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#1 (permalink)   03-18-2009 cinshan Contributing Member Company name: Silver Lining Business Solutions   Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 59 Deposit or No Deposit Hello everyone! I have been working hard on building my website and was thinking.... Do you require a 50% deposit? What is the norm? I have checked out a few different VA websites and some do and some don't. Not sure what I should do. As always thank you for your help. Cindy

#2 (permalink)   03-18-2009 Rebecka Melson Resident Member Company name: Virtual Business Services   Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Oklahoma, USA Posts: 1,118 Re: Deposit or No Deposit I always charge a deposit from new clients. It's a minimum $100 but could be more depending on the project. __________________ Rebecka Melson ~ Virtual Business Services

#3 (permalink)   03-18-2009 Tess Senior Member Company name: Codehead, LLP Latest blog post: SEO Q&A   Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 9,131 Blog Entries: 3 Re: Deposit or No Deposit I also always charge new clients a deposit [min $250 but depends on what they're contracting for] against six months regularly paid invoices or the close of the project, whichever applies. After that, it cycles back to them - assuming there is no balance due. __________________ Create a welcome packet for new clients with this guide and free templates! (Available in PDF and Kindle versions)

#4 (permalink)   03-19-2009 MontereyBayVA Contributing Member   Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 70 Re: Deposit or No Deposit Deposit for what? A webpage? I have thoughts if so, but...don't want to answer the wrong thing.

#5 (permalink)   03-19-2009 cinshan Contributing Member Company name: Silver Lining Business Solutions   Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 59 Re: Deposit or No Deposit Not necessarily for a webpage, as I will not be offering that service. For any of the services that I will be providing. Let's say a client............ok now another question came into my head...... Are most your clients on a retainer with you? I If they are on retainer, request a deposit but if they only need your services for 2-3 hours than no deposit?

#6 (permalink)   03-19-2009 VirtualLorri Contributing Member Company name: Virtual Synergy My latest Twitter: It was a huge surprise to receive the @AssistU Sta...   Join Date: May 2008 Location: Missoula, MT Posts: 119 Re: Deposit or No Deposit I don't do project work, so I don't require deposits. I work on retainer only and retainers are paid in advance for the month. __________________ ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ Lorri Morin, CPVA www.virtualsynergy.net

#7 (permalink)   03-19-2009 KyleSC Contributing Member Company name: KSC Virtual Assistant Services My latest Twitter: @assistu May is so totally awesome! Studying for m...   Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Grand Junction, CO Posts: 66 Blog Entries: 1 Re: Deposit or No Deposit For my retainer clients, they pay the month in advance. I have a few pay-as-you-go clients, and they pay the following month after the work is done. Even though they are PAYG, they are still on-going clients, so I don't charge a deposit. I have never had a problem with clients paying me. __________________ Kyle Sheldon-Chandler KSC Virtual Assistant Services

#8 (permalink)   03-19-2009 Tricia New Member   Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 45 Re: Deposit or No Deposit I don't require a deposit but if it is a new client I just started working with I do ask for a month in advance. I know this don't help you much but just wanted to put my two cents in. __________________ Tricia Saving You Time Is My Business

#9 (permalink)   03-20-2009 leedrozak Resident Member Company name: My Office Assistant Small Business Practical Times: Web Security: Password Protection My latest Twitter: This is a great weekend to support #SBW2012. I wi...   Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Western Pennsylvania Posts: 2,263 Blog Entries: 13 Re: Deposit or No Deposit My retainer clients pay month in advance and my PAYG clients pay monthly however I do require an initial deposit based on the project scope. Once they are established with me I forgo any additional deposit and bill on a monthly basis. __________________ Lee Drozak My Office Assistant

#10 (permalink)   03-20-2009 Apex Virtual Assistance Contributing Member Company name: Apex Virtual Solutions Apex Has Solutions Latest Post: Virtual Assistant Company Announces New Location i... My latest Twitter: Sitting here at my son's 8th grade ceremony f...   Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 113 Blog Entries: 1 Re: Deposit or No Deposit I always get a deposit for projects and my retainers like everyone else must be paid in advance. I collect the deposit for security measures. Being a virtual assistant means that you typically don't see your clients and I would hate to start on an assignment and not get paid. At least with a deposit, I'll have something collected for my work in the event that the customer doesn't pay. __________________ Trena Stubbs of Apex Virtual Solutions & Author of The Road to Going Virtual