Been freelancing for years and still getting burned by clients who disappear after the work’s done. Last month alone had two invoices go unpaid - one for $2,800 that’s now three months overdue.
Starting to realize I need some kind of safety net built into my business model. Currently living project to project and it’s getting stressful when payments don’t come through on time.
Just start putting something away, even if it’s fifty bucks. Better than nothing when clients ghost you.
That $2,800 hit sucks. Been there.
What actually worked for me:
For overdue invoices, be direct. After 60 days I call them - email’s too easy to ignore.
Hardest lesson: some clients won’t pay. I used to waste weeks chasing $500 invoices. Now it’s three tries, then I’m done. That time’s better spent finding new work.
Once you’re ahead by just one month of expenses, everything changes. You can actually say no to sketchy clients.
Been there. Started asking for 50% upfront on anything over $1K - lost some clients but the ones who stayed were way better.
I also put away $200-300 every month in a separate account. When payments are late, I’m not stressed about rent.
For overdue invoices, I send weekly reminders after 30 days. Most people just forgot, but if they keep ignoring you, they probably weren’t paying anyway. Sometimes you just write it off.
Upfront payments changed everything. Clients who won’t pay half upfront are usually the problem ones.
Same here - get something upfront or just walk away
Stop taking big projects until you’ve got cash saved up. Those $2,800 jobs hurt way more when they don’t pay.
I switched to smaller work when I was in your spot. Multiple $500 jobs instead of one big one. Money comes in faster and you spread the risk.
Also helps having regular clients who always pay on time, even if the rates are lower.
Start building your buffer immediately. Take 20% of every payment and drop it into a separate account - that’s your unpaid invoice fund. Never touch it. I always use milestone payments for new clients. Break big projects into chunks and get paid for each before starting the next one. Cuts your risk way down. Don’t chase dead invoices past 90 days unless it’s serious money. Send them to collections or write them off. Your time’s worth more than playing phone tag with deadbeats.