[Window Washers]

Don't worry Gazza, the main thing is that they do come in. You need to try & build a "kitty",  keep around one to two weeks wages in the bank & view this as balance zero. This will help ease any worries of direct debits etc.
My cheques take from 1 day to 1 month BUT i always get them.
& like yourself, my work is scattered over a 40 mile radius, I ain't collecting!

Tony

Have to agree with Macmac (that maybe a first) I am always owed money, it all comes in, the the ones that dont pay with our terms are charge for that priveledge, collecting is a waste of my time as it is unpaid!

so is canvasing and leafleting but people do that   

No Stanley, that's "investment" of time.

Tony

Second time in one night, I totally agree with you.

Both give reward for input, collecting give a little if any most times, thrust me I did it for years, I got wise to this and now spend my time posting on here lol

[macmac]

Don't worry Gazza, the main thing is that they do come in. You need to try & build a "kitty",  keep around one to two weeks wages in the bank & view this as balance zero. This will help ease any worries of direct debits etc.
My cheques take from 1 day to 1 month BUT i always get them.
& like yourself, my work is scattered over a 40 mile radius, I ain't collecting!

Tony

Have to agree with Macmac (that maybe a first) I am always owed money, it all comes in, the the ones that dont pay with our terms are charge for that priveledge, collecting is a waste of my time as it is unpaid!

so is canvasing and leafleting but people do that   

No Stanley, that's "investment" of time.

Tony

Second time in one night, I totally agree with you.

Both give reward for input, collecting give a little if any most times, thrust me I did it for years, I got wise to this and now spend my time posting on here lol

Hey, lets just get this straight. Agree twice in one night maybe BUT, I would never thrust you, I'm a happily married man, well, married anyway.

Tony

[Tosh]

Cheques are great when they arrive, but after having two weeks off over Christmas and New Year, then a week 'frozen' off from 5th Jan, followed by another week off at the begining of February with freezing weather, things have been tight for us.

At present I'm owed not far off £1K for a small handfull of comercial jobs and this figure will increase next week by another £200 (ish) for more commercial work (some of whom are in the original total of £1K) that we're outstanding.

I know many of you guys are probably outstanding amounts that makes mine look piddling, but it's a lot of money to me.

Okay, I know Christmas and time off for freezing weather doesn't happen often, but only by collecting from my close-to-home domestic jobs enabled me to pay the bills and feed us in Jan/Mar; and then only just.

I prefer to collect at least twice a month, on a Saturday morning, from my estate areas; since it keeps us ticking over and stops me worrying about getting the bills paid; so mix of cheques and collecting works for us.

[birdymiller]

Collecting is just part of the job, not a waste of time, i can think of better things to do but sometimes it has to be done. Pricing up jobs we dont get paid for but its part of the job that if we didnt do we wouldnt get any new work. I get a regular stream of cheques coming through the post and cash coming through my door but i still like to get out once a fortnight for an hour. I pick out all the big ones and can collect between £100 - £200 cash. Whilst on th subject of cheques im moving house soon and have enquired about having a PO box address for £60 per year and collecting from my local post office. Not bothered about custies knowing where my new massive house is. Anybody else got one, a po box that is.

[geefree]

.Not bothered about custies knowing where my new massive house is.

 

[Window Washers]

Don't worry Gazza, the main thing is that they do come in. You need to try & build a "kitty",  keep around one to two weeks wages in the bank & view this as balance zero. This will help ease any worries of direct debits etc.
My cheques take from 1 day to 1 month BUT i always get them.
& like yourself, my work is scattered over a 40 mile radius, I ain't collecting!

Tony

Have to agree with Macmac (that maybe a first) I am always owed money, it all comes in, the the ones that dont pay with our terms are charge for that priveledge, collecting is a waste of my time as it is unpaid!

so is canvasing and leafleting but people do that   

No Stanley, that's "investment" of time.

Tony

Second time in one night, I totally agree with you.

Both give reward for input, collecting give a little if any most times, trust me I did it for years, I got wise to this and now spend my time posting on here lol

Hey, lets just get this straight. Agree twice in one night maybe BUT, I would never thrust you, I'm a happily married man, well, married anyway.

Tony

  opps lol

[johns window kleen]

Got a P.O box, just renewed for £60.00, i'm still not sure if its a good investment but the missus doesnt want our home address given out to customers.
I use it for regular business mail as well as payments.

[Tosh]

but the missus doesnt want our home address given out to customers.

You must have some seriously rough customers. 

The worst my customers do through knowing my address; (it's printed on all my stationery); is push the payment through my letter box, or call on me to give me a Christmas tip/bottle (the nice ones do this; not many of them mind).

What is she frightened of?

[birdymiller]

ive got custies that think its a good idea to drop their window money off whilst they walk their dog at half six in the morning. My missus finds this a great way to start the day.

[gary999]

i collect twice a week wed and friday normally drop the wife off shopping
takes me about an hour go back pick her up shes happy and i dont go
home with empty pockets.

definately not a waste of my time

[Dave Turley]

I have a few slow payers, i've binned all the rest.

I keep them on because the houses are so well priced I am willing to put up with it..... for now.

I think you have to judge each job on it's merits, and decide if it makes good business sense to keep them on.

stopping collecting about 2 years ago was the right decision for me

[sparklebright]

I've only collected once in 6 years, people send cheques at different speeds.
Some do it when they get in that evening. But the slow ones take take 2 months.
I always count myself as being a month behind, so when I do get paid quicker than that I'm happy

[leapstallbuildings]

Got a P.O box, just renewed for £60.00, i'm still not sure if its a good investment but the missus doesnt want our home address given out to customers.
I use it for regular business mail as well as payments.

I used to have a PO Box when I lived elsewhere.  It wasn't the customers that bothered me.  It was some of the other people who lived in the house.
Don't live there these days.

[Clive McDonald]

My wife was a bit funny about this but we've had no problems with either phone or house address. I agree leapstallbuildings has a good reason.

I drive a sign written scudo that i'm quite proud of, but i think custy's would be more upset with a flashier car because they don't comment about my house ;It is quite big, on an estate, but still quite flash. it has six large columns supporting a canopy above the front door etc and overlooks a country park.

I honestly think that people don't take too much notice these days of what you've got. Many of my neighbours have two and sometimes three mercs or beamers on the drive (we've got a ducato, scudo and an aveo), and some of these cost 50k up, but ive never heard anyone say so and so must be doing okay etc.

We do get car key burglary's (i think i'm safe).

[johns window kleen]

You must have some seriously rough customers.

What is she frightened of?



No my customers are all ok, shes had grief in previous life, so wants to stay private, and I respect that.

[Taylor & Taylor WC Services]

In my personal experience, I never collect as my customers seem to pay quick enough anyway. If the job is in the immediate area I just invoice them with a Self addressed envelope and further afield I put a stamped self addressed envelope with my invoice. I only have a few customers that seem reluctant to depart with their money. I get between 2 and 4 cheques a day in the post.

A book of 100 2nd class stamps costs £27 and speeds them up, so maybe a worthwhile investment if you have to go chasing your money all the time? I still have 30 stamps left and I got them in December as obviously I only give out when I have to. If the jobs under £10 I don't give the stamped envelopes either.

My rounds small at about £2200 over 3 weeks (still building for 4) and I'm only owed about £250 at any one time.