TOPIC: Minding My Own Business, And The Phone Rings

I'm quietly driving along and my phone rings.

It's one of the Northern Virginia county school supervisors.  It seems their county wants to do Virginia mandated radon tests each every classroom in each of their schools.

"Hi.  This is Smackdoodle Feinschmeegan.  Do you do multiple radon tests?"

I have never done multiple tests, except perhaps to have two or three devices out in the same day.  So -- here goes...

"I am a home inspector and do them sometimes in different houses at the same time.  How many tests do you need?"

"Approximately 2,000.  We don't know yet, but that would be about as close as I can come now...  We have 35 schools and each with different numbers of classrooms."

SO WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THAT ONE!?

Ubbida, immida, hummida, mmmm, "What is the time frame for these tests?"

"We're thinking late spring or early summer.  Not sure yet.  Can you help us?"

"I will check on the availability of the devices, and I am sure that with enough time I can come up with the numbers I would need (I HAD NOOOO IDEA ABOUT THAT...!) and we can go from there.  I can meet the protocols."

"Great!  I am calling three companies.  Yours is the first I have called."

"I will call the lab I deal with and see what they can do for us.  How did you get MY name?"

"On the web.  You came up everywhere I looked."

So there you go!  A web dope like me can position himself so a county he hardly works in can come up with his name.  What do you want to bet that if I get this gig, they give my name to the county next door...

May I suggest we all listen to Dominic when he counsels us to do something.  We must be doing something right!

WOW.... that's a HUGE job!  that could cover your whole years income in one shot!!!

That's the next problem - pricing...

Pricing, logistics, how they are going to pay you, how your going to pay lab fee's, time to do them and your normal inspections  I can keep going!  lol 

I would call the lab and try to set up an account for this particular job and pay at the end of the month. 

I would also require the school to pay a % up front for supplies.  They cant expect you would have that much testing equipment on hand!

I do my own lab work.  The lab I deal with would have to provide some spiking (about 3%) to make sure I am on track with my testing.  They also need to provide me a spread sheet for each school, something I am TOTALLY unfamiliar with.  Don't know about payments yet, but I would have to rent the devices per week ($1/device/week).

I also have to decide how to do this - a 2 day or 5 day test.  The price would vary per.  And the type of test would determine how many blanks and duplicates I set out.

Pricing, though, pricing.  That will make or break it.  Each class gets a device and I would charge per device.  That is the question!

Lots to think about... But I have confidence in you to pull it off.