Then don't work for the vendor management companies if you think that is the problem.  Me personally, I get orders from VMC at the price I quote at not at 35.00 a search and there are those that price that way in my counties.  I may not get as many as someone else but I don't care - I just work for more companies.  I may get orders that no one else can find but I don't care - more of a educational challenge for me - keeps me motivated.  Literally everyone from employees that leave one VMC and go to another to surveyors/engineers that leave one firm and go to another call me up to sign up with the new company.  So my quality work matters.  One surveyor firm had 2 employees leave - that one firm now gave me 2 more firms utilizing my services in one year.  It wasn't easy at first to say no when I worked for just a few VMC who kept me swamped from 5 am to midnight or after - very, very dedicated to my clients - to lose them to just a few orders and fervishly market while making nothing temporarily but I chose to look at the long run vs. the short run.  Too many of you look for immediate satisfaction which is causing you to lose your business.  Divert in everyway you can - it gains independence and loses dependence on another.  I must also say that although Robb has given us his comments above, he does say I'll use you people for 35.00 and ching-chang is in his head.  Those of you who decided to charge out this price - he'll make money off of you - probably decided to go nationwide because he found out how cheap ya all are.  I know I am outspoken sometimes but I'm trying to help and it actually helps me too - helps me stay strong when I want that new client and they are trying to get special pricing.  If yourchild kept asking you "momma please, daddy please" what would happen if you didn't keep your stand?  Next time it is something else, one more push towards the rules.  In that same stance make your ground rules for your business - the do's, the don'ts and the I wont's.  Give yourself goals to reach each month - get some kind of board and post the words "I can, I will" and read them everyday.  Stop letting everyone make you feel like you are the bottom of the ladder and they have all the authority and control over you and your business.  And a comment about this volume discount - I have had a problem with this lately too - if we are giving volume discounts - shouldn't we charge like extra for that 1 order that sends us into a negative some days.  What volume really does for us is make up for the days that are light, the times we have that one county that for some reason no other order came in and we have to turn it around.  It is one sided right now and that is not right.  It should be that or a county minimum like David and I have for my outer counties.  There has been a great deal of good comments about the downward trend we are causing for ourselves - one goes way too low, then the next goes a little more and the next a little more - sure there will be some kind of variance - we can't get away from that - but to go way below a minimum is ridiculous - met a man that has been in this business - $50-70 range was what was paid in the 70s - now how many people do you know that make less than they made 30 years ago - except those in this business for a very long time - something to think about.  Okay - I'm done lol, I think