Reverse,Auctions,Way,Get,Your, DIY Reverse Auctions as a Way to Get Your Projects Done and Save

When starting a new work at home business it is very easy to become consumed by it. We spend so much time trying to get the business up and running that we may end up becoming burned out and lose our motivation. There is so much to learn and Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in

Many people need to get projects done, and would like to have anefficient way of approaching the selection of suppliers. You might bea small business looking for a new bookkeeper or a landscapingcontractor, or a private individual needing to get your roof repairedor your pool resurfaced – or needing any number of other services.Among the normal ways of choosing a supplier is to research theyellow pages or do a Google search. You turn up a number ofpossibilities and talk to several of them – at least, until someoneconvinces you on the first or second call that they have exactly whatyou need, and you sign up with them.Some people go to Craig's List and take their chances there. Otherswill use ServiceMagic or a similar listing service to get the namesof a few recommended contractors.Each of these processes has its own advantages and disadvantages. Thequicker the process, the less likely it is to yield reliable andbeneficial results. You need to be willing to put in some effort toclearly describe your requirements and any special circumstancessurrounding the project, and to indicate (e.g. by quoting your ZIPcode) where the job is located. Often it is very useful to includephotos or sketches to clarify what needs to be done.There are other disadvantages to the approach of serially contactingpossible suppliers. You know relatively little about the suppliersyou are calling, and you may easily miss some of the best. You areexposed to the sales pitch of each potential supplier you contact,often with the request that they come out and see the job. Frequentlythis isn't required, as they know enough from being in the businessyou're inquiring about to quote without visiting you. But if theyvisit, there is a better understanding of what sort of financialbracket you are in, and they can shade their price accordingly andtry to close the sale immediately.If you list your project on a reverse auction site, you achieveseveral things:You maintain your privacy;You will normally get more people reviewing your project than if youjust call around;You'll initiate a competition between suppliers for your work;Each supplier will have to respond to the specification ordescription you put in of your project;Each supplier will know what the others are bidding and whatqualifications they offer, so the motivation is there to matchqualifications and improve price, or to reduce price to make up forlesser qualifications on paper;You end up with a clear contract spelled out.A good reverse auction site will help you find potential supplierswho will bid on the job if the description is sufficiently clear, orhelp you clarify the description through question-and-answerexchanges. Some websites will allow the supplier to identify him- orherself, assuming that you have the motivation not to reveal youridentity. Most customers recognize that calling the potentialsupplier exposes them to the pressure of a direct sales pitch, andmany customers are trying to avoid this.These processes will allow you to more thoroughly evaluate the offersthat you receive. If a supplier is to quote and enter into a legallybinding contract, he or she must be reasonably confident that theycan do the job successfully for the amount bid. So they will becareful and precise in the way they put together their bid, while atthe same time recognizing that they need to be competitive. Havingthe bids visible to all suppliers allows a competent supplier toestablish the initial benchmark of quality, price and delivery thatothers need to match or beat. Subsequent suppliers need to improve onthat benchmark – whether in quality, price or delivery time.The quality may be best judged by the reputation the supplier hasearned on the website: What sort of ratings have they been getting?How do they compare with others? If their rating has not built upmuch yet, what does their own website tell you about them?Your job as a customer is to make sure you are going into businesswith a competent and honest supplier – and to let others know, whenthe job is complete, how they performed. The supplier's job is bothto perform as well as possible, and to let others know how well youkept your side of the bargain – did you pay on time? Did you stickwith the description and scope of work agreed on? Were you easy towork with as far as access and timing were concerned? And so on.Reverse auctions can help you get through your list of projects in asatisfying, low pressure and professional way. Give it a try!