This is less hunting related than ginger ale, but I'm going to post anyway. Perhaps you great folks can give me some advice. From my perspective, I am not the problem here, but I'm also aware of the idea that if something happens more than once, perhaps blame isn't always on the other party. I'm going to only give one example, but other things very similar have happened that I'm involved with multiple times over the last two years.
I am a land surveyor. A potential client and their attorney reached out to me and needed an ALTA survey performed, they provided the title commitment and the timeline they needed it performed in (within a due diligence period of a buy/sell agreement). We verbally discussed the scope/fee, it all sounded good, so I wrote up a contract and sent it out. I stated that I could start near the end of the following week. By early the next week, I had heard nothing back, so I called and left a voice message to follow up. No response.
Two weeks later, I sent an email stating that my schedule was filling fast and I was wondering if I am going to be proceeding with this work or if they had decided to not move forward or had selected another firm. Crickets.
Last night I got a phone call from the attorney to remind me that she'll need my ALTA by no later than close of business today, so that she can review it and send it to the lender before closing next Wednesday. The conversation went very poorly after I informed her that I have not worked on the project, as I was never given notice to proceed and my contract was never executed, therefore no, I have nothing to provide her.
In no way can I view this as my fault, no matter what perspective I try to look at it from and if it was an isolated incident, I'd shrug it off, but again - this has been repeated 3 or 4 times over the last few years. The other times were less consequential, but this time a ~$4.5 million transaction is likely to fall out of escrow because of it. The lender won't lend without the ALTA and the seller isn't inclined to extend, according to the very angry lawyer.
What do I do differently, fellow business owners?
I am a land surveyor. A potential client and their attorney reached out to me and needed an ALTA survey performed, they provided the title commitment and the timeline they needed it performed in (within a due diligence period of a buy/sell agreement). We verbally discussed the scope/fee, it all sounded good, so I wrote up a contract and sent it out. I stated that I could start near the end of the following week. By early the next week, I had heard nothing back, so I called and left a voice message to follow up. No response.
Two weeks later, I sent an email stating that my schedule was filling fast and I was wondering if I am going to be proceeding with this work or if they had decided to not move forward or had selected another firm. Crickets.
Last night I got a phone call from the attorney to remind me that she'll need my ALTA by no later than close of business today, so that she can review it and send it to the lender before closing next Wednesday. The conversation went very poorly after I informed her that I have not worked on the project, as I was never given notice to proceed and my contract was never executed, therefore no, I have nothing to provide her.
In no way can I view this as my fault, no matter what perspective I try to look at it from and if it was an isolated incident, I'd shrug it off, but again - this has been repeated 3 or 4 times over the last few years. The other times were less consequential, but this time a ~$4.5 million transaction is likely to fall out of escrow because of it. The lender won't lend without the ALTA and the seller isn't inclined to extend, according to the very angry lawyer.
What do I do differently, fellow business owners?
TBH, depending on how much work it is, if I don't hear back in a week or two after a couple prodding emails or calls. I'm onto the next thing, and they go to the back of the line. 
