The use of purchase orders is quaint 19th century accounting practice that slows purchasing to the point of near-paralysis. It permits school districts to delay payment for goods until some more convenient time. I know this because I work for a school district! I also know that every school district out there has credit cards available for those situations in which PO’s aren’t accepted.
Because Laser-Cut Planes is a one-person, web-based microbusiness with zero office staff, I simply don’t have the capacity to participate in the exchange of snail-mail (“you send a PO, I send a bill, you send a check”) that the use of PO’s calls for. That just slows things down and keeps planes out of the hands of teachers and students. I regard POs as purely internal to the school or district. I don’t require them. The check alone suffices. And even then, I’d prefer that the district order from the website, just as would any other customer.
To put it another way, just as individuals have to pay at the time of purchase, so too do institutions. It’s only fair. Upon receipt of funds, the kits will be cut and the order fulfilled in accordance with the same constraints (time, sleep, work) as are all orders. I most certainly do appreciate the orders and the additional income this generates for my family, and I hope you continue to do business with me.
Thank you,
John