Your CSP Publishing Options
You have choices about where you can publish your Certificates of Substantial Performance (CSP) to comply with Ontario Construction Act regulations, and clear your holdback.
In deciding where to publish, consider these points:
1) Does your CSP provider make you prepay for the service?
Some publishes expect you to provide your credit card number at the time of placing your order, or arrange a "bulk prepayment" -- with no financial savings for the commitment. Others allow you to book your notice, and select the form of payment most convenient to your business (cheque, credit card, or direct bank deposit -- AFTER you are satisfied that the publication has been completed successfully.
2) Have you been asked to sign a contract for the "Best Rates"?
Do you have freedom to manage your CSP publishing relationships as you wish, and obtain the best possible rates (including price caps for multiple CSP orders annually)? Or, to obtain these savings, do you need to sign a contract and commit to paying the full cost -- even though you cannot always predict exactly your requirements?
3) Are you currently under contract for CSP ads? When does it end?
Related to this question, you may indeed have committed to a contract. You certainly shouldn't break it and incur costly penalties. But if you know about options and significant savings (with maximum flexibility) when your contract ends, you can decide whether to renew or consider one of the alternative publishers
4) Do you prefer to review your CSP ads before being published or would you prefer the CSP providen to review for you?
There are different approaches to reviewing and "proofing" CSP notices. In one model, the total do-it-yourself approach, you enter the data online and accept the advertisement, as published, even if there are errors. At another level, some publishers allow you to email the original CSP. Their staff do the data entry, and send you a proof for review/approval before publishing. A third option is to simply request the publisher to provide the review/proofing service -- which can be a true time-saver, especially if the publisher guarantees to rerun the notice advertisement without charge, even if the error is yours. Note that the proofing process really helps catch errors before publication, ultimately avoiding delays in holdback collection if your notice needs to be republished.
5) How do you make your decisions?
If you wish, you can communicate with Chase at Ontario Construction News by email at chase@ontarioconstructionnews.com for a free account review/discussion, and a free "test drive" CSP notice in OCN, with no further obligation. (This free offer is available if your business/related entity has not previously accepted a free offer from OCN). You can then compare the options and relative value of the different CSP publishers, and determine which makes the most sense for your business.