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David
P R O F I L E
Conference call: David Gardner CEO of Coffman Engineers (#62 Hot Firm for 2016), a 400-person virtual, multi-discipline firm with offices across the West Coast, Alaska, Hawaii, and Guam.
By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent “O utside members can act like guests at a din- ner table – they keep the rest of the family
sure of contract requirements, follow-up early and frequently. For example:
❚ ❚ Five to 10 days – Did you receive invoice? ❚ ❚ 30 days – Is the bill correct and approved? ❚ ❚ 60 days – When can we expect payment?
on good behavior,” Gardner says. A CONVERSATION WITH DAVID GARDNER.
Follow-up every 30 days after this. We keep notes of who we talked to and when and then escalate to a higher authority as required. Also, get a “pay when paid” clause in the contract. Holding of payment after receiving is grounds for breach of contract. We go after this issue aggres- sively. TZL: What’s the recipe for creating an effective board?
The Zweig Letter: What’s your philosophy on fee/ billing and accounts receivable? How do you col- lect fees from a difficult client? David Gardner: Early and frequent contact about payment prevents awkward conversations later. We consider collection and client contact concern- ing A/R as much the PM’s responsibility as account- ing. Each corresponds with their client counter- part. It’s also key to invoice as early as possible, be
David Gardner, CEO, Coffman Engineers
THE ZWEIG LETTER Ju
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