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As a small business owner, you have to make sure that you are doing everything you can to get paid on time, every time. Late-paying clients are an issue for any business owner, and that is why you need to deal with them in the most effective way possible. If you want to deal with late-paying clients, then there are some very easy ways for you to do that.
Remember that you Deserve the Money
It’s understandable that you don’t want to feel like a pest, and most people don’t like reminding others that they need to pay but you need to deal with your late-paying clients as much as possible. If you want to try and get around this, then you need to try and ask people to pay up-front if you can. You should never feel bad about asking people to pay for what you are owed. At the end of the day, you have worked hard for that money and they should be the ones who are feeling bad, not you. If you have provided a service or a product to someone, then it is not their money at all. If you need a collection service then check out: https://www.cannabizcollects.com/.
Establish Clear Deadlines
One way for you to contend with late-paying clients would be for you to establish immovable deadlines. The client will need to sign a contract with you before you start the work. 60-90 payment deadlines might be very common in business, but you should never adopt them just because you know that other businesses are. If you risk throwing your own monthly payments because your clients are not paying up in time, then make sure that you set the deadline earlier.
Adopt Incentives
There really are many things that you can do to try and discourage late payments while also protecting your business. First of all, consider offering some kind of incentive so you can encourage your clients to pay early. This could be a percentage discount or it could be money off their next order. You can even give them a free upgrade on their next buy as well. Either way, when you do this, you will soon find that you are able to reap the benefits and you can also really serve your customers well at the same time.
Automate Invoicing
If you have a late-paying client, then there’s a chance that you will become familiar with following-up. This can be a very time-consuming process if not done right, so consider investing in a program to take care of it for you. When you do, you will soon find that you are able to save tons of time and you may also find that everything becomes way easier.
Don’t Get Angry
Your business is so dependent on cash flow, and late-paying clients can make it incredibly difficult for you to be calm. If you want to help yourself then you have to make sure that you don’t get angry at this because if you do then you may find that you end up really risking your reputation.
