The first company that I worked as a consultant always wanted to go the cheapest way. I made the mistake of doing things to save money but in the long run I should have purchased the correct equipment and charged the same rate that everyone else was charging. I will not cut corners on price of equipment or my services cost now. I bid jobs as fair as possible for me and the company that need the services. As an consultant you should always stay an arms length away so friendship does not enter in the price. I too agreed to purchase and install a TV for a client, it was not a success until I hired someone who only worked on TV installs. I am only a computer consultant now.