On 30 Aug 2004 at 18:56, Chops wrote:

> It is apparently part of standard operating procedures for many
> companies NOT to pay bills till the last possible moment.  "free loans"
> and all that. The bigger the company you're dealing with, the more
> likely they are to have to have an accounting department that has this
> down to a fine science.
> ....
> This can make it pretty painful for a small consultant to sell things
> to a large company :-(

    Those large-company accounting departments like one thing even more
    than a "free loan":  a discount.  In my experience, even a
    one-percent discount for payment within ten days ("Net 30, 1% 10")
    was enough to get that prompt payment. 

    Discounts -- even much larger ones -- almost never influence small
    companies, though. 

    -Andy 

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