Got money left in this year’s comms budget? Spend it wisely.

Autumn is the sweetest season. Weather turns pleasant, trees change to beautiful and Ragan Consulting fields requests from comms directors eager to pay today for projects tomorrow. We’re happy to oblige. We all know what happens to unspent budgets.

I’m a graphic design consultant who’s worked with Ragan Consulting for 10 years. I was on my own for several decades before that. I often had clients who’ve paid upfront. On a couple occasions, though, things got downright weird. These are my tales from the front — or, rather, the back — of the budget year.

Missing Persons

In October 2004, a VP at an information services company called me on the phone (when people still did that). I’d worked with him for a couple years on employee communications. Got to know him well enough that I designed a logo for his son’s hockey team for free. On the call, he said he had a project for me that would start in January and cost $10,000. Could I please invoice him for the entire amount within the hour?

Why, certainly! The check arrived in late November.