Hurry Up and Wait
You’re not the largest company in the world so every month you mail out those invoices to your clients and then wait and wait and wait.  Meanwhile you have employees to pay, gas and electricity, rent, insurance, and so on.  If only you could speed up the wheels of bigger businesses and get your check ASAP.  Well, here are a few tips on how to get paid – faster!

 Tip 1 - All contracted services such as leases, guaranteed maintenance, blooming programs etc. should be billed monthly.  Understand that most companies have budgets and each month your invoice gets compared to the planned number and stamp, stamp, gets okayed for payment.

 Tip 2 - Don’t place one time charges for plants and planters etc. on the same invoice as monthly services.  This may cause your invoice to get bumped out of the payment process so they can “research”.  Holds everything up.  Bad, bad!

 Tip 3 - Charge for your Monthly Service at the beginning of each month.  Most of us know this tip, but I still find companies charging after the fact.  Big mistake!  Adds another thirty days to the cash flow scenario.

 Tip 4 - Bill quarterly or even, semi-annually in advance for small accounts.  The fifty buck a month restaurant can be sent a bill at the beginning of each quarter for one hundred and fifty bucks.  Saves you and the client time and postage and you get the dollars upfront.

 Tip 5 - Consider accepting credit card payment.  One swipe and the funds are in your account.  Nifty!

 Tip 6 - In one of Xerox’s recent ads a study report states that color added to invoices results in 30% faster payment than with black and white copies.  Now it was their study, reported in their ad but what the heck, why not try it?  With today’s hi-tech capabilities doing this is within most small company’s capabilities and it just might work!

Tip 7- Think about sending out invoices a few days before the first of the month.  Earlier receipt might get you paid quicker.

 There you have it.  Seven  tips to get what’s owed you faster.

 Now go out there and get ‘em Tiger.