How to Avoid Overdue Invoices from Clients

No one likes waiting for a payment from a client. It’s stressful, and you find yourself refreshing your email inbox obsessively, waiting for an update or a notification that they’ve finally paid you. That’s no way to live. You deserve to be paid for your work in a timely manner, and you shouldn’t put up with flakey clients who don’t fulfill their financial promises to you. We have just one tip to stop late payments forever.

Change the way you ask your clients for payment

 

Stop telling them that you’ll be getting paid after the work is done. When you go to the doctor’s office, they collect payment before your appointment. At the grocery store, you have to pay before you can take your food home and eat it. So your work should be the same way. However, there are going to be few people who feel comfortable forking over an entire sum before seeing any of your work.

 

Be consistent

 

If you want to be paid upfront, make sure that you’re credible. If you have a strong clientele, or any sort of reference that can vouch for you, it should be easier to demand your payment before you begin work.

 

50/50

 

Instead of asking for the entire lump sum of payment before starting to work, ask them to pay 50% before you start, and then 50% when you’re half way done, if they feel more comfortable with this. It would be worth offering them a small discount(such as 5-10% off) if they pay the entire payment before you begin work. This will appeal to a lot of people, because everyone loves a good deal or discount. And if they want to do the two installments of payment, you still get that 5-10% they would’ve saved by paying upfront. Either way, you’re receiving payment before beginning work.

 

Always have everything in writing

 

Never agree to work for someone without the agreement written down and signed in a contract. By not having a contract, you can get yourself into some sticky situations if the client doesn’t want to pay or they try to say that you’re not giving them the work that you agreed to. It’s just safer in every situation to have everything in writing. Having a contract will also put your clients at ease, as they will know that they are protected if you don’t hold up your end of the deal, and they’ll be more likely to pay upfront like you want.