ADVICE ON COLLECTING $

Perhaps there are some personal grievances occurring in your client's life, or their cash flow is strapped, or they haven't received your invoice. I'd just verbally enquire, especially since they're a friend of the family and a person that you've been conducting business with for several years.

ciao
3dogmama

Just a frank discussion may be in order. Especially nowadays. Everybody's feeling the pinch a bit.

I usually just tell my clients, "The bottom line is: I can't work for you unless I'm consistently paid in a timely manner."

Then I just shut up and let them ramble-on for awhile before bottom-lining it for them again.

If they make a habit of it, I send them to my competitor.

Terry Thornhill

e-zign Design Group

I guess ill have to be frank with them as suggested and see what happens. I know eventually I'll get paid but like them I have my own expenses and bills to pay.

Seems like we designers always seem to get shafted somehow. Seems as if our industry is not appreciated for what we do. Something is wrong with that.

We need to make a living just like the mechanic down the street who I'm sure is payed promptly. Have they ever gone to grocery store and said I'll pay you later? Probably not... So why is it that we designers have to put up with this?

Sorry for the rant I am just having a bad day I guess.

sadly, the mechanic can hold onto your car until you pay him. it's a little more difficult to do that with design work, since they usually have the final product before they give you the final payment.

one of the things that's important to do (and you may do this, you didn't say) is to make sure that (a) you get deposits up front and (b) if the project's big enough, partial payments at milestones along the way. this makes someone being behind on a final payment less painful. it also means you can temporarily stop work if they're behind on a milestone payment and don't seem to be willing to pay promptly.

I include a line in all my invoices that states any invoice thats 30 days past due (even though I use net 15) is subject to a 2% late fee... It doesn't always work, but its prompted a few clients to pay up.

~ spigotdesign.com

Do you have a contract? If so (good) and point out to your 'client' that you performed your end of the bargain.

Your client probably just forgot, which doesn't help you, but...

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Powerpoint is not a design application

You should contact your client and request that he meet you for a casual dinner or lunch, and then address him about the situation. Make sure he knows that you are aware he always pays on time when you tell your client he still owes you some money. You may never know, maybe there is some issues that he is dealing with and he is running a little low on money you have to take all things into consideration when you have this conversation with your client. I wish you the best of the luck please let us know of the outcome.

I did finally get paid!! Woohoo!!

The day I sent him the email basically saying wheres my money in a very nice cordial way; that same day I got the check in the mail.

I kind of felt bad given that I sent the email saying wheres my money and then next thing you know it' in the mailbox.

Luckily it worked out good for me and thank you all for your suggestions and advice.

I love endings like that. Aren't you happy that you were able to avoid a painful confrontation? Lesson learned, though. Always have a contract, and do get a deposit and work out milestone payments if the job lends itself to that. I think it's even more important to iron those things out with family, friends, or "old shoe" clients than anyone else.

I wish I took my own advice more often ;-)

Mara

You might want to contact a lawyer to make sure you get your money from him

Since I do almost 100% print work, I've had really good success with working with low-rez files until I get paid. I just hold all the hi-rez art hostage until I get payment. (About half my clients have me send the work directly to the print provider, or some other organization, so that makes it especially easy to hold final art as long as necessary.)

For web-based images and such, I would consider watermarking them until the funds are rec'd.

Obviously this won't work for everyone. YMMV