The Mock Turtle

I honestly think it would put people off hiring me in the first place. Not because they're trying to screw me over (generally) but they like getting a fixed price and invoiced at clear points. So if I quote £500 fixed price and one month I do 3 revisions for them which I charge out at say £200, then the next month they only ask for one revision and then agree that phase is complete and I then ask for £300, I just think it might cause more arguments than solve them? I never know how much work will be involved so it might be hard to bill that in a way that looks fair.

It sounds complicated, Smal. I can see why you want to give people time to work through their own processes and how those processes might take an age.

Would it be an admin nightmare to ask for an acknowledgement of receipt of the quote, followed up a month later by a request for a nominal engagement fee to 'keep a time slot available'?

Formal invoicing intervals of 3 months with extension at your discretion seems reasonable from a punter's perspective.

Squirrel wrote: ↑Sun Oct 21, 2018 9:56 pm In that case then I think yes, you bill them after a month or whatever length of time you think is reasonable.

We didn’t pay my SIL for the plans she did for us and we did go back and forth for literally years with a huge gap in the middle .

I think invoicing sooner rather than later is a good thing.

It happens so often and it's usually quite understandable why. Most people keep in vague touch/ask to be billed to date/ understand when I do bill them though.

I agree about invoicing sooner rather than later. That's my bad on this particular case. If I'd invoiced within 3 months the situation probably Would've been entirely salvageable.

Ah okay I see. It’s so infuriating, it’s not like you’re doing these favours for your own enjoyment.

Edith Bacon wrote: ↑Sun Oct 21, 2018 10:00 pm It sounds complicated, Smal. I can see why you want to give people time to work through their own processes and how those processes might take an age.

Would it be an admin nightmare to ask for an acknowledgement of receipt of the quote, followed up a month later by a request for a nominal engagement fee to 'keep a time slot available'?

Formal invoicing intervals of 3 months with extension at your discretion seems reasonable from a punter's perspective.

I'm not worried about the quotes themselves or paying of deposit. I guess I could say 'payments due at X, Y and Z stages, or within 2 months of most recently produced revisions' or something. I suppose I only need it as a safety net for myself, I can use my discretion in actually applying the terms. As long as it's not off putting to people in the first place.

Squirrel wrote: ↑Sun Oct 21, 2018 10:04 pm Ah okay I see. It’s so infuriating, it’s not like you’re doing these favours for your own enjoyment.

I know. I do need to learn the lesson I've been trying to learn for, like, 8 years or something. I'm not there to be friends with them. They expect it to be a professional relationship with clear boundaries.

smalex wrote: ↑Sun Oct 21, 2018 10:08 pmI guess I could say 'payments due at X, Y and Z stages, or within 2 months of most recently produced revisions' or something. I suppose I only need it as a safety net for myself, I can use my discretion in actually applying the terms. As long as it's not off putting to people in the first place.

If this works for you, then from my POV as a customer of a similar person , I think it sounds ideal.

Thank you. This has been useful (I know it must be quite tedious to read).

Can I ask, do you refer to it as a quote? Because I do wonder if some people would equate that with getting a mover in to quote which is free and not realise that you are providing a consultation service if that was the case.

If I was retaining someone I think I’d expect to pay £100 retainer for first meeting if I liked them, £300 on receipt of plans, with revision included within a two month time span and £100 on every major revision after 2 months and £100 on submission of plans which means if someone does take ages or drops out you have been paid for what you have done.

I apologise if that sounds thick and not what you were looking for.

I absolutely hate chasing for payment too. My invoices state that payment is to be made within 14 days of delivery, and clients often want photographs taken today and delivered by 5pm (which is fun when the site can be an hour away and I can't get access until 2.00pm). I'm always very prompt with images so why can't companies be equally as prompt with payment?

It's awkward isn't it! I give people the benefit of the doubt because I'm not perfect but some people need chasing every time which is just shit.

I always feel like I'm begging for money. It might just be £200 to them, but to me that's the food shop, petrol and haircuts for the kids.

ETA: That said, the main company I work for pays me within half an hour of giving them my monthly invoices, which is ace

I have this debate with myself, someone owed me something like £300 for ages, I chased by email no response. So I sent a letter. Then suddenly they rang full of apology and then....failed to pay. I just gave up in the end and I *know* I shouldve tried harder but it takes time and energy. But it was my bloody £300.

It might take time and energy, but you worked hard for that money. I wouldn't have let it go, personally. I know confrontation over money is really difficult, but if you hadn't have done the work, I suspect your client would have been chasing you after all the time they invested in the meetings etc.

Would it be too difficult to send a letter by recorded delivery saying that your next step is to take it to the small claims court if they don't contact you within 14 days to arrange payment or a payment schedule?

We use a really good online company who send out a nice, official and scary looking 'letter before action', for £3.

They will do all the small claims stuff really cheaply, or even at no cost as it's recoverable, if you have to take it further, although we never have yet - the letter before action has done the trick. I think its an easy low cost solution for small businesses and smaller amounts. It's your money, so as long as it's a low hassle way of collecting it, there's no harm in chasing it.

https://www.thomashiggins.com

God, I always chase money, even if it's £50. It's the principle of it - I would never dream of not paying my bills.

I've heard good things about Thomas Higgins too, Hobbes, but thankfully so far have never had to use them.

Send them this (but yours would be neater).

I don't usually let things go, but usually after two reminders even the worst payers cough up, so it rarely gets to this stage. It was a couple of years ago so it really is too late to chase now. I know it's stupid but I always feel like I'm spinning about 15 plates as it is, I know I avoid conflict if I possibly can, so it always just falls to the bottom of the to do list. It's something I'm resolved to do better about, following the incident that made me post this in the first place, chase things more quickly and consistently.

God. I know that all sounds. Sometimes I think I'm not cut out for this

I used to be the Queen of procrastination, again about conflict. mine would be about calling angry people. But the sooner you get it sorted, the sooner it's off your mind, or the sooner the plate is off it's stick. Or something