October 12, 2025 · 🛠 Entrepreneurship
Why we turned down a 200k€ deal
Written by Sérgio Ferrás

A couple of months after we started, one of the top car dealerships wanted us to paint their new facilities
Huge project, with thousands of square meters, state of the art facilities.
Our estimate would be, at least, 200k€ just in painting costs
We had meetings with them, spoke to our suppliers about the best paints and discounts and even started talking to subcontractors to negotiate labor supply.
But after 2 weeks, we decided to call the client and say “we will not to the job”.
Their answer?
“No one passes on this opportunity! You are going to regret it”.
The truth is, we would have made good money on that project.
But we would also be stuck. Having to manage that single job for several months.
Not being able to accept any more clients.
Not being able to work on our marketing, our technology or our operations.
Under a lot of pressure from one single client, who would control the company.
We would simply be a slave to the business.
In that moment, we decided to have a single focus – provide the best service for homeowners residential paintings.
Everything else was just noise.
Did we lose an incredible opportunity to make some quick money? Absolutely!
But we won something that money cannot buy, ever – freedom.
Freedom to create the company WE WANT.
Freedom to have a business without being slaves to no one.
Freedom to be the people we truly want to be.
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