RE: FLASH: Dilemma

[patrickf]

My friend, I wish I had your cash reserves to dedicate several weeks to a project with no 

compensation in site until "several months" after completion.  I just can't afford to take a 

project with no $ up front.  Also, I've found that nearly all of my clients, contacts, and 

cohorts expect to either pay a portion up front or get paid a portion up front.  I too have 

been on the client end of things, and I usually pay 50% of a vendor's fee for a particular 

project up front... also I get a signed contract with very clear cut penalties for failure to 

deliver on time or on quality... same as in MY contract.  I also research my vendors 

exhaustively and get multiple references before penny #1 goes out the door.

Sorry, but a client doesn't get final delivery (actually, ANY delivery) until 100% of the invoice 

is paid.  If the payment goes beyond 90 days then they get a letter from my lawyer.  If it goes 

beyond 120 the project content reverts back to my ownership (the client has had full 

ownership up to that point) and I write them off as a client.  If they can afford to piss away 

75% of the project costs with absolutely no return, more power to them.  And yes, I have 

had it happen.


Patrick



> ** Original Subject: RE: FLASH: Dilemma

>

** Original Sender: richard proctor <rpproctor [dot] ftech [dot] co [dot] uk>

> ** Original Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2000 10:20:44 -0500 (EST)


> ** Original Message follows... 


>

>

on 1/4/00 2:03 pm, Brian at mattonebhip [dot] infi [dot] net wrote:

> 

> > I have a bit of a dilemma that I would like to get some advice about.

> 

>   snip

> 

> > 

> > What opinion does anyone have here?

> > 

> 

> 

>   I'm a freelance (print) designer in the UK (I'm lurking on this list

> hoping to pic up some web tips)

> 

>   I've been freelance for six or seven years and I've *never* had any

> payment up front for any job i've done. In fact, I think that not getting

> paid until the job is complete gives a sense of purpose.

> 

>   Not that I'm saying that this is a particularly correct way for a client

> to behave - in fact I have one client who i *still* do regular work for who

> always has to be nagged and eventually cursed into paying up - but they

> always do pay - thats no excuse for the client to behave like that - in

> fact, it stinks.

> 

>   It's tough if you're forced into freelancing - which it seems may have

> happened to you - and this may have some impact on your relationships with

> clients. I think it's important to stand your ground with clients and sell

> your services for a professional fee - and of course you give back a

> professional job.

> 

>   I've also been in the client situation when i've had to tell people that

> their work is not good enough - but I was able to say this at an early

> enough stage so that little discomfort was felt on either side. This is down

> to good client handling of freelance services - a situation that only

> happens by chance in my experience - unless you are an 'approved contractor'

> - then the ball game changes.

> 

>   lastly - I once did a job several years ago, the job went fine, was

> approved by the client and printed etc - then came the hassle over the

> invoice - after it hadn't been paid for a couple of moths I started to ring

> to inquire why - thos went on for a while and escalated into a 'difficult

> conversation ' area. I then happened to speak to somebody in the firm who

> was more sympathetic, he said that it was official policy in the firm not to

> pay contractors who they thought were going to be one-off!

> 

>    complete bastards - I would never work for them again - but I did get

> paid!

> 

> 

>    rp

> 

> 

> 

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>** --------- End Original Message ----------- **


> 



"Complacency breeds stagnation"



flasher is generously supported by...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     flashforward2000 and The Flash Film Festival

  "The World�s Premier Flash Solutions Conference and Expo"

 March 27-29, Nob Hill Masonic Center, San Francisco, California


-Register before Feb 25 and save $200!!-- www.flashforward2000.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To unsubscribe or change your list settings go to

http://www.chinwag.com/flasher or email

helpchinwag [dot] com