Getting paid faster, and chasing the ones who don't

Invoice the day the job finishes

The single biggest driver of payment speed is how quickly you invoice. An invoice sent while the customer is still pleased with the work gets paid; one sent three weeks later arrives as an unwelcome surprise.

Take deposits and stage payments

Ask for a deposit to cover materials before you order them, and stage payments on anything running longer than a couple of weeks. You should never be funding a customer's project out of your own account.

Make paying frictionless

• Bank details on the invoice itself, not in a separate message.
• The invoice number as the payment reference.
• A due date written as a real date.
• A clear document link with a downloadable PDF.

A chasing routine that works

• Two days before due: a friendly "just a heads-up, this is due Friday". This alone prevents most overdue invoices.
• Day after due: short reminder, re-attach the invoice, assume it was simply missed.
• Day 7: phone call. Ask if there is a problem with the work or the paperwork — you need to know either way.
• Day 14: formal written reminder stating the amount, the days overdue and that interest may be applied.
• Day 30: letter before action, then the small claims route for undisputed debts.

You can charge interest

On commercial debts, UK legislation lets you claim statutory interest at 8% above the Bank of England base rate, plus a fixed compensation sum that rises with the size of the debt. You do not have to use it, but mentioning that the right exists often moves a stalled payment.

Know when to stop working

If stage one is unpaid, do not start stage two. Carrying on in the hope of goodwill is how a small unpaid balance becomes a large one.