Question for the self employed or those with self employed partners

[Flibbertybatsgiblets]

Now then,

Most small businesses complain that their customers don't pay them on time.
I'm thinking of offering one day courses for small businesses and sole traders in 'how to get your customers to pay on time'.
It would comprise info on what to do, say, and get customers to sign, right from the quotation stage through to the money hitting your bank. To also show you how to clear up all your overdue stuff and to help you make sure that your future invoices are paid on time so overdue invoices are not a hassle for you in the future. Basically how to vastly improve your small business cash flow.

Thinking of charging about £150 for a day for 12ish people so they can all get individual attention and suggestions for improvements for their specific businesses. I'll hold it somewhere with nice conference facilities. I have a good mailing list already so getting the message out would be ok, but I am nervous about booking a venue without any idea of the response I might get to the advertising.

Would this be appealing to the self employed and smaller business owner?

I do have all the relevant experience and have already delivered shorter courses in the same subject to start up businesses but these are run by my local enterprise agency and the attendees on their start up programme don't have to pay. However the enterprise agency pay so little that I have to look on it as a networking/marketing excersise!

Speak to the hotel/venue & ask if they can be flexible wrt cancelling if necessary to reschedule at another time (offer them a free place on the course)

aarghgghg!!! katymac!!! Thats not very reassuring talking about cancelling before i've even started
Seriously though I have investigated several venues and they all retain a part of the fee on a sliding scale up to 100% if I cancel less than a week before.
No point offering hotels a free place as all their customers pay at the time, I'm after people who send out invoices then wait to get paid.

They prob to invoices for this sort of booking (or maybe not - sorry)

Why not find a few free days - I bet smaller venues are desperate for bookings - then send out a form with 2 or 3 options. Pick the busiest day & tell the others that their day is 'booked' and would they like a place on the date you picked

Sorry btw was trying to limit the stress of booking iyswim not trying to put you off

Umm. NOt very helpful, but I'm self employed don't earn that much and have to admit that £150 for that kind of thing would be too much for me...

Ok ,if we forget the costs bit, I am trying to find out if there would be any interest in attending from anyone who is self employed and gets fed up with their customers paying late?

I'm S/E but my customers play up front, so I'm sorry it's not for me

Could you maybe do it for half a day to reduce costs? £150.00 is quite expensive for one man band type businesses
Do you know that there is a definite market for this in your area?

I know that with your help people would probably get a good roi but small businesses are quite reluctant to part with that kind of cash aren't they?

sorry flibberty x posted with you there?
To answer your question, I am self employed and I'm afraid this wouldn't appeal to me
Sorry

I just asked DP (self-employed builder) -he said when he started out on his own he was warned by other tradesman that it was a nightmare getting customers to pay up.

However its not a problem hes ever had. I guess though he doesn't have a high turnover of customers eg. he could be working for one sole customer for weeks/months so builds up a relationship with them over that time and is in their house for a lot of that time.

What type of businesses are you thinking of for the course?
Who are you aiming it at?

would not appeal to me either am afraid, think businesslink offers free seminars re this subject

Yes, it would be too much for me especially as it wouldn't be something I would count as a "fun" day off IYSWIM (unlike a conference or whatever). Does it include a lunch? That would help.

Re the content, I know exactly how to get money out of late payers and it didn't take me long to learn the ropes (I'll refrain from saying as I don't want to dent your customer base!) So I would not be a taker... however there are differet types of businesses so it might not be as easy for everyone.