If you’re a small business with a limited cash flow, it’s almost never a good idea to give credit to a customer. Even if you know them. Sure, you can take credit cards, but to extend credit… not so much. I’ve been in business almost 28 years and you’d think after being burned many times, I would have learned. Not all people are truthful.

That is why I always get a 50% deposit with the balance due COD. Well almost always.

Beware of the following excuses:

• I left my check book at home. Is it okay if I take the  job now and mail you a check?
• I really need to have this (ad, brochure, website) now for a trade show, conference, big job.
• I have lots of business and if you can give me a few days to pay you I’ll be giving you lots of work.
• I work for a big company and they never pay COD. (That’s because they pay 60, 90, 120 days or never pay at all. In fact they’ll soon be bankrupt.)

If you feel the least bit iffy, check your potential customer’s credit. Or else you might end of up with three boxes of printing and two bad checks. Who me?