Running my own service business has been a journey, but dealing with unpaid invoices is getting out of hand. It started off manageable, but now I’m left chasing clients who disappear after delivery.
Is this a common issue now? It seems like every project turns into a hassle for payment. I can’t help but wonder if there’s a better approach I should be taking at the start.
This happens constantly. I now ask for half upfront before touching any work.
Write down clear payment terms from day one. Clients behave when they know you’re serious about getting paid.
Yeah happens to me too. I just ask for cash upfront now.
Chasing payments is a pain. I get paid upfront now. Clients respect that.
Yeah, this happens all the time in service businesses. Clients ghosting after delivery is way more common than anyone admits.
Here’s what actually works:
They disappear because they know they can. Most freelancers won’t chase hard since it’s awkward.
I treat payment like any other project requirement now. No upfront payment plan? No project. Cuts out problem clients before you waste time.
Good clients never balk at paying upfront or hitting milestones. The ones who fight payment terms are the same ones who’ll ghost you later.
Had this same problem three years ago. Lost almost $8k to clients who just vanished.
What changed everything was switching my whole approach. Instead of chasing money after delivery, I made collection part of my sales process.
Now I tell prospects upfront that payment issues killed my last business relationship with a client. Makes it clear I’m serious about getting paid without being aggressive.
I also started requiring references from other vendors they work with. If they can’t provide any, that’s a red flag. Good clients always have other people they pay regularly.
The key thing I learned is that clients who plan to pay you act completely different from day one. They ask about payment terms, they respond to contracts quickly, they don’t negotiate every little detail.
Problem clients always have the same pattern. They’re vague about budgets, they want to start immediately, and they make payment terms sound like an afterthought.
Once you see the pattern, it’s easy to spot them before you waste time.
Set payment terms upfront - no negotiation. I got burned early on and now I take 50% before I start, remaining 50% before they get the final work. Period. For big clients, I run credit checks. Everything goes in writing with clear deadlines. If they push back on payment terms, they’re probably the type who won’t pay anyway.