Need advice - Corporate work Payment

[peeker]

Need some opinions.

I have been contacted to do some corporate work and the terms are very acceptable in all areas for the quick work to be done. How would you respond to the payment terms of payable in 30 days of invoice for work that you complete?

I have come from the corporate world and know this is very acceptable from the corporate side. Those who have shot for corporations... what have you experienced with this scenario.

I got the feeling that prepayment or partial prepayment was out of the question.

Hoping to hear from my photo friends soon.
Thanks

[epoh]

I guess it just depends on your comfort level. And be sure to get everything in writing.

I know the company I work for the 30day invoice is the norm, but I also know we pay the catering company we use up-front as they require.

[peeker]

Thanks Amy,

For others, I forgot to mention it's there T's and C's which are quite generous from a photographer's perspective (shared copyright, payment for web and print separately, attribution, etc).

[texxter]

Unless the job expenses are very high, in which case it's reasonable for a photographer to ask for prepaid expenses, it's customary to get paid upon receipt of the invoice, with penalties after 30 days. The T&C should be yours as you're one offering the service, not the company's. When a plumber comes to fix your faucet you don't offer them your own T&Cs, you accept theirs. If there is a need to negotiate, your should start with your own T&Cs.

[peeker]

Thanks Paco,

Expenses are almost nothing... I took the job and we'll see how this one goes. I usually require payment or partial payment up front. I do have a few local contacts that I will be able to follow through with in case anything falls apart.

Thanks everyone for their help.

[ShaneKislack]

Corporate clients usually pay in 10-30 days...IF you are in their system as a vendor. So go ahead and make sure all that is taken care of if they require it.

[toverman]

One small corporation I've done contract work for has taken up to 60 days after receiving my invoice to send me a check. That was after receipt of the first invoice was confirmed and a second, past-due invoice was sent and received.

They owe me for a job from September. It will be my last job for them.

[CaptainTom]

30 days is the norm. longer and I get grumpy.

make sure they have all the w-9s on file when you submit the invoice.
sometimes they forget() to get them until the 30 days is up and then it's more of t a delay.

[Steelsun]

If it is your first time working with them, it would not be unreasonable to ask for a retainer for a portion of the projected invoice. We no longer do any work for new clients without a retainer up front, as we've experienced BIG corporate customers play the "it's coming" shuffle and also experienced the bankruptcy shuffle. With a retainer at least you can hopefully get your costs covered if they bail on the rest.

[WarrenG]

Sounds like the client is familiar with working with photogs, but I agree....you should be dictating the terms for the use of the images (within reason). I mean, if the images are for a national ad campaign the rights and use should be restricted and cost should be appropriate to whether the rights granted are exclusive, first rights, etc. On the other hand, if the images would be for an internal distribution, say a training manual or something similiar, your rights / use agreement may be much more liberal unless the client wants something more specific.

I am sure not all photogs would agree with that mentality, but that is my take FWIW.

I think someone else mentioned already, but most corporations do not like to write deposit checks...generally just a PO issued when they sign the agreement. Also, as Tom and others already mentioned, make sure you do all your vendor paperwork in advance.

Remember to manage your business, and not let the business manage you. If you start that way, it becomes very hard to keep a client from walking all over you in the future. Please do not ask me how I know this.

[STP Images]

I do a bit of corporate work for event photography. With the exception of one high volume and timely paying client, all my corporate clients must pay prior to receiving the images. My corporate contract CLEARLY states this AND I discuss this prior to finalizing the shoot. If they say "we don't pay until we see the work", I set up a private gallery where they can view the images online in advance to see the quality of the work, but until I have a check in hand, they will not receive their files or prints. If they say, "We ONLY pay net 30" then I tell them the images will reciprocally be net 30. It will either force their hand to pay more promptly, or they'll simply wait for their images just as they make you wait for your payment.

[peeker]

As an update... I did get paid and it was just about net 30. Nice to have check in hand. Thanks for the suggestions and help. I'll be better prepared for the next unsolicited corporate job.

[Hogleg 44]

Corporations are different than small businesses. There is very likely a chain of command the invoice has to pass through before payment can be made. It is almost a certainty that no one person has the authority to approve payment, thus the chain. Only when everyone in the chain has approved the invoice can it be sent to the comptroller for payment. So there is the wait!

[srwatters]

Originally Posted by texxter

Unless the job expenses are very high, in which case it's reasonable for a photographer to ask for prepaid expenses, it's customary to get paid upon receipt of the invoice, with penalties after 30 days.

Can you elaborate on where and with whom this is customary? In the business world where I've been working for the last 30+ years this is very rarely the case and typically means the vendor is on shaky ground.

[wandrson]

I suspect I may have an unpopular opinion, but in the past I hired photographers for the corporation that I used to work for. From that perspective a photographer was a commodity item and we would routinely dictate terms--no negotiation.

On a couple of occasions we did grant concessions for a particular photographer we had dealt with before; however, in both those cases, the concessions meant that when they fell short of expectations (quality on one, turn around time on the other) we dropped them permanently.