Story Background
Nicole Demara brought a folder to Random Play near closing. A local shop wanted the Cunning Hares to staff its weekend demo booth and needed a quote that night. A quick temp-work commission could bring money into the small agency Nicole founded—if the price and costs added up.
She laid the draft estimate and the client’s message on the counter for Wise, her familiar business partner, to review with her. As they compared the lines, Nicole stopped at two identical delivery charges. “Wait. The estimate charges for the same drop-off twice.” That duplicate fee had made her proposed total look better than the real job would earn. Removing it lowered both the quote and the profit.
The client’s message also said only a deposit would arrive before the booth, with the balance paid afterward. That changed when the money would come in, not how much the job earned. Nicole marked how much the Cunning Hares would need to cover staffing and setup before the balance arrived, then revised her estimate.
“The numbers are tighter now,” she said, turning the page toward Wise. “Before I send this, will you check my cash-flow note too?”
By closing time, Nicole’s revised quote was ready, but she had not sent it. She gathered the pages and glanced toward the door. “I’m picking up dinner. Have you eaten?”
At the nearby stall, a two-portion evening bundle cost less than buying the meals separately. Nicole ordered it, then returned to Random Play with the food and the unsent estimate. She set one wrapped portion beside Wise’s papers and started opening the other for herself.
“The bundle was cheaper,” she said, nudging the extra portion within reach. “If you haven’t eaten, take this one. A consultant running on empty is bad for business.”
Her phone still showed the client’s message beneath the draft quote. Nicole tapped the note about covering the booth costs, then looked back at Wise.
“Before I send it, does that cash-flow plan hold up—or did I miss something else?”