A big enquiry arrives and the instinct is to quote quickly before someone else does. That instinct has sunk more small businesses than slow quoting ever has.
Five checks, none of which take long.
1. What do they already owe you?
If this is an existing customer sitting at sixty days on their last invoice, the size of the new order is a warning, not an opportunity. Taking on more exposure with someone already slow is how a manageable receivable becomes a serious one.
2. Do you have the capacity?
Not "could we squeeze it in", genuinely, alongside existing commitments. Winning work you cannot deliver on time costs you the client you won and, often, the clients you neglected to serve it.
3. What does it actually cost you to deliver?
Large jobs are where scope creep does the most damage, because there is more room for it to hide. Estimate the hours honestly, add a realistic buffer, and price from that, not from what you think they will accept.
4. What is the cash flow shape?
This is the one that catches people. A large job often means paying for materials, subcontractors or extra staff weeks before the client pays you. A profitable order can still put you in a cash hole in the middle.
Work out when money leaves and when it arrives. If the gap is uncomfortable, that is a reason to ask for a milestone payment structure, not a reason to hope.
5. How concentrated does this make you?
If one job would become a large share of your revenue, understand what happens if it is delayed, disputed, or cancelled. Concentration is fine when you have chosen it deliberately and priced for it. It is dangerous when it happens by accident.
Then quote with conditions
For anything large, advance or milestone payments are normal and reasonable. Clients who plan to pay have no problem with staged payments. Reluctance at this stage is itself useful information, and far cheaper to receive now than three months in.
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