Save Time By Writing An RFP (Request for Proposal)

"Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships."
Michael Jordan

So you want to build a website or redesign the one you have. You want to create a team who will lead you to success, but how do you go about finding a team within the budget you have? Hiring a developer who gives you a price based on a conversation is a risky approach to web development.

An RFP (request for proposal) gives you a way to get comparable bids from different developers, plus it saves you time and headache during the development process. By having a definition of the project, the developers can closely estimate time required based on very specific tasks that need to be accomplished. Plus, everybody involved in the project has a clear understanding of the requirements, so there is no confusion down the line about what you desire.

What should you include in an RFP?

1) Who is your company?
Give a brief overview of who your company is and the type of clients you have. It is beneficial to include how your internet presence plays a part in your business.

2) Project Synopis
Provide an overview of the project. Answer the following questions:

• Are you redesigning an existing site, enhancing an existing site or building a brand new site?
• What is the reason for making these changes now?
• Who from the company will be involved in this project?
• What are the technical challenges that may be faced in this project (i.e. company has an in-house CRM system that must be integrated into the site)

3) Information Architecture
Defining the site flow, or information architecture, is a critical piece towards getting a firm bid. While the information architecture will likely change as the project evolves, the initial information architecture gives the developer a firm idea of how many screens are involved and what sort of functionality those screens entail. Using a program like Visio is an excellent way to create a flow chart of the information architecture.

4) Detailed Screen Requirements
If your site involves interactive functionality (like forms that are submitted, user profiles, etc.), it's a good idea to define these screens so the developer can plan how they will build them. Defining the screens means laying them out and defining how the fields function. Without this information, the developer can only guesstimate the cost of development.

5) Interfaces
Will your website interface with any other systems? How do they interface and what is the functionality you are expecting? Perhaps your company has an in-house CRM (customer relationship management) system, or perhaps you use a manufacturer's database of products for your store. These need to be spelled out for the developer. It would be even better if you include a contact name that the developer could speak with about these systems so they can get an understanding of the technical composition of these systems.

6) Design Requirements
Here is where the company shares its thoughts on what sort of site they are expecting. Giving URLs of sites you like, or discussing functionality you prefer, helps the developer understand what you want from this project. If you are not redesigning your site, you would also explain what aspects of the current site design will be retained, and what tweaks may be desired.

7) Project Deliverables
What do you expect the developer to provide you when the project is complete? Here you should let the developer know your requirements for code ownership, hosting and ongoing-site maintenance. You may also include information about a desired warranty period and any training that can be provided for in-house site maintenance.

8) Project Timeline
Here you define what you want the finish date to be for this project. If you can phase your project, you could also define the intermediate milestone dates.

9) Proposal Requirements
This is your opportunity to make it very clear what you expect from the developer when they deliver their estimate. How well the developer follows these guidelines gives you a good idea of how well they will take your input during project development. You could include the following here:

• Whether you want a fixed-bid proposal or just a general estimate
• How you want the prices broken up (one price for the whole project, or do you want to see project costs split out by functionality included)
• Request for technical recommendations. While you may have made some requests, you want to hear from an expert what they would recommend as a solution.
• Proposed project timeline
• Brief write-up of why their company is the right company for this project
• Backgrounds on the individuals that would be working on this project
• References from other clients
  
• Date you want the estimate returned -- important!

10) Basis for Award of Contract
Here you have an opportunity to explain what you are looking for in the company you would hire.

11) Contact Information
Don't forget to let them know who is overseeing the RFP process and who should be called if there are questions. There should be one appointed person in your company who manages the entire RFP process.

While the process of creating an RFP may seem daunting, it is the best way to assure you've received a solid estimate. It also gives you an opportunity to interact with the developer and get a feel for what it would be like to work with the company. Hiring a web developer does not have to be challenging, and the RFP process will ultimately save you time when your project is developed.

Are you ready to win?

Four Keys To Time Management

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” – John Wooden, Former Head Basketball Coach, UCLA

Time Management. We all struggle with it, both in our business and personal lives. We work too many hours and then feel guilty about not spending time with our families. Then we go home early one day and feel guilty about not finishing every project on our desk. Time management affects everyone, because our lives take place in time.

At Possibilities Unlimited, I work with clients who are constantly challenged to get everything done. I break down time management into four key concepts:

The Radar Screen: Your Radar Screen is the big picture of everything that wants or needs attention in your life – business projects, family, your dentist, books you want to read, even sleep. Everything that wants a piece of you appears on your radar screen. You have to filter all those events into a manageable system. You have to have a calendar, which becomes the scoreboard of your business. You have to have an agenda. You also need reliable data and project management systems where you can place the events on your radar screen so that they get handled.

The Task Collector: You have to have a way to collect the events or activities that you select off the radar screen. You can’t possibly do everything on your radar screen, so you have to select the things you will do. You can use a computer calendar system like Outlook, or you can use your PDA. Some people still resort to the written “to-do” list. And some people use their mind for their task collector. All the appointments and projects and needs stay in the mind. I do not recommend this approach to task collecting, as you will surely drop something out that was vital for you to remember.

Putting Things in Time: Now that you have your task collection mechanism up and running, it’s time to put your selected tasks into time. First you have to estimate how long each task will take. For instance, I estimate that it takes me one hour to write and publish this blog every week. Estimate how long each activity will take. Then you have to schedule those estimates in the calendar. If sales takes five hours and your production run takes six hours, you may not want to schedule both those tasks in one day. You may need to break sales apart into several days. You need to be realistic about estimating time and diligent about scheduling it. Next you have to manage the schedule. You have to do sales when you have it scheduled and write your blog when you have it scheduled. And when emergencies or changes come up, you have to reschedule tasks for another time in the week. Everything has to be put into time.

Determine What Not to Do: People never stop to consider what they are NOT going to do. What you’re not going to do is very powerful. It gives you the liberty to let go of some things that you are probably fooling yourself into thinking will happen. Like the 50 books you plan on reading. Pick five and tell yourself you will never read them. You are never doing that task. Let it go. Pick another five and say you’re not doing them right now. You reschedule them into the future and realize that you are not doing that now. Some things you are never doing, and some things you are not doing. You also need to delegate tasks to others on your team. They may not do them just like you would or as well as you would, but you need to determine what can be done by others to a standard. Finally, you need to schedule periodic “do-nothing” days, where you have nothing on the schedule and the day is yours. That’s right, you need to schedule time to do nothing if you ever really want to have a “do-nothing” day.

Practicing these four concepts will help you build a strong relationship with time and will ease the pressure on you. You can successfully manage your time and win the game of business/life.

Are you ready to win?

Biggest Money Mistakes Series - 2

"Without self-discipline, success is impossible, period." - Lou Holtz, Former Head Football Coach, Notre Dame

Many people have gone from broke to multi-millionaire by following some simple concepts that allow anyone to move from debt to wealth, on any income. In this series, you will see that the following money mistakes deal more about attitudes, beliefs and values, versus failing to reconcile your checkbook.

Mistake # 2: Emergencies always show up and ruin my savings goals.
In studying the spending habits of thousands of people for over 20 years I discovered that many people live on 105% to 115% of what they earn. They didn’t plan financially for their vacation, back to school clothes for their children or for the car to break down. But it happens, and when it does they turned to their credit cards to solve the problem and the balances grew and grew.

Solution: In addition to saving for retirement, set aside 10% of your income to spend later on the emergencies you didn’t plan for that will happen anyway. This will also cover back to school clothes, vacations, and possibly property taxes. The goal is to live on 75% to 80% of what you earn after taxes.

Are You Ready to Win?

Rennie Gabriel – Rennie@RennieGabriel.com
Author of Wealth on Any Income: 12 Steps to Freedom