>> It's not unrealistic to ask these questions in advance and is also rather typical of business investments including training. <<

When I was an independent there were a few times when companies passed on my bids for the express reason that I was a one man shop. They didn't want to have to worry about me getting hit by the proverbial bus, winning the lottery, changing careers, etc. Which is a cautious viewpoint, but as we know many companies are cautious by nature. They think more about what might go wrong than what might go right.

Mike