What Would You Charge For This

Betterblast

Iv'e done everyone of my jobs without a contract. Contracts make people nervous. It's comon sence really that pre existing damage may show up with blasting, it's not like we cause it. And they benifit from knowing where it is and fixing it before it gets worse. For a few hundred dollar job, I figure if they don't pay you it's not going to be worth sueing over anyway. If you own a service business long enough somone will burn you for cash no matter what you do. Even with a larger job all you do is get payed in stages. What ever you are comfortable with in relation to the cost of the whole job. You do a thousand worth of work and get a thousand from them. When they don't pay you don't work no big loss. I would never trust getting payed like $5,000 or more to a contract. You can be years and tens of thousands in court. If they don't have the money as you work why would they suddenly have had it the day you finnish it all ?

__________________
When it has to be clean, Betterblast it!
glenmarcinc@yahoo.com
P-610-323-8084
http://betterblast.com/

kell490

I don't write big contracts but at least something that says I did the work that I can take to small claims court.

Betterblast

Yeah I understand, but Iv'e been to court and it sucks. They can appeal many times if you win and if they loose they don't have to pay you. All you get from a court is a judgment in your favor. Then if they don't pay you have to hire a constable to act on your judgment. It's a long expensive road often to nothing but further expenses. Just get money. How about instead of them signing a paper at the end of the job they just friggin pay you. What do you want with their signiture? If they plan to screw you they won't sign it after anyway.

If you are not certain about a job the best thing is cash up front after you have set up your equipment. It's not like we can just quick pack up and run off. And if they prefer they can give you a check. By the time you were to start packing up as if you were going to leave and just screw them they could both call the police and call the bank. So they have no reason for concern which you can explain to them. Where as once we do the work and get nothing we can't do anything about it. By the way a bounced check or a canceled check is a criminal offence. The nice thing about that is the court will take care of this for free. You do not need small claims and the court will enforce the payment. I have done this twice in my career. I also understand that if you take even a $1.00 payment on such a check it reverts to a civil matter and you have to go through small claims. Never take a partial payment on a bad check.

If they say they are not comfortabl giving you cash and they don't have a checking account then they can get money orders. At least for half of what you know the whole job will be and then cash at the end. for the ballance. Never feel shy to ask for money up front and don't take any excuses.

Also look very carfully at any check you get. It should be from your state. It has to have the current date. This sounds obvious but I got one just after the year changed and it was for the previous year. They just wrote me a new one but if they didn't I would be out of luck. Also the bank will only go by the written amount. Carfull you don't see only the numbers are correct and then find that they wrote a scribble that says three dollars instead of three hundred.
Just some things I have learned the hard way, hope it helps somone.

__________________
When it has to be clean, Betterblast it!
glenmarcinc@yahoo.com
P-610-323-8084
http://betterblast.com/

kell490

They sign before I start not after. When ever I have had anyone do work for me like putting in carpet or some sort of auto work done they always have you sign before they start. That way everyone knows what you are doing and they also understand things like if you use soda they need to wash the car off before they use acid etching primer. I also take pictures with my blackberry before one for my website and two to show what the POS looked like before I blasted it. If I see anything that could be blamed on me I take a close up of it I point it out to the owner. Like warping that is already there. Court sucks but unless they have nothing to loose then you should be able to collect. It's not that tough if you get a judgement. You figure out what bank they are using and have the court order the bank to turn over the money. It's not has tough as you think. Most people don't want to bother I went to court over a fender bender in a parking lot for $500. I got a Judgment then I had the court garnish the guys wages. I dropped the court order off at his company and they pulled the money out of his next pay check. They guy didn't even know it was going to happen until he got his check. Now with companies they have deeper pockets so you have to think more before you start they can push you around more. If I loose a job because they don't like my contract screw them it was probably a loosing deal anyway. It was also on an Indian Tribe land they leased. I could just see it out there blasting away with copper slag and they show up all pissed off because of the dust its making. I'm trying to get a job for $1500 with this guys mustang it's everything he has. I told him he can bring out any part of that car I will spend the day blasting. Like most of these guys they get all fired up then he says Ill call you in 3 weeks when I get it apart. After he talks to a few friends and thinks about it he probably be out there with the DA and wire wheel.

Dyer

Kell I do one for boats and soon will have one for the town’s equipment and more.
I have it posed on my web site under the marine part.
When they call me and it gets to the part of wanting to know what is in store for the work. I steer them to that. It explains what I do, how I do it and what to expect.

If they want it done they sign and return it to me. (Hard copy in the mail) before work is to start. The last thing I need is to have some guy saying I did something to a 60’ yacht that cost 300,000! Or even a small 20 footer.

Some cars and small stuff I don't do a contract, only if they're a bit shady

__________________
It's one persons stuppid question; that many want to know the answer to.
Web Site: www.DyerSodaBlast.com
Email: Jim@DyerSodaBlast.com

KentWhitten

Wait, am I hearing you right? You're going to charge the guy for 3 days, then tell him something you already know? That it is pointless?

__________________
If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place ~Lao Tzu

Custom Cabinetry - Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Kennebunkport, Yarmouth, Falmouth, Cumberland, Ogunquit, Maine

Salmon Falls Cabinetry

Betterblast

I think that was a "smoke" inspired post. We get that from time to time from Paul. You will learn to look past them Frameman.

__________________
When it has to be clean, Betterblast it!
glenmarcinc@yahoo.com
P-610-323-8084
http://betterblast.com/