Collecting payments is key to being a successful small business. It is no secret that in this economy credit is limited. For small business this means collecting all debts is key to paying overhead.

Clients seem to have more plentiful and creative excuses now than ever. It seems some will say or do anything to evade paying their debts. For agencies this can make collecting what they are due a daunting task. Some resort to a collections agency which is not good for business relationships. On the contrary there are ways to nudge clients into their wallets without jeopardizing a symbiotic relationship.

The first is to be positive and to have an upbeat attitude. Never be bashful about asking for overdue payments. Getting what you are owed is just part of business. A transaction isn’t complete until payment is made for goods or services rendered.

Also be sure there is never a delay with invoicing on your end. Send out invoices promptly at the end of each element in a project rather than slamming clients at the end of a big project. Clients get sticker shock when they see huge number on their bill and this may make them resistance or denial because of it.

If payments are late usually a few email reminders are all it takes to get clients back on track. Be understanding if they are communicative. Try to work with them as best you can to work things out. Remember you want to preserve your relationship.

If clients are not responsive or hard to reach it can be a bit tougher. Don’t get frustrated or angry remember that patience is a virtue. Be patient but be persistent! 

If all else fails call the client up and shout “Show me da money!” It gets ‘em every time.

For more tips on getting paid check out this article in Entrepreneur Magazine.

So Best Buy is getting a little hipper with this new augmented reality ad they released on Sunday. Using the latest in Augmented Reality Technology (think of the 1st down lines you see on the field during a televised Football game, the lines are only viewable on TV, but not in real life). They printed an ad that can be viewed in 3D on a PC. You hold the printed page up to a webcam to view a representation of the product and you can move it around and really see it. We were a bit surprised this came from Best Buy and even more surprised at how well it worked. Being able to interact with these realistic representations is something that could really change e-commerce. Take a look at our video and to see how it works.

To do it yourself, got to the website. Pretty hot stuff.

So today we had our first company lunch from our new office space. We took a vote and the vote came down to Chinese or BBQ. Since Mehmet was scared that everyone would be falling asleep from food coma after the BBQ joint, we picked Chinese. So off we went to Grand Sichuan, for some good ole spicy northern-style Chinese food. Everyone had a great time and a good lunch. No one fell asleep yet.

Jonny is ready to go.

Walking to the restaurant on 9th Ave.

The gang, waiting for our table.

Welcome to the Grand Sichuan

Setting up our table.

Some of our dishes.

Crispy Whole Fish - now all gone.