My Airgas salesman kept pushing for almost a year to set up an account. I told him, if I don't have the cash, I'm not buying anything. I finally agreed to set up a cash account with them. We sat down and came up with a contract price on the stuff I use, and now it is locked in at that price unless the price drops. So far it has worked well for me.

Chris

A wise friend who owns a successful body/collision repair shop once told me when I was getting rigged up.
You make a business by being friendly, and you loose a business by trying to be everybodies FRIEND!

There is a saying at every boat yard:

"NO CASH, NO SPLASH"

If Your boat is hauled out, they won't put it back in the water untill the bill is settled, storage included.

At an auto parts store, You pay the core charge when You get the rebuilt, and get refunded for the core when You bring it in.

Amen , RC . Around here in TX , suppliers have a ' wall of shame ' . The names and addresses and banknames of the deadbeats are posted there for the other public to see . Most of the time , not always , but mostly the ones posted , usually make good on their debts . But , a small number jet on the debt .
   I'm sure it will work on the internet .

We're on
RT 220 S Towanda/Monroeton RD
RR#4 Box 50
Towanda, PA 18848

I worked for a rig welder/fab shop enterprise for a time.  HE taught me many lessons in the welding game....including the value of lawyers and business agreements.   He made sure that his receipts were printed with a tacit signed agreement.......to follow in the letter of local law he required the following on EVERY JOB.   30 day billing cycle, anything overdue beyond that point incurred a 20% surcharge PER MONTH, after 90 days anything worked on was subject to repossession and or liens as well as legal fees incurred + collection cost.  EVERY customer that signed any work order with him was legally bound by those terms under "then current state laws".  He also charged 100% of materials up front.   THAT might seem harsh (except to anyone running their own service business.)  But hell man that was 15 yrs ago for me.......I seriously doubt things have gotten easier since then.  That mandate run a very few customers off....the ones it scared off would you really need or want anyway?  I got no problem taking your CAT trackhoe if you you owe me $1k....how much problem do you have with it??   I do not know the legislation in all the states that support this kind of practice....but if yours does not, I would say you need to be more politically active in your state.  DId doing business like that run off business...sure it did...only the business he did not need....the guy stayed hooked up, I respect his ways. AND i will do business likewise.
My$.02
Tommy

I just bought a compressor from Grainger.  They take only cash or debit cards.  You can establish an account with them and of course they will require all your banking info.  Why not treat your buyers like Grainger does?  Many small local companies are doing this.

Well, we've got a messed up credit policy, we help you when you have nothing with the hopes that you'll pay when you get something!!  Ole Fred came to town in January with nothing, told me right up front he was broke, we fixed him up with bottles, rod, etc. to the tune of $600 and he doesn't pay.  I catch up with his boss here in town and I ask "is Fred still working for you", he says "yup, why, does he owe you money?"  I reply yes and a few days later he stops in with $350.  As I said, this started in January, he paid the $350 the end of  February and then he skips back to Vernal, UT.