The waiting game

Earlier this week I put in a proposal to a local government agency. The proposal links in with existing work I'm doing for a local not for profit organisation which is completely autonomous from the local government but has agreed to host the subject of the proposal on its own website. If that sounds obtuse I apologise.

I've worked as a contractor for the not for profit for 11 years and am responsible for its website. For development and maintenance. All at bargain basement rates 'cos that's all this NFP can afford.

Now I'm worried that this tender will lead to others proposing that as part of the deal they redevelop the existing NFP's website. After all that's what I suggested in my proposal and it is seriously speccy. Lots of lovely e-commerce integration, plenty of social media to attract Gen Y and X. Realistically I told the NFP I wanted to update the website anyway and do a rebuild which would be more stable and incorporate more goodies.

This morning I had to do a presentation to the selection panel, two of whom I know well and one, the council rep, reasonably well. The council rep likes jobs for the boys, people he's worked with at a previous role with another local council. The two I know well...well, one is certainly on my side, the other can be swayed by flirtation.

The preso went well. It was more of a Q&A with them asking me questions about what my solution could do; I gave them an online demo and handled off the cuff stuff pretty well. I'm in a unique position because I not only do the creative stuff as part of my business offering but also manage the NFP in my own right.

We were supposed to hear a result by this afternoon. The successful tenderer would be contacted.

Come 5pm and no response my heart sank. Clearly I wasn't 'it'. What worried me was the potential of losing the existing web contract. If I lose it my interest in working for these guys drops below zero. If I can't control our key means of communication I may as well hand it to someone else and let them make a hash of it, not maintain it properly, pay a fortune for updates and changes.

I spent an hour seriously thinking of walking away from the NFP, which pays really shite hourly rates but it's all it can afford. It does, however, help me promote my business.

By 6.30 I had an email from the council rep - working late! good grief!-  telling me they were doing more checks and he'd contact me tomorrow.

So all is not lost. I've spent the latter part of this afternoon morose and depressed thinking I've lost a key contract which is a great advert for my business... I still may have... but as Scarlett O'Hara said, Tomorrow is another day.

And the council rep told me he would be contacting the winner... not the also rans.

Fingers crossed. Another shite night's sleep coming up.