What would you do?

[northernladuk]

Disagree. Finish the CONTRACT. If the PROJECT falls outside current contract then its all down to negotiation.

If I was in OP situation, I'd be thinking of no 1 and not the project. If I had to turn down another longer contract to stay another few weeks then it'd be at a premium price.

Pissing clients off and ruining future potential work is a bit short sighted if you are trying to look after number 1 in the long term isn't it? That's not being a professional, it's being a mercenary and I don't see anywhere where being a mercenary works in the long term.

If you were any good at what you did negotiating a week delay with the new client to do most of the work for your old client isn't exactly hard.

[Bacchus]

Do the job properly and take a bit of pride in that.

This ^

To some extent the long term relationship is just jam, you are as good as your last contract.

I think it extraordinarily unlikely that you will lose a six month gig over making them wait a couple of weeks, contracting was like that ten to fifteen years ago, but not so much now

Finish the project with the caveat that you may have to take time out for interviews, tell prospects that you can start immediately, they will take at least two to three weeks buggering about with paperwork anyway!

And if they pay eventually, then good. After a year you must surely have enough in the business to keep paying your salary, the eventual payment will be good for the end of year divi.

[SimonMac]

Ok, understood. So let's add this to the mix.

Getting paid here is a royal PITA. It happens eventually.... <snip>

I stopped reading after "it happens eventually" if you are in the situation where you need each and every invoice to live on you are doing something wrong.

First and foremost for me professionalism is the key, I stay to the job is finished (it even cost me a holiday in Spain last year) but I am now on such high regards with the Client I know I will be the first called back for repeat work.

Secondly if we are talking 1-2 weeks, what makes you think that a new gig would start that quickly, by all means look now but make people aware of the situation, it could stand you in high regards with new clinets that you show some loyalty to existing clients

[SimonMac]

You are willing to destroy your relationship with your client after a year just for the sake of two weeks extra? Seriously? Jesus Christ. Great level of professionalism that is. You can kiss goodbye to any invites back should anything juicy comes up. Throw 10's of pounds away in the future for the sake of two weeks.

Feel free to screw him over. Plenty of other decent contractors would be happy to clean your mess up and make some good mullah from it.

No you can't charge a higher rate. The clients budget won't be flexible like that and it's going to take longer to get that approved that it will to do the work. You work in a service industry and a decent contract gets a lot of work from previous clients. Do the job properly and take a bit of pride in that, let alone think about the relationship longer term.

If the project is late the budget would have been blown, asking for more money would be very bad taste.

[SimonMac]

Bit more though, what is your role on the existing project? Could you be a bit savvy and take on a new contract and keep the existing one?

[d000hg]

Take the work but tell them you will start to look for a new longer contract based on the current contract end-date, so if they keep extending week by week you cannot guarantee availability. But if they'd like to extend for a month, obviously you are committed to that.

Raising your rate isn't reasonable unless they want you to do some sort of ad-hoc support after the main contract work is done.

[Antman]

You are willing to destroy your relationship with your client after a year just for the sake of two weeks extra? Seriously? Jesus Christ. Great level of professionalism that is. You can kiss goodbye to any invites back should anything juicy comes up. Throw 10's of pounds away in the future for the sake of two weeks.

Feel free to screw him over. Plenty of other decent contractors would be happy to clean your mess up and make some good mullah from it.

No you can't charge a higher rate. The clients budget won't be flexible like that and it's going to take longer to get that approved that it will to do the work. You work in a service industry and a decent contract gets a lot of work from previous clients. Do the job properly and take a bit of pride in that, let alone think about the relationship longer term.

Stop bringing religion into it!

[01smicha]

You are willing to destroy your relationship with your client after a year just for the sake of two weeks extra? Seriously? Jesus Christ. Great level of professionalism that is. You can kiss goodbye to any invites back should anything juicy comes up. Throw 10's of pounds away in the future for the sake of two weeks.

uuhhh... not what I said. As much as I appreciate your input, flaming wont help anyone.

Feel free to screw him over. Plenty of other decent contractors would be happy to clean your mess up and make some good mullah from it.

I haven't screwed anyone over, and don't plan to!

No you can't charge a higher rate. The clients budget won't be flexible like that and it's going to take longer to get that approved that it will to do the work. You work in a service industry and a decent contract gets a lot of work from previous clients. Do the job properly and take a bit of pride in that, let alone think about the relationship longer term.

Thank you, this is what I wanted to query. I have not been in this position before, so who better to ask than those that have!

[northernladuk]

uuhhh... not what I said. As much as I appreciate your input, flaming wont help anyone.

I haven't screwed anyone over, and don't plan to!

Yes it is and yes you are. You are indicating you want to charge more for the work or walk (they are your options after all). That's holding him over a barrel which in my world is screwing him over. Am sure others would call it something else which I can accept.

I take that assumption because if you are going to make a rate rise work you have to play hardball and lay it out on the table. Pay me or I go. If you attempt a rate rise not willing to do what you say you will always fail, particularly with agencies. They will smell a chancer a mile off.... but that's all off topic.

If you do stay just don't forget the lavish cakes and nibbles on the last day!!!!

[01smicha]

Yes it is and yes you are. You are indicating you want to charge more for the work or walk (they are your options after all). That's holding him over a barrel which in my world is screwing him over. Am sure others would call it something else which I can accept.

I take that assumption because if you are going to make a rate rise work you have to play hardball and lay it out on the table. Pay me or I go. If you attempt a rate rise not willing to do what you say you will always fail, particularly with agencies. They will smell a chancer a mile off.... but that's all off topic.

The reason I ask is because obviously that is a possible outcome of the situation. I'd rather ask here and find out its not, than blindly continue and potentially miss out on a bigger payday. I am not trying to screw anyone over, I am just trying to get the best deal for myself.

I had no intention of 'hardball', just wanted to know what the normal practice would be!

Surely even you would agree that it is better to ask those with more experience in these situations, rather than f*** it all up without doing the proper research.