Budgeting your production is essential for your professional success.
Benjamin Franklin once said, “The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.”
This brings me to talk about budgeting. While we have discussed in previous blogs the way our clients allocate their budgets, in this week’s blog, I wanted to dive into why budgeting for your on-location vehicle shouldn’t be an issue and why you should never skimp out on a few dollars.
I will give you first-hand experiences and their unfortunate outcomes, and they will serve as a “how-to” to avoid these messes yourself…. Let’s begin.
At On Time Elite, my role is to find the correct unit for our client’s project needs. Sometimes it can be pretty straightforward. It is simply aligning the production needs with the vehicles and services we offer. Other times, some mismatches are related to the production’s budget. Clients tend to gravitate toward the cheapest bid. Unfortunately, budgeting cannot be so cut and dry. While not rare, it isn’t always true.
For instance, this summer, I had an extensive campaign for Nordstrom with a client who would remain anonymous. While I know they will stretch their budget on catering and equipment rentals, they refuse to spend the money on the hub that will hold production, wardrobe, and talent.
My client and I had a back-and-forth, which boiled down to matching a number we couldn’t meet. Our client decided to go elsewhere (you win some lose some, am I right?)
As professionals, we understood and wished them a fantastic shoot and proceeded with other bookings. Now, fast forward to the day of the shoot. I get a frantic phone call at 6 in the morning. My client chose a vendor whom I will also not name ( we’re professionals and can’t spill all the tea)
This vendor delivered a unit infested with cockroaches and had two breakdowns before the clients even arrived. We once again spoke about the budget and whether or not it had changed, and the conversation completely flipped. The client agreed to our pricing, and we dispatched a unit and saved the day.
The point I am making with this experience alone is that cutting costs ended in costing two full rates of two different vendors and caused a chaotic start to what could have otherwise been a seamless production.
On a more positive note being willing to spend extra money on an excellent green room or production trailer can secure your next booking. Many clients tell me that because our units have been on site, they have bagged the next shoot, their next event, or their next client.
It’s a tremendous networking asset. Your clients see where their money went. If you have a budget, you always want your client to have the absolute best of everything every time you go to production.
It creates a great vibe on set and allows for versatility.
If you have a service or vendor that works, I PROMISE you; that you will impress your clients and the other team members they hired, and these members will pass your name along.
Next time you look for On-location buses, don’t overlook the more expensive option. More often than not, higher prices mean better quality, elite customer service, and a sense of security that your project will be an absolute success.
See for yourself, call in, or fill out our website’s contact form. A formal estimate may just be the first step to securing back-to-back projects.