Been in the service game for a bit, and it’s always a challenge to keep things organized. The administrative tasks never seem to get easier.
Now I’m facing clients who conveniently forget to pay on time. Am I too lenient with my reminders, or is there a workaround I’m missing?
Stop work the second payment is late. Don’t touch the project until they pay up. Clients often find money quickly when their work grinds to a halt. I got burned too many times working for people who already owed me. Payment terms are requirements, not suggestions.
Late payments are frustrating. I allow 5 days past the due date for payment. If I have to, I send a direct follow-up. If another week goes by without payment, I add a late fee to their next invoice. This usually helps.
I take a chunk before starting. It helps.
Admin gets messy fast if you don’t stay on top of it. Learned this the hard way.
What works for me:
For late payers, I send one polite reminder at 5 days overdue. After that, I call directly. Most people hate phone calls about money so they pay quickly to avoid another one.
Key is being consistent. Let one client slide and they all think they can do it. I treat payment like any other business requirement now.
I send reminders on specific days.
Day 1 gets a friendly email.
Day 7, I’m calling them.
Day 14, they get a formal notice with late fees.
Shorter payment terms changed everything. Went from Net 30 to Net 15. Clients who always paid late now settle around day 20.
I batch all my admin work. Mondays are for invoices, Wednesdays for follow-ups, Fridays for books. Trying to do this stuff daily made me crazy.