theur,
You have confirmed my impression of you. I think you are a troll.
This is the second post you've made designed to provoke me, and the second I've ignored.
Which one of us is the troll?

theur,
You have confirmed my impression of you. I think you are a troll.
On the contrary, I think the "entitled" mindset is those business people who think their entitled to reduced competition or special treatment just because they're in business. There's no union for business owners.
It's business. It's competition. It's about giving the customers what they want. I deal with clients every day, and you don't win business by talking down to your customers or beating up on your subs. You win business by giving the customers what they want - at a better price, better service, or with better quality.
Aint we wore this one out yet?
You are *technically* correct, but unfortunately, the world doesn't work on technicalities. It works on human relationships, and nowhere is this more important than the small business world.
I have a small IT consulting business. I have many, many friends who also have their own independent consultancies or small consulting businesses. We all operate by the following set of rules.
(1) If you have a client and we're in the same line of work, I will not approach that client for any work unless you refer me.
(2) If you refer a client to me, I will ask you what you want for the referral. It's simply bad form not to ask. Most of my friends say the same thing I say when asked this question: "I want nothing. I know you'd do the same. Don't ask me this question again."
(3) If I am subbing for you, that is your client and all additional requests for work will be given to you.
None of these are law, of course. But they are the policies of people of character who prize the humanity of their compatriots and competitors. They are the natural relations between people who believe that helping you be successful is something that will help me be successful. There are many ways in which this is realized, just beyond client referrals:
(1) You have a network of people to whom you can turn when you cannot help a client. Clients don't forget that you knew somebody who could help them.
(2) You build a network of people who vouch for you personally and professionally. This is critical when clients ask "Do you know this guy?" and the answer is "You're talking to Chuck? You should get him RIGHT NOW because I've seen him help others in your situation."
(3) You have a built-in Angie's List to rate clients and (even worse) recruiters. Nobody knows clients and dirtbag recruiters better than the consultants who've gotten screwed by them.
(4) Last, and certainly not least, you have fellow experts to whom you can turn when technical solutions elude you. I have *never* refused to advise a competitor when they call for help, and I often seek their counsel when I need an answer in their area of expertise.
So, the guy who takes a fellow guy's client (especially on a sub job) has technically done nothing wrong. But he's a dirtbag, and if the network knows the dirtbag clients and recruiters, it also learns quickly who are the dirtbag consultants. You do NOT want to be on that list. You will never get off of it.
One last thing: this attitude and behavior of which I write is based on two simple realizations. First, there will never be a shortage of paying clients for people of integrity who do quality work. This is true in IT, building trades, medical services, legal services, whatever. Thus, we aren't fighting over a tiny pie; rather, the pie is bigger than we could ever eat, and we help each other find larger slices of it. Second, character is more important than money. Ultimately, it is NOT about a lost sale. It is about helping your fellow man better himself by comporting yourself in a manner befitting a man of good character.
The customer is NOT always right, whoever thinks that is a fool.
... and very inexperienced in sales.
The customer is NOT always right, whoever thinks that is a fool.
Net profit of Home Depot in 2010 - $3 billion+.