Billing / Invoicing......

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jibspark

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Hi All! :D

quick question about invoicing for small jobs.

if you do a small job, adding a socket, extending a lighting circuit etc (minor works) do you ask for payment straight away or do you give them a week / 30 days etc...

 
Good question.

I wouldn't give them 30 days though.

 
well i wouldnt feel happy leaving without a cheque / cash but i want to do whatever the norm is.

maybe say if its below a couple of hundred, immediate payment is required but if its above that give them 14 days?

all agreed before hand of course.

 
Depending on who the customer is and if they know how much it will cost before you do the work.

Say you quoted for the job, then they know how much the work will cost and most people will have the cash/cheque to hand on completing. If its not a fixed price. ie on hourly/ daily rate then I tend to write out invoice there and then explaining the charges and on the bottom of the invoice it has a nice little box for " please adhere to our payment terms of X days from invoice. I tend to tell them I'll put 14days in for you, give you time to send a cheque.....

Hope this helps

Macca

Guiness Drink god I love this stuff LOL

 
I tend to post my invoice out to customer, along with cert.

They almost always come back with payment within seven days, `cos they like to have a spark who actually arrives when he says he will. :eek:

 
well i wouldn't feel happy leaving without a cheque / cash but i want to do whatever the norm is.maybe say if its below a couple of hundred, immediate payment is required but if its above that give them 14 days?

all agreed before hand of course.
HI Jibspark..

I assume we are talking domestic here? as some commercial have there own accounting terms and pay...

as an flippin when they feel like!!!! X(

However Domestic..

IHMO..

This is an area you need to decide how YOU want to run your business and have a standard payment terms & condition so any customer will know what to expect...

e.g. same customer could ask you to do several jobs during year...

best not to change payment terms for each job.. just because of its size...

it will confuse the customer.

IF the customer prefers to pay you on the same day (which in reality most do!) consider it a gain over your usually terms.

Personally for all domestic work I have a condition...

"Full payment due within 10days of invoice following completion of work".
this gives them time to go to the bank/building society over the weekend if they do not have the funds immediately available! ;)

The golden rule with a small business is "CASH FLOW"

If you give them too long you could end up with several customers waiting to pay you

 
I can't imagine a plasterer giving someone time to pay, they would'nt know how to make an invoice out methinks. Commercialy I get 30 and 60 days but they are trusted customers and those are their terms, its new customers and , dare I say it, builders you need to be careful of.

Deke

 
I can't imagine a plasterer giving someone time to pay, they would'nt know how to make an invoice out methinks. Commercialy I get 30 and 60 days but they are trusted customers and those are their terms, its new customers and , dare I say it, builders you need to be careful of.Deke
Concur with that "Sandra";) ; \ :x

Some may say that plasterers haven't heard of TAX either......

but I couldn't possibly comment! :eek: :^O:^O:^O:^O

{one of my friends dad was a plasterer! :( }

Certainly agree with builders......

I don't do work for builders.....

always make contact & deal with customer direct? tis far better. ;)

 
Are you aware of the new law that came in at the beginning of the month about 'cold selling'. Its really aimed at the dodgy roofing , double glazing pushy salesman type thing but has brought even us into it. If your job, which is a contract is more than

 
[quote name='SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH;23887 If your job' date=' which is a contract is more than

 
Domestic jobs payment on completion,,,,,extra sockets fitting lights etc

Where a rewire,new build concerned staged payments on a contract.

cold calling......doesnt concern me.

electrics to an outbuilding for instance...

visit customer to discuss requirements,,,take notes

forward quote if accepted,,,send contract signed returned

job done

whats the problem

 
Sorry Theory,

But the doorstep selling regulations should concern you if you do domestic work!!

If I get it right then if you either door knock or are invited into a dwelling to quote for work (over the value of

 
Noz

Thanks for the link

all my big jobs and yours will have a quote/estimate sent in the post,,,,if they decide within those seven days to go ahead with the work after signing a contract at their leisure then im in the clear

you get a call about putting up a new light fitting you say to the customer

 
I think that this leglistation is more aimed at the dodgy window / fascia boards / driveway / roofing companies that actually do door knock..

I for one cannot think of many jobs that I'll do for less than the

 
One of my first investments was a laptop with porinter. For all domestic jobs I make a site visit, inspect the site in relation to the proposed work, and then print a quotation (if I think it is straightforward - giving a max price for the customer) or an estimate (if the job involves chasing, lifting boards, adding to only partially revealed circuits). If customer agrees to work, set a date (usually a week or more later) and then do job. On day of completion, print certificate and invoice - 95% pay up immediately. OK - laptop and printer costs

 
I see where you guys are coming from and a contract can protect both parties ( as a builder mate found recently) but these days I would welcome more paperwork like a phart in a spacesuit !!

Deke

 
One of my first investments was a laptop with porinter. For all domestic jobs I make a site visit, inspect the site in relation to the proposed work, and then print a quotation (if I think it is straightforward - giving a max price for the customer) or an estimate (if the job involves chasing, lifting boards, adding to only partially revealed circuits). If customer agrees to work, set a date (usually a week or more later) and then do job. On day of completion, print certificate and invoice - 95% pay up immediately. OK - laptop and printer costs
 
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