I found a total of five design firms that I liked — all small houses, nothing at the caliber of Fry or Organic.  Those with phone numbers available, I called.  No humans answered, so I left messages.  And all five I wrote e-mails to (or filled out their contact forms), explaining my interest in having them do some simple design and UI work for a “small but professional Web-facing application.”  On the technical side, I told them it was “basic HTML/CSS and static graphics work — no RIA (i.e. Flash, Flex, etc.) or heavy AJAX/JavaScripting”.

So, you’re well aware of the macro economic downturn we are experiencing.. right?  Here it is, ripe, juicy, low-hanging fruit for the taking.  And how many of the five hands are grabbing for it?  Zero.  Absolutely not a single e-mail or phone call back.  I was shocked, and really disappointed.   I actually pass by one of these firms a couple days a week, and I see people there, I assume, working.  Maybe someone just dropped the ball inadvertantly, in all five cases, right?

Several days later, I find contact e-mail addresses either by domain name record, or somewhere else on their Web sites (where possible, one only had a Web contact form — no e-mail, no phone number).  At this point, it’s purely for research: How many of these people/companies will respond with anything? Mind you, we received no bounce-backs from dead e-mail addresses.  The second wave of inquiries go out..

Absolutely nothing.  I am, to this day, floored.  I have been tempted to knock on the door of the firm that I called, left a message, and wrote two e-mails to, and speak directly to the first person at the door: Hey, any chance you’d like some business? But, no way.  As much as I would love to help out a local small business, if you can’t even return a phone call or e-mail, just imagine the teeth pulling required to get work done.  A molar for a first draft creative?  A root canal for a delivery on the UI templates?  I think not, especially when I would be the one feeling the pain of the extractions.

The moral (or molar) of the story is this:  He or she who “shows up” wins, because the competition sure isn’t. When an opportunity presents itself,  find out everything about it, and if it fits, own it. But step one is reply to your inquiries, and do it fast.