Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
What to Do When a Client Doesn’t Pay in a Timely Manner
by Thursday Bram
Some clients are happy to pay you for your work as soon as they get the finished product. Others make a tortoise look speedy when it comes time to cut you a check. The slow-pokes tend to fall into two different categories: clients who are going to do everything they can to avoid paying you and those that just haven’t managed to pay you yet. There are plenty of remedies for that first group, from lawsuits to collection agencies. But what about the folks that are just behind because of cashflow or paperwork?
There are a few ways that you can speed up the payment process, making certain clients easier to work with.
Payment Plans
..........................................................................................................................................................
A lot of companies have tight finances right now. They’d love to pay off your invoice, but they just wound up over-extended. If you can offer a payment plan, you can make sure that you still get paid. You may not get paid in full immediately, but a payment plan is better than having to keep calling and asking about when your client will be able to pay you.
Early Payment Discounts
..........................................................................................................................................................
Some clients just delay to the last moment the invoice is due because it gives them the benefit of having money stay in their accounts just a little longer. If you can offer a benefit for paying an invoice immediately, those clients will remit payment much faster. You may have to raise your prices a little to be able to comfortably offer a discount to any client who pays within a certain number of days of receiving an invoice, but it’s worth it.
Late Payment Penalties
..........................................................................................................................................................
There are some clients who just won’t send you a check because there’s no reason for them to get moving. For them, there’s no difference between sending out your money today and next month. A penalty creates a difference: if your client doesn’t pay by the due date, it’s reasonable to request an additional fee for the extra work that goes along with late invoices.
Communication
..........................................................................................................................................................
Occasionally, a project will end and a client will unintentionally forget all about you. But if you’ve been in constant communication and suddenly you’re not, an invoice can get lost in the shuffle. Something as simple as following up on a project can guarantee that you stick in a client’s memory.
Reminders
..........................................................................................................................................................
Don’t be afraid to send out reminders of invoices to clients. You probably won’t get the best response if you send out a reminder the day after you send your invoice, but as you’re nearing the due date, a reminder can be a good idea. Reminders sent before the due date should probably be worded differently than those sent afterward, however.
Escalation
..........................................................................................................................................................
In general, it’s best to keep the billing process polite. But if you have a client who consistently makes payments after they’re due, it’s worth taking the matter to the next step. What that next step is depends: Maybe it’s having a serious discussion with your client. Maybe it’s a matter of not starting the next project until you receive payment for the last. Maybe it’s time to fire the client in question. You have the right to be paid on time, but sometimes you need to drive that fact home with a client.
Some clients are happy to pay you for your work as soon as they get the finished product. Others make a tortoise look speedy when it comes time to cut you a check. The slow-pokes tend to fall into two different categories: clients who are going to do everything they can to avoid paying you and those that just haven’t managed to pay you yet. There are plenty of remedies for that first group, from lawsuits to collection agencies. But what about the folks that are just behind because of cashflow or paperwork?
There are a few ways that you can speed up the payment process, making certain clients easier to work with.
Payment Plans
..........................................................................................................................................................
A lot of companies have tight finances right now. They’d love to pay off your invoice, but they just wound up over-extended. If you can offer a payment plan, you can make sure that you still get paid. You may not get paid in full immediately, but a payment plan is better than having to keep calling and asking about when your client will be able to pay you.
Early Payment Discounts
..........................................................................................................................................................
Some clients just delay to the last moment the invoice is due because it gives them the benefit of having money stay in their accounts just a little longer. If you can offer a benefit for paying an invoice immediately, those clients will remit payment much faster. You may have to raise your prices a little to be able to comfortably offer a discount to any client who pays within a certain number of days of receiving an invoice, but it’s worth it.
Late Payment Penalties
..........................................................................................................................................................
There are some clients who just won’t send you a check because there’s no reason for them to get moving. For them, there’s no difference between sending out your money today and next month. A penalty creates a difference: if your client doesn’t pay by the due date, it’s reasonable to request an additional fee for the extra work that goes along with late invoices.
Communication
..........................................................................................................................................................
Occasionally, a project will end and a client will unintentionally forget all about you. But if you’ve been in constant communication and suddenly you’re not, an invoice can get lost in the shuffle. Something as simple as following up on a project can guarantee that you stick in a client’s memory.
Reminders
..........................................................................................................................................................
Don’t be afraid to send out reminders of invoices to clients. You probably won’t get the best response if you send out a reminder the day after you send your invoice, but as you’re nearing the due date, a reminder can be a good idea. Reminders sent before the due date should probably be worded differently than those sent afterward, however.
Escalation
..........................................................................................................................................................
In general, it’s best to keep the billing process polite. But if you have a client who consistently makes payments after they’re due, it’s worth taking the matter to the next step. What that next step is depends: Maybe it’s having a serious discussion with your client. Maybe it’s a matter of not starting the next project until you receive payment for the last. Maybe it’s time to fire the client in question. You have the right to be paid on time, but sometimes you need to drive that fact home with a client.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Oh The Resume | By Lisa Correu
Lisa Correu is the Principal/Job Search Advocate at AfterSchool Career Workshops.
Oh the resume! That 100K bit of information that can lead to an interview or lead to nowhere. It’s a confounding document, there are disasters lurking in the margins, disinterest in the bullet points and some more time in your parent’s basement in the objective statement. You’re not sure if an employer will care if you were an Eagle Scout, delivered pizzas or are a champion Scrabble player. It can be terrifying to hit “Send” and know it’s now out of your hands.
But you are so capable of delivering a confident document; you just don’t know it yet. An entry-level resume can be viewed as the easiest record of your qualifications that you’ll ever compose. A smart employer (and you DO want to work for a smart employer) knows that you are unformed and untested. They look forward to hiring entry-level talent as a way to get the best and brightest combined with the high energy that a new graduate can bring. Therefore your first obligation to your resume is to emphasize what you’ve learned so far, how it prepares you to move into the working world and what you’re looking forward to as you do. A potential employer will appreciate a concise assessment of all of this; don’t make them work to find out who you are, they don’t like to do that. Ever.
Whatever you list, whether it’s the curriculum you studied, internships, summer or full-time jobs or volunteer efforts don’t just put them as bullets points of history. What did you learn? Don’t just say, “answered phones, took orders, joined the PR club” How did each of these experiences move you forward? Did they inspire you in any way?
Try this:
You worked at Target for a summer, you want to put down:
• Worked cash register
• Stocked shelves
• Worked at returns desk
BLECH…
What you might say:
I learned the importance of customer service by going above and beyond my job duties to make sure they were satisfied. I gained patience and empathy while working at the returns desk and became proficient at company policy.
You can make your resume much more attractive just by staying away from merely stating your duties or memberships. You’re probably not aware of how you benefited from your experiences but if you think hard about each item you’re listing you’ll find a way to make it a positive outcome.
Here again:
• Member of Public Relations Society of America.
YAWN…
What you might say:
• As a two year member of my PRSA chapter I headed our charity fundraiser, recruited volunteers and we exceeded our goals. It was a positive experience and made me aware of my leadership qualities.
Or if you just went to meetings, paid attention and took something away from your membership you can still say:
• Member of PRSA-attended meetings consistently and gained insight into industry organizations and their goal of continued professional development.
See? You can expand your education and experiences to make yourself much more appealing and interesting simply because through these experiences you HAVE become much more appealing and interesting. Don’t sell yourself short!
Oh the resume! That 100K bit of information that can lead to an interview or lead to nowhere. It’s a confounding document, there are disasters lurking in the margins, disinterest in the bullet points and some more time in your parent’s basement in the objective statement. You’re not sure if an employer will care if you were an Eagle Scout, delivered pizzas or are a champion Scrabble player. It can be terrifying to hit “Send” and know it’s now out of your hands.
But you are so capable of delivering a confident document; you just don’t know it yet. An entry-level resume can be viewed as the easiest record of your qualifications that you’ll ever compose. A smart employer (and you DO want to work for a smart employer) knows that you are unformed and untested. They look forward to hiring entry-level talent as a way to get the best and brightest combined with the high energy that a new graduate can bring. Therefore your first obligation to your resume is to emphasize what you’ve learned so far, how it prepares you to move into the working world and what you’re looking forward to as you do. A potential employer will appreciate a concise assessment of all of this; don’t make them work to find out who you are, they don’t like to do that. Ever.
Whatever you list, whether it’s the curriculum you studied, internships, summer or full-time jobs or volunteer efforts don’t just put them as bullets points of history. What did you learn? Don’t just say, “answered phones, took orders, joined the PR club” How did each of these experiences move you forward? Did they inspire you in any way?
Try this:
You worked at Target for a summer, you want to put down:
• Worked cash register
• Stocked shelves
• Worked at returns desk
BLECH…
What you might say:
I learned the importance of customer service by going above and beyond my job duties to make sure they were satisfied. I gained patience and empathy while working at the returns desk and became proficient at company policy.
You can make your resume much more attractive just by staying away from merely stating your duties or memberships. You’re probably not aware of how you benefited from your experiences but if you think hard about each item you’re listing you’ll find a way to make it a positive outcome.
Here again:
• Member of Public Relations Society of America.
YAWN…
What you might say:
• As a two year member of my PRSA chapter I headed our charity fundraiser, recruited volunteers and we exceeded our goals. It was a positive experience and made me aware of my leadership qualities.
Or if you just went to meetings, paid attention and took something away from your membership you can still say:
• Member of PRSA-attended meetings consistently and gained insight into industry organizations and their goal of continued professional development.
See? You can expand your education and experiences to make yourself much more appealing and interesting simply because through these experiences you HAVE become much more appealing and interesting. Don’t sell yourself short!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
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