As I start my fifth year selling yarn at the lowest price online of anyone I need to make some changes in how I will bill you for your orders. Please note in the past five years only two people have not paid me and both were last year. I may still get paid.    

Right now I have cash receivables of $1877.33 for 2014 and $1353.22 for 2015 for a total of $3230.55. I just paid out this morning close to $3000 for heddles I have on order.

I get letters like the following:

Hi, I know I owe you for the latest invoice. I've had some financial problems, but I promise I will pay you as soon as I possibly can! This was 3 days ago ($323.30)

Oh my goodness! I'm not sure how I missed this! I will take care of this as soon as I can. Thank you for the reminder. My apologies. This was 12 days ago, still unpaid ($220.68)

I also wanted to take a moment to update you on what was going on. Because of the stolen funds and unpaid bills, we have lost the commercial rental space that we were using for the studio. We were notified yesterday that we have 7 days to remove our equipment. We are looking at a possible rental space shortly and hopefully all goes well and it is a good fit for my business. We are just devastated.. we never saw this coming. As far as the person responsible for this mess, we are having a difficult time proving this. It's a shame what a good lawyer can do for bad people. I am awaiting two large payments from two of my clients. As soon as they pay me, I will take care of my bill with you.
If you pray, please say a prayer that this all works out. I still cannot wrap my head around what has happened and still is happening. This was on 10/31/14, still unpaid. ($512.42)

I have one customer I have not been able to contact ($164.37) I will be sending her a registered letter on Monday. I guess we will be taking a road trips this Spring/Summer or I will have to contact some of my kin folk in their state.

So two things I am going to do, which I hate to do. One: All order will be prepaid before I placed or ship the order, you may get an invoice for part of you order and a second then I know the total. Two: all credit card and Pay Pal orders will have 3.5% added to their orders; in 2014 I paid out $2520 in fees. I know this is part of doing business. I guess that is why companies charge $27 for what I am selling at $19.

Please understand that this change will not affect the schools, shops, and weavers that pay with a check in a timely manner.

Thank you for your understanding,

Michael

Comments

Fri, 01/30/2015 - 23:37

Andy_SA

 

Hi Michael

What an absolute shame that people just can't be honest and pay for what they take - this sort of behaviour spoils it for everyone, particularly when someone is so willing to trust them in the first place. Here's hoping things start improving for you and your business pdq.

Sat, 01/31/2015 - 11:14

ReedGuy

Running a business certainly has it's headaches. I think money up front is the only way to do business and working out the numbers so the price fits the expense is certainly legit. Reading those correspondence is about a like the exprience a school teacher goes through when dealing with why someon's homework was not done. It often becomes a life long set of bad habits at someone else's expense.

Sun, 02/01/2015 - 02:08

Dena (not verified)

My disclosure is that I double checked that I actually remembered to send you a check before responding to your post....and thanks for the gorgeous yarn!

The credit card charges are nuts (high) and most customers don't get it, or think that if they pay with a debit card then it's the same as a check.  With my retail handwoven business, I include the credit card fees in to my price, figuring that most people pay that way.  For tuition, I also include it in the class price, but give a discount if someone pays by check.  For looms and equipment, I also have two prices, one for check, one for a card.  If I don't have a check right away (and often when I sell a new loom, it's half down, half when the loom ships) I always keep a card on file just in case, although I have never had to use it. 

Running a business is a hard balance between who we really want to be (trusting) and the realities of every day life.

Good luck getting your money.

Sat, 02/07/2015 - 12:20

Nassajah (not verified)

Hi Michael, 

We're a small family run publishing and distributing business and can relate to less than honest/unscrupulous buyer.  We have even been cheated by people who sold our books, then kept the money for themselves.  

You have great yarn and your business acumen is excellent, and appreciated by those who apreciate professionalism.  

Always look forward,

Alaa