Working for Institutions

A bit much, yes. But, since it is a health-care organization, they may be required to have additional paperwork, due to new regulations. Also, the Accounting dept. likely is required to have the paperwork for any check they write, regardless of the association/work performed situation. They may not be able to decide to not have the paperwork completed.

I once had an institution tell me I needed to give them proof that my contracting "company" had insurance. I told them that wasn't going to happen, and they found a way to get around it. I was actually hoping they would just decide to not go through with the certification, because I had a suspicion, correctly as it turned out, that it was not going to be a pleasant experience. Just about the only time for me that working with a client was not a pleasant experience.

Paperwork is all turned in; next up is waiting to get paid. Last time I did work for the Hospital it took 60 days. Ironically I have a meeting tomorrow with yet another Hospital department. So it goes.

Kevin, 15 years into the 21st century, there is no real justification for anyone to keep any of us waiting 60 days to be paid. There are so many alternatives, such as PayPal, that we all use. I require nearly all of my clients to pay me a 50% deposit via credit card, then the balance when I submit the finished product. It is working well for me.

When I am working with a company who refers me to their accounting department to be paid, I always require the client to sign my short agreement in which I warn them I will charge a $50.00 late fee for every 2 weeks beyond the due date of my invoice. This is not perfect, but it works most of the time. When it fails, it fails big. A recent client who insisted on paying via paper check didn't bother to write the check for over 35 days. Then, after 3 more weeks, as the check never arrived, they had to go to their bank and pay $75.00 for a wire transfer because I politely but insistently bugged them about the bill.

My bank offers ACH deposit from any other bank - no charge. Most big banks offer this. The only thing to look out for is the "check" option - when your client thinks they are using on line ACH, and they don't select the proper payment option. Some banks then actually send out - grrrrrrr - a paper check via USPS mail.

I essentially modeled my system on Duane Russell's and it works 95% of the time. (Thanks, Duane!).

After all the shenanigans of this past year I'm looking forward to what appears to be my next job.

One of my other "lives" involves occasionally dealing with institutions of a large nature (another national governing body)...with accounting departments who operate at a glacial pace. A reimbursement for one assignment took three months; two months for another.

A corporate "relative" of that same NGB paid me two weeks after an assignment. Suffice it to say the difference in dynamic has made me think long and hard about who I play with.

"I don't do business that don't make me smile." - Stephen Stills

Kevin I had the same amount of paperwork to do for a couple courses with Vidant Heathcare in Greenville, NC. I agree, it was way more than was required.