Driving for Dollars
They are called Working Dogs. An internet search defines them as a canine specifically bred, trained, and used to perform tasks that support human activities, such as herding, guarding, hunting, detection, or search and rescue. How about picking up checks owed for work almost a full year ago?
This week we are highlighting the extent to which a small business owner may have to go to actually get paid. We have written about this often over the years and it honestly never seems to change, let alone become easier or get better. If we were only as motivated as dogs to take on their working tasks.
If you participate in a New York State project, often payment is quite delayed. We are talking months not weeks, let alone days. Much of it is due to the paperwork and process. They still require Notarized forms, the more consultants involved, the more of a monumental task this can be. And they take their time reviewing all the paperwork. Never mind that people have bills to pay monthly, they are paid every other week or twice a month so they are unable to understand the payment plight of a sole proprietor or small business owner.
And then there is the intermediary. This is often either a not for profit organization or another government agency. For them to forward the payment to the state agency, there are often multiple signatures required. Bylaws require multiple board director signatures in addition to a staff position or sometimes in place of any staff signatures. These people have their own careers and appointments must be made to secure their signature approval.
So, nearly a year later, we head out this week for a 150 mile round-trip to pick up a check. These organizations mostly do not use ACH or Wires for payment due to the cost. And overnight mail is expensive and has proven, in our experience, to be unreliable as an efficient check delivery method.
If you see us on the road, give us a beep. We do what we need to do to ensure payment is received and even, at times, work like a dog just to get the actual check.
Be well.
