How to position sub-contractors in proposals?

[Sausage76]

Hi there

Mainly lurk on here. Looking for some advice from those who have been there/done it please.

I am a marketing freelancer, been operating for 1.5 years.

Have the opp for a last minute big proposal. May need to draft in help.

Currently I have outlined x days at my day rate. But I am thinking I might need to use others, for eg a VA I know. So I am guessing I need to include their day rate too? Only then charging the client the hourly rate of who is doing task y etc or am I being too nice/not commercially minded enough!?!?

My rambling thoughts are:
* Not that keen on contrasting my rate next to a cheaper VA!

* I might not actually subcontract depending on how the work pans out.

* There is an element of buying "me" for my experience/skills, so there is part of me that is nervous about including others but for various reasons I might need the support.

*Different rates could look complicated/encourage them to question the detail too much from experience.

*On the positive including different rates may seem more fair/equitable.

Just wondered if any of you produce proposals with subcontractors in there, how do you deal with them?

Thanks in advance

S

 

[stephenmarsh]

That's a difficult one - and why I tend to stick to fixed price jobs!

It's a matter of taste, and whether you already have a relationship with the client enough to gauge how they'll respond!

My personal approach would always be to fold any outsourced work into my own rate, rather than separating them.

You do have a good point that your method of quoting is much fairer and would probably work out more economical for the client, but at the end of the day, the more straightforward the quote, the better.

 

[Sausage76]

Hi Stephen

Thanks for your reply.

I think the client is willing to go time and materials and there are lots of unknowns, so that would be best for me. But like you I do prefer a fixed price job - everybody knows where they stand that way.

I have decided to stick to the one price per day which includes me working with others or maybe not.

Will see what the client says!!

Thanks again
S

 

[leemason]

It's probably best to stay simple and give one daily rate but add the caveat that you may sub-contract some work to others (trusted partners only of course as you don't want to put your reputation on the line). I tend to do that and it works fine for me.