Will You Take Cash?
| | It was early 2007 when I was asked this question for the first time. The person asking me was a local business owner and friend. He wanted me to clean his rental unit. Now, he didn't ask to pay me under-the-table. He implied it and I knew it. This was a difficult place to be. First of all, we really needed the money. I didn't want to say no to the cleaning job or offend him. Plus, I didn't want to do something that I knew was wrong. It took me a few seconds to respond. "Yes. I do take cash as well as checks. Just to be clear and you're probably not even asking me this, but I am required to charge sales tax on all cleaning services." |
I have been asked this question a dozen times over my 15 years in business. My answer is the same every time and it comes with a smile. Why would I share this story in a newsletter to my community?
- Some of you reading this are fellow business owners and hearing this reinforces what you already do. I congratulate you for your integrity!
- Some of you reading this are new in your business. I encourage you to adopt this stance early on. Be a legitimate company from the beginning and separate yourself from the under-the-tablers!
- Some of you reading this are homeowners. I want to encourage you to ONLY hire legit companies for all of your home needs. They MUST be properly licensed and insured. They must be tax-compliant.