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ARTICLES FOR BETTER BUSINESS

Contract disputes are one of the most common types of complaints received by BBB. Often, consumers believe a business has not fulfilled its end of the bargain or they are unclear about a section of the contract. Because many contracts can be worded in a way that may be confusing, BBB recommends business owners make sure all terms and conditions in their contracts are easily understood.

Take a look at the way your contracts are written. BBB provides these tips to help keep your customers and your business on the same page.

 

1. Keep the language simple
Legal jargon can confuse many consumers. Use short sentences, small paragraphs and clearly labeled headings that highlight what is in each section of the contract.

 

2. List every detail
Include every task that is to be performed, no matter how long it will take to be completed. This allows your customers to know step-by-step what is being done, how it is being done and what materials are being used to get it done. It may be wise to leave space in the contract for items that are negotiable with your customers, or items that can be customized. This ensures anything that is verbally agreed upon will also be in writing.

 

3. Be specific about the timeframe
Your customers need to know when to expect your work will be completed. Some projects can be time consuming, but putting an expected timeframe for each phase of the job in the contract can help keep you and your customers on the same page throughout the process. Be sure to communicate with your customers should anything fall behind schedule. If the completion date is delayed, make sure it is communicated to your customers in writing.

 

4. Itemize all costs involved
Include the specific materials used to complete the job, the labor costs, taxes and any discounts you may have offered. Make sure to set a timeframe for when payment is due if the customer can pay in installments. List the types of payment you will take, whether it is check, credit or debit card. Consider using an escrow company for larger jobs.

 

5. Include any warranties or guarantees
Your business should stand behind its work, so make sure to include information about warranties, as this is a common consumer complaint. Specify what is covered under warranty, such as materials and/or labor. Make sure your customers know if they should contact you or the manufacturer for repairs or replacement parts.

City-wide Trail Plan Proposed for Dripping Springs

 

The City of Dripping Springs will hold a public meeting to gather input from interested persons regarding a proposed city-wide trail plan on Monday, June 18, 2012, at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, located at 511 Mercer St. The plan is being developed in response to the City's desire to move forward with goals and recommendations of the Dripping Springs Comprehensive Plan. When the plan was adopted in 2010, an extensive public input processidentified values for the community: one of the values states that "Dripping Springs is a Sustainable Community."

 

To achieve sustainability Dripping Springs will need to address mobility within the city. The Comprehensive Plan goals and recommendations encourage walking and cycling throughout the community by creating a network of both on and off street paths that will connect city parks, schools and other popular destinations throughout Dripping Springs.

 

A committee consisting of members of the Dripping Springs City Council, Parks and Recreation Commission, Planning and Zoning Commission and city staff developed the proposed trail system and the results will be presented at the meeting on Monday, June 18, 2012. The plan as presented proposes to use existing trails in city parks, the city transportation plan and future potential connectors throughout the city to achieve the goal of increased mobility within the city.

 

The proposed trail plan will be available for review at City Hall and on the City's website, www.cityofdrippingsprings.com , on June 11th.

 

For more information on the proposed trail plan, please call Planning Director Jon Thompson at City Hall at 512-858-4725.

    

 

The Hays County Transportation Plan team wants to take the opportunity to bring you up-to-date on where we are with the process of developing the County Transportation Plan.

 

Since the first public workshop in December, the project team, the Citizens Advisory Group, and the Technical Advisory Group have been busy reviewing and processing additional technical data (such as crash data) and public comments. We are very excited to have received so much and such thoughtful input. In addition, we have been working with the Citizens Advisory Group and Technical Advisory Group to outline the framework under which we will begin to develop specific recommendations for the Plan. This did take us a little bit more time than planned and we find ourselves having to make a choice between taking the time to be thoughtful and deliberate in our thinking and with our resources or rushing to get done. Of course we have chosen to be thoughtful and deliberate in our thinking and efficient with our resources so we are going to take a bit more time to prepare for the next public workshop. This means that instead of hearing from us before the end of May or beginning of June you are going to see an announcement for a late June or early July workshop. We hope you understand and that after you see what we are working on you will appreciate this extra time we are taking.

 

We will send you a notice once the public meeting date is set and please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.

 

Please forward this information to members of your community that you think may be interested in the process, have concerns, or ideas that will help meet the future transportation, accessibility, and safety needs of HaysCounty as it continues to grow. To sign up to receive email updates directly or to submit questions or comments, please contact us at: haystransportationplan@gmail.com or contact Cathy Howell at 512-533-9100, ext. 10.

 

Thank you again for your involvement,

Hays County Transportation Plan Team