Ask for interim payments as you go along.

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McPlaster

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When your doing a large job for someone or companys there is no harm in asking for valuations at the end of a week or so's work then invoice, this lets you know a thing or two about your client. I seem to get interim payments fine , no problems, when I'm no longer needed because I've completed I struggle getting settlement , so nibble away at them.
 
Definitely!!! As soon as my jobs go over a few hundred, i ask for money upfront. Nobody has refused yet. Just politely ask for money to cover materials and once you've done a few days, ask for some more money. The job i'm doing just now i didn't need to ask. They asked me.
 
I have never asked for money up front, but get regular payment terms established before I start. I must admit though, if I was approached by a new customer that wanted me to supply a few pallets of board, i'd probably ask for a deposit just in case. I'm doing a £2k job at the moment and the customer gave me half up front without me even mentioning payment.
 
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I never ask for money upfront, (so unprofessional Casper, I thought better of you:rolleyes)) but always establish a payment timetable:RpS_thumbup:
 
I would love to be payed up front but in the real world it dont happen, have had it once or twice as they were not coming back that day but not often, especially from builders its usually 30 day payments :RpS_mad:
 
When i say a few hundred i mean thousands when you add it up i was on a job for a year and it wasnt until about 8 months in i realised every invoice was £80 short and no one owned up to it plus it wasnt a retention either wich is another annoying expense as you dont end up getting them back half the time.
 
Whats the most you been done for casper ive had a few hundred but thats it my mate got done for 90 grand:-0

£600. Many years ago!!! Here's a laugh......About 7 years ago i did a restaurant up for a businessman. He kept adding extras on. Anyway, the final bill was £3500. So he says, step into my office and i'll pay you. He sits back in his leather recliner with his greasy long hair and reaches over to the safe.......oh, i forget the combination (with a wry smile on his face) and i sit there, deadpan! After a few minutes he miraculously remembers the combination and the safe door opens. I stare in, expecting to see bundles of ££££££. But there's just a lonely chequebook to greet me! My heart sinks!!!

He writes it out for the full amount and he thanks me for a great job and off i skip to deposit my "piece of paper" at my neaest bank, where upon the teller informs me that she can't accept it!!!! :-0 It turns out he hasn't written it correctly FFS!

She hands it back and says take it back and get him to write another....it's probably just an oversight!!!!

So i go straight back and get a hold of him....hey mate, you made a mistake on this cheque and the bank won't accept it, will you write me another...please!!!!

He says...take it back and get her to phone me....IS NOBODY ALLOWED TO BE DYSLEXIC IN THIS WORLD!!!! ....me....:rolleyes) i'm being fuking stung here!

I took the cheque from him and went out to my van and got a matching biro and ammended it myself, took it to another branch, where it cleared after 5 days. Thank ****!!!! Never again. No waiting, no extras without cash money upfront and absolutely no cheques!!! That's my terms.
 
some lads arnt in the real world,if you work for most devlelopers and ask for money up front youd get laughed out of the place,if your a one man band doing domestic fair enough but if your an outfit with lads on the books other business over heads etc half the job of running a business is managing cash flow.30 days min from invoice,think small you stay small depends how you want to go.
just think it looks unprofessional asking for money up front,maybe thats just me.
 
Not in this day and age owls. I'm doing work for a developer next week and he knows i'll be on site with materials etc and expecting some payment in advance. That's just how i operate. I'm not dealing with large company's, thankfully.
 
I never ask for money up front either.I do think it looks unprofessional,also you can always make money on materials.
I do however always ask for payment terms to be settled in stages (stage payments) if it over £1000 labour or £500 materials unless it someone ive worked for many times or insuarnce comps rental agents.
But i do understand why the bigger firms amongst you cant do that.
 
i`ve never asked,and never will.as owl`s said,the domestic work is a million miles away from`the real world`.company`s would`nt pay for at least 30 days anyway.if i do a domestic job,i`ll give them around 2 weeks to sort the dollor out.but living in north devon everyone is a little more trustworthy.
 
weird outlook by some on this subject,me personally im a plasterer not a fcuking bank who s gonna bankroll your job to the tune of thousands of pounds why the fcuk shud i.ill tell you what mr fcuking developer i will spend tons on your job up front and then you fcuk me about cos now im in deep you hold all the cards and can do what you want.

lads if thats the life of business you want good luck but your setting yourselfs up for a fall.if a developer or builder wont trust you why shud you trust him.in the good old usa it was common practise to get 20% upon acceptance of contract .
 
Just for clarification, I work mainly on domestics so materials would only be £200 - £300 tops on a weeks work. I can handle that, but as I said earlier I will expect staged payments, the first of which would be at the end of the first week, covering my Labour + Materials for the week. If I'm on a new-build/factory work or whatever the client is likely to be VAT registered or can claim the vat back - and as I'm not it makes sense for them to buy the gear, not me.:RpS_thumbup:
 
I would love to be payed up front but in the real world it dont happen, have had it once or twice as they were not coming back that day but not often, especially from builders its usually 30 day payments :RpS_mad:

Yeah and me, i feel cheeky asking....

My materials are only £50 to £200 usually anyway, anymore and i might consider it..
 
How did we ever let this 30 day thing happen, years ago it was a measure up at the end of the week then got paid the following week, and this was before computers was supposed to make it better and quicker
 
There nothing wrong with taking a deposit if you are genuine and the customer is then its fine. If someone was fitting new windows in my house and they asked for a deposit i wouldnt think twice. Beware the ones who are reluctant.
And i should practice what i preach
 
innit, you get into all the patter about what your gonna do and all that bollox then they ring you to accept after your quote and its like "ok i'll be there in about 3 weeks byeeee"
 
I find by asking forstaged paments you can tel wether there genuwin custmers, which most are anyhow......domestics
 
Why should domestic customers get special terms anyway there not buying materials or waiting on money themselves
 
I have been with a mate when he asked for some money for materials up front..... it was cringe worthy

me I will only do 2 weeks work upfront and then I walk till I am paid :)
 
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