Many small companies work very hard to get new accounts. Occasionally they try to get government contracts to supply products or services. Some small business people believe this will help them in case of recession, because the government has to keep going no matter what. They therefore seek a contract as a protection security blanket and guaranteed income to pay their own bills, make payroll and have the cash flow they need to survive at a time when over regulation and hostile litigation is taking its toll on small businesses.
What many small businesses do not understand is that the government pays very slow and often holds payments back due to their own budgetary mess. Often they will be in the rear some 120 days. Ninety plus days is very typical and should be expected for any small business doing business with any branch of government; city, county, state or the federal clusterfuck. I speak from total experience and out of frustration having run a 23-state wide franchise company; all of our franchisees of course, small businesses.
The government wants things, doesn't everyone? They have needs, which they are too inefficient to do themselves without blowing more taxpayer's monies inefficiently, so they seek the power of the small businesses to help them get the job done. In my experience there were so many jobs that the government, due to their inherent ineptness; needed from our franchises to service that they could have kept most of them busy full time, yet after such services they were very slow to pay. How slow, so slow in fact that any normal business would have been cutoff and put on cash basis from our accounts receivables twice or three times had they not paid. I can remember one account, which was 180 in the rears and they had claimed that they lost the paperwork, needed tax ID numbers, more information, even though all that information was on the face of the 110-page solicitation and actual contract. Go figure, the paper work whores lost their paperwork?
No small business should ever seek business with the government and if you think that the contract will protect you for quick payment you are wrong. Our contracts generally say "contractor will be paid no later than 30 or 45 days," often they say "2/10, net 30" and 1.5% per month on non-paid invoices. This is no guarantee of timely payments or interest on your money. There is no worse customer than the United States Federal Government, yet if you are in a business and they find a violation on your premises they will put you in jail if it is not taken care of on time. Cities and County even state governments are no better. Procurement officers, purchasing agents and buyers turnover is much too fast to develop relationships to get paid on time and it is worse than anything Dell, Wal-Mart or the atrocities of Sears pulled in years gone buy to stringing out vendors.
If you take on a contract with the government, you better have the cash flow for 4-6 six months and expect them to renege on their contracts in a similar fashion to Islamic Governments in peace treaties or Oil Mineral Rights royalties. The government is a horrible customer, does not pay its bills on time and is the most hypocritical parasite on the planet when it comes to their token gestures to small businesses in this nation. It is completely disrespectful of government agencies to treat small businesses this way when we are holding up the economy with 70% of the employment base, which pays the taxes into the system. I personally cannot figure out which is worse the ponzi scheme we call Social Security where the payments go into the general fund or deliberate drowning of small businesses in past due times ten accounts receivables for prior government purchases of goods and services. What a complete and utter sham. It is unconscionable for the government to tout small business and then abuse the hard labor of these mom and pop firms who built this great nation on the blood, sweat and tears.
If you disagree with this article you can go to hell, because I have proof thru reality based observation and experiences. Ask any company who does business with the government at any level. What a bunch of hypocrites and jerks, that hold themselves out to be helping our small businesses when they bend them over and screw them like this. What a complete fraud being perpetrated on the small business community. What a complete lie it is for the podium pusher politicians to promote themselves thru positive small business speeches and rhetoric when all the government ever does is use and abuse America's greatest assets.
Thank god we still have freedom of the speech and press to point out these lies, abuses and this hypocrisy to future upcoming entrepreneurs. God bless the little guy, the government, well they are busy blessing themselves with our money. Think on this, because it pisses off every time I do.
"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.worldthinktank.net/wttbbs
monthly home cleaning Buffalo Grove ..You're pretty proud of yourself! After all, only four months... Read More
Boston itself covers 50 square miles of concrete and traffic,... Read More
$37.4 million funded from venture capital today. $86.4 million funded... Read More
In the 2003 Auto Laundry News Survey it was determined... Read More
What does it take to grow a business and run... Read More
Why give freebies?We have all seen freebies at trade shows... Read More
So it's time to invest some finances into advertising your... Read More
A few years ago, I visited Beijing for the first... Read More
Senior citizens are generally not a large marketing segment for... Read More
Think of your business as a living, breathing, organism. It... Read More
It is estimated that 78% of all small business start-ups... Read More
The key to organizational focus and helping those who need... Read More
"So what?" is a lovely question.It can lead to a... Read More
One of the critical success factors for service-related businesses is... Read More
One major issue not being addressed right now in the... Read More
Many small companies work very hard to get new accounts.... Read More
Whether your target audience is in your neighborhood or across... Read More
(Although this article is geared towards small business owners, the... Read More
You bet a name is important. Many small business owners... Read More
The Operations Plan is a critical component of any business... Read More
Free money! Receive up to $25,000 that never has to... Read More
Looking for ways to boost your cash flow? As a... Read More
Someone new to business ownership recently told me, "Before I... Read More
Start thinking about buying an established business if you want... Read More
It appears the mini-blimp indoor theme and concept is making... Read More
scheduled maid service Mundelein ..Every home business has the same problem of how to... Read More
Canon City, Colorado is known for it's 6 Prisons; State... Read More
Becoming a contractor or sub-contractor for the U.S. government can... Read More
Here are some useful tips on how to select a... Read More
When you feel like you're always busy working on your... Read More
Before you read any further in this article, I'd like... Read More
So often small service businesses fail to exploit niches, which... Read More
It appears the mini-blimp indoor theme and concept is making... Read More
1. Look Over Your Shoulder ? Of course, Punxsutawney Phil... Read More
Have you ever heard the phrase, 'PREPONDERANCE OF PROOF'?I recently... Read More
First you have to start with knowing your budget and... Read More
Think of your business as a living, breathing, organism. It... Read More
Here are some important points to take note of if... Read More
It's the dream of every person who starts a business... Read More
With all the cabinet refacing business opportunities out there, you... Read More
How do you sponsor an event and get personal introductions... Read More
As stability emerges in the Middle East there will be... Read More
We all know that a building has to have a... Read More
When pressure washing heavy equipment each piece of equipment has... Read More
Great question!Freeing your time is an indisputably key element in... Read More
If you are a motorcycle detailer and need to expand... Read More
You can't imagine how many people ask me how I... Read More
Financial Consultants are one of the fastest growing industries today.... Read More
When should you leverage the relationship?Leveraging sometimes brings a negative... Read More
If you are a non-operator owner of many work trucks,... Read More
Small Business |