Being a vendor manager, the answer to that question will be different than if I were billing as an individual abstractor.  We deal with a lot of big companies -- and frankly, it's harder to get money out of THEM than the little guys!  Yes, even India....  I have outstanding debt reaching many months from a client you would all recognize.

Yes, George, I know you will have comments about this, but you can't just cut them off.  I have done that once already and was successful in getting some of the back pay caught up, but losing this client completely -- one that will NOT go under due to their size and underwriter status -- would be a disaster at this point.  One of the few companies where I actually get 1 owner searches that are actually 1 owner searches and most times easy and uncomplicated!  They'll pay, it's just like pulling teeth.

Therefore, I'm paying the abstractors out of my own pocket.  The margins mean that some months I'm paying abstractors with the monies I made doing my own abstracts.  And people wonder why I want to sell Argent and retire and just be an abstractor again.

All that being said, I am usually 45 days behind in paying people, but everyone I work with knows I WILL pay and always have (and always will) so they are more patient with me than with others they are working for.   And thank you all for that!