I registered with PPH some time ago, you place a 'bid' for the 'projects' that are posted. My criteria for accounting returns on average 5 projects per day. I have won one client in approx two years! I am in Manchester, and very few of the projects posted are in my area so I hardly bid on any at all. I have found the vast majority of posters are unrealistic in the budgets they are prepared to pay for the work they require, some obviously view it as a way to get a cheap job done. However, there are many overseas bidders who seem prepared to work for very low fees (less than £5ph in some cases) I guess its buyer beware - you get what you pay for !. Having said all that there are (sometimes) some good projects on there worth bidding for, although this happens very rarely in my case I have gained one client through it and it's free for the basic listing so there's nothing to lose. I find it interesting (and sometomes amusing) to read what type of work people require completing and their sometimes unrealistc expectations.
but don't discount loss leaders where the work is performed on a clients site.
I had one (not through this site) where an insurance company had a set budget and a fixed implementation date to adhere to a change is legislation.
The project had been started with one year window. Nine months in they found that they had spent 80% of the money and had got absolutely nowhere, largely because the work had been offshored and the people doing the work were too far removed to understand what the client wanted from the vague requirements.
The client had assumed that they could just ask for a system that did x and the third party would go away and make it so... Conversely the third party expected not just to be told exactly, to the letter what was wanted but also exactly how to do it.
With three months and only 20% of the original budget I pulled quite a few free all nighters to deliver what the client wanted on time.
The manager got their bonus but was subsequently fired when the project was audited and they realised how trying to save a few bob had put the company very, very close to some pretty serious fines.
The site gave me the follow up project which I made some serious money on so at the end of the day an unrealistic expectation turned into something positive.
Moral of the story. Getting your foot in the door can be worth taking a loss leader for.
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Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
Yes agree with everything you said, there are sometimes good projects, it's just in my case they are (usually) too far away for me. I have gained that one client which has made it all worthwhile and I go through all the new projects every day. I bid on those that I feell are interesting and worthwhile or present an opportunity as you say. Should also mention that if you use PPH's system (Escrow I think) for receiving payment - as they would like you to - they do take a commission - the level depends upon your type of membership. Overall I still think its wothwhile - nothing to lose. Are there any other similar sites ?
I'm on PPH, and have bid on quite a few jobs now, never had a reply never mind a confirmed job! So many people bid on each job that I'm sure the poster feels quite overwhelmed. I agree with Anne when she says that the budgets are totally unrealistic for most of them, a full set of stat accounts plus CT return for £50 for instance. I appreciate your point Shaun that sometimes you need to take a hit to win later on, but I think that with the accounts, once you've done it one year for £50 the client isn't going to like year 2 costing 5 times as much!
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Jenny
Responses are my opinion based on the information provided. All information should be thoroughly checked before being relied on.
