Do You Want To Get Paid? I Do!

We have all had good days and bad in business. The small business person, lives daily on the hopes that he has a good sales or service day. In the case of employees who work independently at home for a living, it can be a different ballgame.

A friend of mine sent me an email, frustrated and upset because she had 3 client invoices outstanding, and her clients had not so much as even "suggested" the money due, was on its way. My friend was in desperate need for the money, she had worked hard for her income, and her own bills were now overdue.

"I have sent two invoices to each client, and have not heard back from them yet," she complained. "I go through this every month with at least one client and it is so frustrating,".

Business is business and one of the most important aspects of considering your business a success, is of course, the revenue generated. But there is also a certain ethic about getting paid, that parlays the success factor as well. Everyone hates to pay bills. Everyone also knows they have a responsibility to do so. In a harsh economy, or when times grow tight, the bottom line is that employers and employees must still get paid. Even if it is a small amount due, say, $125.00, that may be just what the employee needs to pay that electric bill, and the utility companies do not wait for THEIR money anymore. So the electric or water is turned off. Then there is a turn-on fee, and late fee adding insult to injury, and the rest of the budget goes haywire, all because that one check did not come in the mail on time.

I personally have never understand a system that punishes you for NOT having enough money. Another friend of mine, lost her husband in the war. She had to move out of the army housing with her 2 children, and find a p. She had no "extra" funds, but a little bit to get started until her husbands probate was cleared.

When my friend went to get the utilities turned on, she found that each utility company, the water, the gas, the electric and the trash company, all required deposits. Now she and her husband had fallen on hard times, just before he left for another country, and they had been behind in their bills with the collectors demanding payment. They worked out an agreement with the creditors, like responsible people do, however, the companies had a policy that the deposit amount you pay, is based on your credit score.

This poor woman, had to pay $300.00 just to have her gas and electric on, and $150.00 to have the water turned on. The policy did not care WHAT anyone's circumstances were, they just knew your score was not up there where THEY thought it should be, so they made lots of money off of people who were already barely able to live. I had heard the same complaint from a disabled senior, who became sick suddenly, and had to move. Her deposits were sky high and it didn't matter that she was disabled.

Business people have to realize that bills have to be paid. When one bill falls short, a whole chain reaction of events take place that your not aware of. Remember, the small business person or contractor, do not have the option of collection agencies, and rarely, deposits...so let's remember to pay the small guy first. Their lights may depend on it.

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