The other day I did something that I have not done for a very long time. I turned down a job.
Yes that's right, I turned down a job.
You may be asking yourself why on earth would he turn down any kind of job??
Well it's like this. I was asked to give a price to do the staking for a custom home on the side of a massive hill. When I received the call about it something in my gut told me to decline right then. However things being what they have been I always say yes to any project.
Something was just eating at me about. Did I mention that I did the topo on this lot? Well something was just eating at me, screaming at me "Don't do it!!!!!". I kicked it around for quite a while and figured that I would just high ball the estimate in the hope that I would just get beat.
The guy called me on Friday looking for his numbers. I called him back and told him that I would be unable to do his project due to the fact that my work load has become such that being able to give him the kind of service required would be difficult for me at this time, which is actually true.
I figured that this job because of the retaining wall system and extensiveness of the layout would have been 30+ trips and the liability would have been a nightmare. I have had many projects like this in the past and this one just yelled at me that the contractors would be 100% reliant upon me and if anything went wrong I would be the shit eater. Been there, done that, no thank you.
Upon making that call I felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off of my shoulders.
Thinking back I should have done this so many times in the past.
I have a problem though. I am a driven business man and I am in love with my bottom line, however when I have blown off what my gut was telling me, most of the time the heartburn that incurred because I did not listen would have been worth a lower bottom line and in most cases it dropped because of issues.
Today I think I took a huge step for myself.
Whoever gets this project I hope you have a lot of time, patience and E&O insurance.
Yes that's right, I turned down a job.
You may be asking yourself why on earth would he turn down any kind of job??
Well it's like this. I was asked to give a price to do the staking for a custom home on the side of a massive hill. When I received the call about it something in my gut told me to decline right then. However things being what they have been I always say yes to any project.
Something was just eating at me about. Did I mention that I did the topo on this lot? Well something was just eating at me, screaming at me "Don't do it!!!!!". I kicked it around for quite a while and figured that I would just high ball the estimate in the hope that I would just get beat.
The guy called me on Friday looking for his numbers. I called him back and told him that I would be unable to do his project due to the fact that my work load has become such that being able to give him the kind of service required would be difficult for me at this time, which is actually true.
I figured that this job because of the retaining wall system and extensiveness of the layout would have been 30+ trips and the liability would have been a nightmare. I have had many projects like this in the past and this one just yelled at me that the contractors would be 100% reliant upon me and if anything went wrong I would be the shit eater. Been there, done that, no thank you.
Upon making that call I felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off of my shoulders.
Thinking back I should have done this so many times in the past.
I have a problem though. I am a driven business man and I am in love with my bottom line, however when I have blown off what my gut was telling me, most of the time the heartburn that incurred because I did not listen would have been worth a lower bottom line and in most cases it dropped because of issues.
Today I think I took a huge step for myself.
Whoever gets this project I hope you have a lot of time, patience and E&O insurance.
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