Feydakin - 5:15 pm on Sep 23, 2005 (gmt 0)

Talk to your accountant.. In most cases you can write off bad debt on your taxes and come out pretty well that way.. We had a major deadbeat a fwe years ago and did that.. It's not the same as getting the cash, but at least it's not a total loss..

As for business dealings, I have three rules that have taken me quite a few years to learn..

1. Never work with charitable organizations unless you are 'donating your time'.. When they finally decide to not pay you, you will be stuck.. And it will happen..

2. Never work with 'large' companies as a small or solo operation without being paid in full, in advance.. You tend to be looked at as slave labor and food..

3. And finally, the most important, if at any time during the presentation or customer qualifying process they make the statement, "we are good <people>" run as fast as you can.. The ones that have to keep telling you how good they are tend to be the worst :)

[edited by: jatar_k at 5:32 pm (utc) on Sep. 23, 2005]
[edit reason] removed specific targetting [/edit]