July 9, 2014

Trouble Being Paid on Time?

Many designers have trouble getting paid on time.

This problem often shows up when you can’t bill the second half of your Letter of Agreement because the client hasn’t decided on the last selection or you’re waiting for merchandise to arrive.

Other times the client is just late or slow to pay, but you keep working and delivering merchandise to keep the job going and make the agreed upon deadlines – even though you’re not being paid.

These financial woes are all caused by not setting clear business rules and boundaries from the start. This is one of the biggest benefits of using a solid Letter of Agreement to create the structure and basic terms of your job.

Here are three simple steps to resolve these awkward and painful design job challenges.

Before you start your next design job, follow these guidelines:

1. Clearly separate in your Letter of Agreement the Design Process from the Purchasing Services of your job so that design services are paid regardless of the disposition of the merchandise.

Design Process includes all the measures, drawings, research, specifications, shopping trips, pricing, meeting and presentations.

Purchasing Services happen after you have completed all the above and the client has signed a separate proposal for the merchandise as well as provided a deposit check.

2. Set a specific start and end date in your Letter of Agreement to encourage clients to make timely decisions. This way you can bill the balance due even if the client can’t make that last decision.

3. Add a statement in your Letter of Agreement that reserves the right to withhold merchandise deliveries or design deliverables until the client balance due is current.

Not sure how to write that into your Letter of Agreement? Want to know exactly how to write these statements in your LOA?

Then you’re in luck! It’s available today as done for you in pre-written paragraphs so all you have to do is cut and paste them into your Letter of Agreement.
Find them in:

Job Profit Secrets, Home Study Audio Training Series:
How to Use Your Letter of Agreement to Create
Happy Clients and Jobs That You Love.

Letters of Agreement 2.0 Master Class

Get your copy here

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