That's different though....
AFTER you have the job (which was NOT negotiated) you then negotiate your costs with different suppliers. But even then you aren't really "negotiating" it, you're just price shopping. It the same thing customers do.
Negotiated jobs are somewhat seldom done. We do some with a major U.S. chain but it is the only "negotiated" work we do. In other words, these stores don't go out for bids; we do all of them (they're retrofits). We tell them a price and then they usually take it. Sometimes I find I was too low because I don't get to go out to all of them so then I make it up on the next one and they fully understand and are happy to pay. That is "negotiated" work.
I have 2 guys who do nothing but these stores. They travel the state and stay in hotel rooms. We Over-night their checks every other week to wherever they are. The GC pays for the room and it is the GC we negotiate our price with.
They fax me the amount of work to be done at the particular store and I just sort of throw a figure at it based upon the 50+ we have already done. If I find (through my guys) that we were too low, I tell Clay (the GC) and we make it up on the next one by charging more extra's. This way Clay has an EC for all of his stores and I get a steady cash flow from Clay.
No bids, no competition, no headaches.
They pay 50% deposit/expenses and the balance due upon completion (so he can get a signed lien release so he can get paid). It's a beautiful thing.
This is the only truly "negotiated" work we do. Everything else is either Bid, Quoted, or T&M.
:~)
