contracting direct

[Andy Hallett]

Don't tell the agency

Great advice. They have no idea that this goes on, and will never ever find out that this happens....

[SueEllen]

I'm direct at the moment and it's 45 days, I've no problem as it is a big multinational, so the money is there and it will get paid eventually, however with smaller companies I'd have my doubts about extending credit terms.

Oddly with me when I've been direct the best payers have been medium sized companies then small companies in that order.

Multinationals - even if you have it agreed they pay you at a specific time - often have a separate accounts department who know they can get away with not paying small suppliers.

Oh and keep your ear to the ground regardless of company size as Enron and Lehman Brothers weren't exactly small companies.....

[Wanderer]

Great advice. They have no idea that this goes on, and will never ever find out that this happens....

What Andy from the agency is trying to say is that it happens all the time and quite often the agencies can't do anything about it.


If you didn't sign the opt out that agencies are so eager for you to sign then you are in a much stronger position. You also have to see what it says in your contract and ask the client what it says in their contract with the agency too. It might be that the client is willing to "buy you out" of the restriction clause with the agent (if there is any).

Ask the client how much they were paying the agency and split that 50/50 with the client when you go direct. As others say too, make sure the client understands that you need to be paid on time and not messed about.

DON'T ask the agency about it though or they will try and wreck the deal for you.

[kal]

What Andy from the agency is trying to say is that it happens all the time and quite often the agencies can't do anything about it.


If you didn't sign the opt out that agencies are so eager for you to sign then you are in a much stronger position. You also have to see what it says in your contract and ask the client what it says in their contract with the agency too. It might be that the client is willing to "buy you out" of the restriction clause with the agent (if there is any).

Ask the client how much they were paying the agency and split that 50/50 with the client when you go direct. As others say too, make sure the client understands that you need to be paid on time and not messed about.

DON'T ask the agency about it though or they will try and wreck the deal for you.

What happened to me was that the agency rejected me at the first cut saying my CV wasn't strong enough, they let the name of the client slip out though, cue me applying direct and getting the gig at a 10% premium on what the pimps were offering, everyone saves and the agent loses out, win win in my book, oh and so long as I get my timesheet authorised by the Monday I get paid on the Friday, longest I have had to wait is 2 weeks,,,

[kal]

Great advice. They have no idea that this goes on, and will never ever find out that this happens....

Unless their crystal ball is on the blink and they don't know...

[DirtyDog]

Great advice. They have no idea that this goes on, and will never ever find out that this happens....

I'm amazed that some of your lot manage to know which end of a phone to speak into

[d000hg]

But if you can get £375 then everyone's happy (apart from the Agent).

If you do go through with it, be very clear on the payment terms and make sure they stick with them. You don't want to sign up and then discover they won't pay you for 3 months after invoice.

That's really the only downside to going direct: you might have more of a battle to get your money.

It's not always the case - one of my clients typically pays up within 2-3 days of receiving an invoice - but I would normally expect to be waiting 30 days or more for money from direct clients, regardless what you agree. Fine if you have the reserves, you just need to be prepared for it.

[DirtyDog]

If you do go through with it, be very clear on the payment terms and make sure they stick with them. You don't want to sign up and then discover they won't pay you for 3 months after invoice.

That's really the only downside to going direct: you might have more of a battle to get your money.

+1

Current contract is direct - invoice at the end of the month and then payment is 60 day terms.

Curiously, the PO says that the payment terms are 30 days, which is what they stick to (and occasionally lump two invoices together to pay one early).

[Andy Hallett]

What Andy from the agency is trying to say is that it happens all the time and quite often the agencies can't do anything about it.

Not in our experience

Unless their crystal ball is on the blink and they don't know...

We are a bit more advanced than that

I'm amazed that some of your lot manage to know which end of a phone to speak into

We Googled it.

[Antman]

Oddly with me when I've been direct the best payers have been medium sized companies then small companies in that order.

Multinationals - even if you have it agreed they pay you at a specific time - often have a separate accounts department who know they can get away with not paying small suppliers.

Oh and keep your ear to the ground regardless of company size as Enron and Lehman Brothers weren't exactly small companies.....

Yes, I know what you mean, the team who pay my invoices are located in Poland. I'm also having to use their Ariba platform and consequently pay Ariba for being able to raise invoices through them, which is ok I suppose only Ariba doesn't process multiple (weekly) invoices raised against a purchase order, so I invoice them myself (no way around paying Ariba £80 this year to raise my own invoices!)