EPISODE 56 - They Refused to Pay Me (how to protect yourself)

Shinah Chang ·

What do you do when a client refuses to pay you?

“Looking back, the money was not that big a deal. It was the mental anguish that was the most painful part.” - Shinah

Today, I’m telling the dramatic story of how I worked my butt off as a new calligraphy business owner… and an unscrupulous client took advantage of my naivete and REFUSED TO PAY ME.

The FOUR CRUCIAL LESSONS I learned from the whole, gut-wrenching experience?

  1. Always get a CONTRACT signed: Here’s a great CONTRACT TEMPLATE just for CALLIGRAPHERS (and it’s 40% off from 6/29/2023 to 7/5/2023)

  2. Always get at least 50% PAYMENT in advance

  3. Put a SYSTEM in place so you can deal with stuff like non-payment with less emotion

  4. It’s NOT PERSONAL when it comes to business

THE SOLUTION: AFFORDABLE CONTRACT TEMPLATES

My friend Christina Scalera founded The Contract Shop to give creative business owners access to quality contracts without having to hire an expensive attorney. 

  • Each contract template is drafted and reviewed by several attorneys to make sure they’re airtight.

  • They’re easy to use; you just plug in the information for your particular client and project and - voila! - you have a thorough, professional contract in place.

  • They cost hundreds of dollars, NOT THOUSANDS

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A CONTRACT TEMPLATE JUST FOR CALLIGRAPHERS (40% through July 5, 2023)

(Psst...this is an affiliate link, so I get a small commission when you purchase through me.)

EARLY IN MY BUSINESS, I THOUGHT I COULDN'T "AFFORD" TO SPEND A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS ON A CONTRACT TEMPLATE. 

  • But you know what? If I had a contract, then I would have gotten paid that $1500. Getting a contract SAVES YOU MONEY IN THE LONG RUN. Trust me. I know. 

I only share things with you that I have tried myself and truly feel would be helpful to you. So if you've been thinking that you need a contract... I hope you'll check out The Contract Shop.

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