a year.

 

Those two projects could have helped me financially.

Urg.

It still hurt a bit I must admit.

There is the money part and the fact that I was very interested in the mission.

 

Those kind of problem still happens today. Big companies come to me for a project, they sent me their brief and then without talk, they abandon the project. For some, it’s because they want to put the money somewhere else. For other, I think they made a draft, called me to be sure they have someone to do the job and add it to the draft, then the governance say no and the project isn’t launch.

I wish people take the time to be sure the project can be launched before calling me. But it doesn't seem to be in their process.

I realised with the first project than a big part of the time wasn’t ready for the software change the other part of the team wanted. And somehow nobody saw that before calling me.

 

Now I don’t block my time anymore, without being certain. And I try to make people understand that I need to be certain we will begin the project.