From: "Susan Whitchurch" <whitchur@denver.net>
To: <balloondeco@balloonhq.com>, "Deliza Nieves" <dnieves@ameragents.com>
Subject: Re: Giving ideas
Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 20:55:11 -0600

Personally, I would look on this event as a "practice presentation" and be
thankful -- if she doesn't have any money to do the decorating, better that
she cancel now rather than have you do the event and then pass a bad check
to pay for it, or make you chase her for the money.  Anyone like "Grandma"
who is doing the majority of the stuff herself is mainly interested in ideas
she can execute -- such people generally do not value your talent and time
and will be difficult to collect from.  In all probability, if they pay,
they will grouse about the quality/quantity of the work, and generally be
dissatisfied, believing they have been "taken."

I do not talk about anything but in general how balloons can be used at a
particular event until I have a non-refundable booking fee under my belt.
Consult time the first time is strictly limited to 1 hour, and I leave at
the end of that time.  If the conversation is going well and it seems like
we will be working together, I schedule another (specific) appointment to
meet at the site.  The first appointment I talk generalities and listen to
what she/they want, we talk about colors, size of the site, numbers of
people, general effect they want, etc.  The second appointment, I might have
a couple of sketches or a couple of pictures of similar things done
previously along the line of what they indicated they want during the
previous conversation.  If this goes well, I do a general proposal and
estimate, based on our 2 discussions and  I require a 25% non-refundable
deposit.  Upon receipt of that money, I do a detailed proposal and we meet
at the site to discuss everything.  Second 25% is due 1 month prior to the
event and the remainder is due before I unload anything on the day.  People
who are serious about it don't mind and it eliminates immediately those who
do and thus, those who may be trouble later.

Susan Whitchurch
Bedazzled Balloon Productions
Denver, CO

> After all this she tells me that she just
> got laid off from work...so I'm thinking no way she's gonna be able to
> afford all this.  Anyways I didn't hear from her since then, asked a
friend
> of hers if she was still getting married and she said she cancelled
> everything and was getting married in city hall.   What a big waste of my
> time.