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Prior to working on a new job site, do your research and pull a "Certified Copy of Title". Title searches give you an abundance of information - legal land description, owner name & address, and details about registered interests involving the property. Titles can also be used as a risk management tool. If you check a title prior to beginning work at a new site, you will be able to see if there are any liens registered against the property. The presence of a lien can be a "red flag" and you should proceed with caution. Do some digging - was the lien filed as a precautionary measure to protect the lienor's interest? Are there problems with payment? If so, could this mean you might have problems too? You will never know the reason for the lien being in place until you ask!

Protect yourself from the get go and pull a title. For more information contact Alysia at 1-866-266-0117 ext. 351

Spring Cleaning

As we finally enter into spring (about time Alberta!) we must prepare for the increased workload that comes with nicer weather and longer days. A higher volume workload can be exciting for our companies - new customers, increased revenue, etc; however, we must not get carried away focusing on the "new". Keep track of your outstanding accounts and do not forget to follow up on them. Lien filing periods are very short and once they pass, your right to lien expires. There is no way to extend or renew your lien deadline. Continually monitoring unpaid accounts will minimize the chance that you miss your deadline.

If you are unsure whether you are passed your lien deadline, check out our lien calculator or give us a call at 1-866-266-0117 ext. 351

Corporate Searches

It is important to know both who you are working with currently and who you may do work with in the future. Corporate searches verify the company name, registered office and sometimes lists Directors, Officers and/or Shareholders of the corporate entity being searched. Within each province, the information provided in corporate reports can vary.  

Performing corporate searches prior to starting a project with a new customer helps you determine whether or not they are worth working with. It is important to do your research prior to entering into a contract with or granting credit to a company.  Protect yourself and prevent any potential issues with "iffy" customers.

For more information on performing Corporate Searches visit our website or call 1-866-266-0117 ext. 351

Increase Your Visibility

Whether you are physically on site working or not, make sure all parties involved know you are involved in the project as well. Also if you are subcontracted to the project, others may not be aware that you are involved in the project. A pre-lien letter is a notice sent to your client, the general contractor (if different than your client), and the property owner, informing them that you are involved in the project.  

The letter lists your contact information, describes your work on the project and outlines who you have been hired by. Sending this notice is the easiest way to let everyone know who you are and how to contact you. The notice also requests that the recipient forward any available payment or bonding information to you.  

This letter does not reflect upon the creditworthiness of the recipient, it simply lets those involved in the project know who you are.

Learn more about our Pre-Lien Notices by calling 1-866-266-0117 ext. 351 or email Alysia -
alysia@lien-pro.com

Home Sweet Home

Home Sweet Lien  When working on residential properties gather as much information as you can about your customer(s). For example, say "John and Jane Home-Owner" have been paying you consistently throughout the duration of the project and now that you have completed your work they are disputing the charges and avoiding your calls. When this happens having the following information can prove beneficial. -  Is the project being financed? If so by who - the property owner, a bank, etc.? -Does your customer own the property? Or have they recently taken possession of the property? -Is your customer planning on living in the house for two or more years? -If the property is in the process of being sold, has the sale gone through yet? All of these questions can help you determine if filing a lien may be the best route when it comes to non-payment. Residential properties can be difficult to lien. The best scenario for filing a lien is when a project is being financed by a third party or if the house is in the process of being sold. Liens hold up any monetary transactions or land transfers dealing with the property. Your customer will not be able to sell their property, re-mortgage, or continue to receive financing for their property until the lien is dealt with. If the sale has already been finalized and the final draw has been made from financing, filing a lien against the home may not be your best option. If you have a situation that involves a residential property and you are unsure whether a lien is the best fit for you, give Alysia a call for your FREE consultation at 1-866-266-0117 ext. 351

Negotiating 101 . . . part 4   Now we get to the fun part...try these tactics - they really do work! The Nibble - Once you have negotiated your deal, ask for a little something extra.  For example: "That new truck does come with a full tank of gas doesn't it?"  The counter to this is to make the other person feel cheap for even asking because they negotiated such a great deal. The Hot Potato - This is where someone makes their problem your problem.  The counter to the Hot Potato is to check to see if the other persons problem really is a problem or just a stalling tactic. The Higher Authority Gambit - This is where you negotiate your best deal and the other person thinks it is over, then you say you just have to run this past your boss or "The Board".  The counter to this is to determine before the negotiation begins that you are dealing with the final decision maker. The Set-Aside Technique To Avoid An Impasse - If you and your opponent can't agree on a particular item, don't get held up on that one item as it can have negative consequences and could possibly torpedo the whole deal.  Instead say "Let's just put that one to the side for a moment and come back to that".  Get agreements on a few more things then come back to the sticky items.  You'll find your opponent will likely concede the issue to you or be willing to offer a mutually acceptable compromise. In the next newsletter we will cover the following Gambits: Use of Arbitrators  Good Guy/Bad Guy  Feel, Felt, Found Formula  Dumb is Smart; Smart is Dumb

Let Them Know Who's Boss

Let Them Know Who's Boss

   

When shipping materials to a project, whether you are from out of town, out of province or even from outside of Canada, make your company visible! Inform all relevant parties that you are providing materials to the project through a "Pre-Lien Notice", also known as a "Notice of Furnishing". This notice will be sent to the property owner, the general contractor, and, if different, the company that hired you to supply materials. The letter will outline a description of the materials you are providing, the project location, contact information for your company, as well as, state that your company requires payment to be received in a timely matter in accordance to your invoice(s). This can be an effective tool when informing relevant parties of your involvement within the project.

Lien-Pro offers this service for $50 + disbursements. Notices will be sent out via standard Canada Post or, if requested, through registered mail with Canada Post.

If you have any questions please call  

1-866-266-0117 ext. 350

Negotiating 101 . . . part 3  

• Personality Styles - The hardest type of person to negotiate with is someone who is your direct opposite.  For example an Extrovert and an Analytical will clash.  The same goes for an Amiable and a Pragmatic.  Pragmatics and Extroverts tend to be more assertive.  Amiable and Extrovert are more emotional.
• Where to Sit in Negotiations - When you're negotiating with two people, sit where you can see both at the same time.  When you have two people on your negotiating team: sit apart so you "speak with two different voices".  If you have a large group opposing a small group: keep together for power.  When they have a large group opposing your small group: intermingle to diffuse their power.
• 5 Characteristics of a Successful Negotiation - 1) Both sides feel a sense of accomplishment, 2) Both sides feel the other side cared, 3) Both sides feel the other side was fair, 4) Each side would deal with the other again, 5) Each side feels the other will keep the bargain.

In the next newsletter we will cover the following Gambits:

• The Nibble 
• The Hot Potato
• Higher Authority Gambit
• The Set Aside Technique