So I'm a contracting newbie who has been negotiating initial contract work with 4 different clients over the past few weeks.
Typically enough, client A, who I thought was "in the bag" is now out of the running until likely Autumn; client B has suddenly come from nowhere with a great opportunity placing them in first place which is even better because I can do client D's little two week contract concurrently. Only problem is client C, who I have a track record with as a permie, who expressed interest in me working for them, and I went in to see them, we discussed rates, likely contract length, which project and possible starting dates. They're sending a contract over. I'm suddenly getting the feeling that, being new to all this, I've made something of a contractor's faux pas. Did I make it clear I was talking to other clients? Can't remember. They seem to be under the impression that it's "in the bag", and am starting to feel somewhat guilty that I may end up not taking the contract.
This has been an eye opening few weeks and juggling negotiations like this is clearly something I'll get better at as I go along. Would it be fair to say that if I do need to turn down client C, I just need to toughen up, after all, it ain't signed until it's signed? Just business and all that? Note that these are all small businesses, C being the largest but still very much SME, either run or staffed by long term friends/contacts.
Anyway would really value some input, and perhaps pearls of wisdom/experience from you seasoned contractors!
Thanks!
