It’s frustrating dealing with clients who take their time paying. I’m considering if solid written agreements with specific deadlines might help me manage unpaid invoices better.
Sending reminders feels like playing a game of chance at this point.
Written agreements only work if you enforce them when clients miss deadlines.
I include a clause that stops all work after 10 days of late payment. Used it twice - both clients paid within 24 hours.
Make sure your agreement has teeth, not just nice words about payment dates.
Skip written agreements entirely. Invoice when you deliver and never leave without getting paid. On bigger jobs, I get paid at each milestone - not at the end. Materials delivered? They pay that portion. Framing done? Another payment. This keeps cash flowing and stops the ‘we’ll pay next month’ runaround. Once clients know work stops until they pay, they suddenly find the money.
I just send invoices and move on. People either pay or they don’t.
Written payment terms help, but you need to get money upfront. I take 50% down on most jobs. Clients are less likely to bail after they’ve invested. The rest is paid when I finish. No net 30 or anything like that. Clients who won’t pay upfront often turn out to be slow payers. Avoid the headache and work with clients who pay from the start.
Written agreements definitely help. Most people pay faster when there’s a clear deadline staring at them.
Tried written agreements years back - helped a bit but not much.
Progress billing is what actually worked. Instead of one massive invoice at the end, I break projects into chunks and bill after each piece. Clients pay smaller amounts regularly, so I’m not stuck waiting months for one huge payment.
I also call now instead of just sending email reminders. Takes longer but actually works. People ignore emails but they’ll talk on the phone. Keep it friendly and just ask when they can pay.
Written agreements are nice to have for reference, but most payment delays are cash flow issues, not clients trying to screw you over.
Reminders are just part of the game. Written agreements help but aren’t magic.
What works for me:
- Invoice immediately after finishing work
- Follow up at 7 days, not 30
- Be direct in follow-ups
- Track repeat slow payers
Best trick? Qualify clients upfront. Ask about their payment process during initial calls. Clients who dodge payment talk usually become problems.
I keep a simple spreadsheet - who pays fast vs. who drags it out. Makes prioritizing work easier when I’m swamped.
Written agreements are fine, but your time’s better spent finding clients who actually pay on time.
Honestly, written agreements are just the starting point. What matters is what you do when deadlines get ignored.
Here’s what actually works:
- Late fees that hurt - 2% per month is nothing, but 5% gets their attention
- Shorter payment terms - Net 15 instead of Net 30 gives you more time to chase
- Real consequences - Stop work? Charge interest? Put it in writing
The agreement won’t make people pay faster. But having something concrete to reference when chasing payment definitely helps.
I still send reminder emails, but now I can point to specific terms we both signed. Makes it way less awkward.
Most clients pay when they see deadlines.
Written agreements don’t fix the real problem - most clients know when they should pay you. They just don’t want to.
I wasted years chasing the same slow payers. They’d sign contracts with Net 15 terms, then pay in 45 days anyway. The paperwork changed nothing.
Switching clients fixed everything. Now I ask prospects about payment during our first call. How do you handle invoices? Who approves them? What’s your timeline?
Vague answers or money awkwardness? I’m out. But clients who say “we cut checks every Friday” or “our bookkeeper pays within 10 days” actually do what they promise.
This saved me way more time than perfect contracts ever did. Sometimes you don’t fix the process - you find people who won’t break it.
Cash up front works better than any contract.
Payment terms work way better when you charge for the hassle of chasing money.
I tack on a service fee for late payments - covers my time sending reminders and making calls. Usually $25 per follow-up after the first one.
Clients pay way faster when they know bugging me costs them extra.