Business failing potentially in a pickle

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19 Jul 2006
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I have debated asking on here about this for a while but think I need some help as I'm stressing out.I dont want to go into to much details as nothings really official yet.

Basically I provide support for 2 organisations which I have done for the past 5 years. Basically I provide a SLA on a rolling contract reviewed yearly. In the contract the notice period is 90 days unless mutually beneficial to both parties.

Organisation A has reviewed the contract and is happy for another year.

Organisation B wanted me to work some extra hours ( I had been billing them separately for this) but with the new financial year I redid the contract and added the hours to be part of that with the extra responsibility they wanted me to have. Only they wont/cant sign the contract - the budget is there for the services I have been told. However in the meeting I had they cant sign the contract as they cant tie the organisation in for that long can I bill them monthly?
It was strongly hinted at in the meeting that this organisation is soon going to be joined with another and things are going to happen. The other organisation has there own support SLA for what I provide. So basically it looks like when they join I will no longer be needed ( this is from my gut instinct and what I suspect with happen) I have already seen the other providers on site a few times.

Problem I have is if I lose organisation B then financially I cant really afford to work with organisation A.

I could probably afford to live through the notice period with organisation A if I needed to.

Do I tell organisation A what I think is going to happen, they are happy with me and I have a good relationship with them but I still dont know anything for certain.

Organisation A takes up one day a week of my time.

Due to the sector I work in all other places have there SLA's already sorted until next April so it would be highly unlikely that I could pick up work there.

Which would mean that I would have to look for a full time job at a company probably in a junior roll ( which I would be happy with) as I would be able to move up and become better. My current position is capped really.
But that would mean ending my company would that make me a failure?

tr/td

1.Do I tell organisation A what is happening even though I dont know officially?

2. Would moving to a fulltime company job be that bad?
 
In that situation company B would be getting some hard ball! :)

Just tell them you will be very happy to switch to monthly billing however you will be increasing your charges by X% to cover the increased risk to you.

That way you know where you stand and may pressure them into renewing for another full year even though if the transition does happen they wont need your services.
 
Why not get another client?

I don't quite understand - you're self employed yet at the prospect of losing a single client your first consideration is to give up and go back to full time work?

Frankly the above poster is probably correct in that if you're taking on additional risk with company B(short contract) you should perhaps bump up your rates to compensate for this risk.
 
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