Tender Writing Block

Now although I know blocked drains have very little to do with tender writing on the surface, the following recent experience illustrates a very important point – simply that sometimes, it’s better and cheaper to pay an expert to do a job than attempt to do it yourself.
A couple of friends of mine recently bought a house. It’s something of a wreck by all accounts but the husband is quite competent in doing the majority of the works himself.
When the drain outside became blocked, he thought nothing of it. It was just another job and he’d clear it in no time. A week, one length of conduit, many hours of googling, an expensive set of drain rods and two returns to the DIY store to buy expensive attachments later and the husband finally admitted defeat. He was forced into admitting defeat when the washing machine, lavatory or shower could be comfortably used. Yet another expense was accrued in calling out a drainage expert who cleared the blockage in around two minutes with nothing more than drain rods. The expert did leave a handy tip though – “you wouldn’t have stood a chance without lifting the little trap door on the rodding point”. “What’s a rodding point?” asked the husband.

The point of the story is clear – by the end of the week, clearing that drain cost more than double what it would have done if a) the husband knew what he was doing or b) an expert had been called in immediately. The cost doesn’t just relate to the financial outlay either. The inconvenience, time and stress all cost too.
Composing and submitting professionally written tenders is no different. Whilst at first glance it would seem cheaper to write it all yourself, the real cost of not knowing what a rodding point is in tender writing could prove much more expensive than you imagined.

Professional tender writers are not as expensive as you might think, especially when you consider that, having usually written hundreds of tenders, it will take them a fraction of the time that it would take you to write it yourself. They also tend to have millions of pounds of successful tenders under their belt. A professional tender writer will understand all of the questions on your RFI, PQQ and your tender documentation. What’s more, they will know how to ensure your business fits the requirements in these questions.
When weighing up the cost between hiring a tender writer and going DIY, there are a number of important points to consider. Remember, not all costs can be quantified in pounds.
• How long will it take you to research, write and gather all of the information? Contact a professional tender writer and request a quote and an estimate of time to complete. How does this compare against the cost of your time? Remember that whilst focussing on the tender you would not be concentrating on your business.

• What is the cost to your business of losing a tender due to an error, misunderstanding or omission? A professional tender writer will not make that error or omission.

• What is the total cost of writing the tender yourself, realising it won’t meet the mark and having to bring in an emergency professional writer to do it all again to a tight deadline?

The ultimate result of writing your own tenders is that, unless you are experienced and knowledgeable in the art of successful tender writing, you have a much slimmer chance of winning than if you hire a professional. Not winning a tender is perhaps the most expensive potential cost of DIY tendering and a far more sobering thought than overpaying for unblocking a drain.