I have noticed my accountant and other traders are invoicing with please pay with in 14 working days got me thinking I should start this also does anyone else do this? Nearly all prity much pay with in a week but odd one here and there take ages I clean a school once a year and that takes a month it’s not a big deal but lot of cash to not get that week as a sole trader
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Invoices
- Thread starter tench0771
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ched999uk
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I have 'Payment within 48hrs where possible is appreciated' on the bottom of my squeegee emails but I don't do many commercials. The invoices say that payment is due the same day as I clean the windows. Anyone who hasn't paid within about 4 days gets a reminder txt. I normally only have to remind a couple a week.
I think you will probably have to accept 30 days payment on bigger commercial jobs as it does take them time for the invoice to work it's way through the system.
I think you will probably have to accept 30 days payment on bigger commercial jobs as it does take them time for the invoice to work it's way through the system.
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- Teesside
Schools can take time, especially if the local council is responsible for payment. I found, even with regular follow-ups/chase-ups, they dragged their payment heels.
We got cancelled after 10 years as the school became an Academy and they employed their own cleaners - that was the story anyway. I wasn't sorry to lose that job, although it did 'force' me to upgrade my r/o system to a 4040 which I'm very glad I did.
I'm so pleased I don't have many commercial jobs left, as I eventually got sick of chasing payment.
Yes I do this doesn't make a spot of difference.
Every company have there own payment terms.
I've got 2 that pays within a week
The rest within a month.
And one whenever they feel like it worth it though £300 for 1.5 hrs work
You just have to get in sync with them if they become that bad just get rid
Every company have there own payment terms.
I've got 2 that pays within a week
The rest within a month.
And one whenever they feel like it worth it though £300 for 1.5 hrs work
You just have to get in sync with them if they become that bad just get rid
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I bill on Squeegee with 7 day payment terms. The plan is always a reminder on day 8, then again on day 14. Text on day 16. Cancelled if they don't pay within 48hours of the text. That said well over two thirds of my customers are on GoCardless. Another chunk are cash payers. The only bank transfer ones are either long standing customers or people who's direct debits failed once or were cancelled because of a bank account change and have decided to switch to paying manually. Sad thing is it's the same old handful of people who are always late paying. Same as my last job in that sense.
@tench0771 I get frustrated when people need to be chased. I usually find its the ones with bigger houses and more money that need to be chased up repeatedly. I've only ever done a couple of commercial jobs and they always took a while to settle up. I think @ched999uk is right that schools probably have their own payment terms and run payments on certain dates. I might also steal that "payment to be made within 48 hours" idea and put it on bills as that seems a very good idea 
.
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@tench0771 I get frustrated when people need to be chased. I usually find its the ones with bigger houses and more money that need to be chased up repeatedly. I've only ever done a couple of commercial jobs and they always took a while to settle up. I think @ched999uk is right that schools probably have their own payment terms and run payments on certain dates. I might also steal that "payment to be made within 48 hours" idea and put it on bills as that seems a very good idea
Most commercial clients pay on a 28 day from invoice date process , others have set dates that they make payments so depending on the date they get your invoice it might get paid straight away or could be just after there payment date so will be a longer time before you receive payment, I have one large client that’s like this sometimes its due the next clean before payment for the previous one has been paid but it’s no big deal all businesses have cash flow constantly coming in some months more or less than others .
All my commercial invoices state payment on completion but that doesn’t make them pay up any quicker
Did a job worth over 1k Friday and no idea when it will actually be in my bank but a good client with several projects that get put my way so I just wait for it
It all sits in the bank anyway once paid
The domestic windows I do and add on jobs / softwashing keeps the money coming in regular
Did a job worth over 1k Friday and no idea when it will actually be in my bank but a good client with several projects that get put my way so I just wait for it
It all sits in the bank anyway once paid
The domestic windows I do and add on jobs / softwashing keeps the money coming in regular
I only remember the old company I worked for before being a window cleaner, they were something like "28 days end of month" or similar, so sometimes people would ring up because they'd been waiting for weeks to get paid for work. Technically they may end up waiting up to 59 days in total, if you see what I mean. I have a friend who only really does large jobs. Really big blocks of flats and buildings etc. The first 6 weeks or so were difficult, but after that it was consistent cashflow - and he likes that he can basically work all year round without much difficulty. He just goes to one or two larger jobs each day and then goes home. The 48 hour thing I'm thinking of just my residential customers - most are ok but a few are a nuisance for needing chasing up.
ched999uk
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I'm not saying it works perfectly but I feel better when I have to chase the usual suspects.
Thanks mate. I'll just put a polite note on, but hopefully it will hurry them up a bit.
Bell Pallisey
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iv found Commercial can pay me out of the till.I iNSIST ON IT
Jaygti
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I work for a large car dealership chain. I do 2 BMW sites, they both pay on 60 day terms- take it or leave it.
They pay very well and usually pay after 6 weeks , so it’s well worth doing.
They pay very well and usually pay after 6 weeks , so it’s well worth doing.
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- Sunderland Tyne and Wear
At the end of the day if you need money quickly then commercial is probably not the type of business you need.
As long as they stick to their payment terms then once the 1st payment hits you're cash flow is sorted
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Most of my jobs pay via GoCardless money in the bank within 5 working days, there are ones that pay via bacs that I have to text to remind them to pay which are few and far between, but I forget to put cards through when I'm done so it's my fault anyway, sometimes I text customers from my worksheet when I'm sat in my van it's just as easy as writing a card out a walking back across the road.
I stopped putting calling cards through for the vast majority during covid and haven't bothered since as the GC customers get an email at the end of each day.
I stopped putting calling cards through for the vast majority during covid and haven't bothered since as the GC customers get an email at the end of each day.
Bell Pallisey
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i like my handwrittcalling cards
the original i handwrote in 2008 and i print off copies -usually spend the xmas break printing thousands inc flyers
