Home
>
Small Business
>
Encouraging Your Customers to Pay On Time

Encouraging Your Customers to Pay On Time

Nothing can drive a business down faster than customers who don't pay their bills as agreed. When you sell to customers on credit you are making an agreement with them. You will provide them with goods or services in exchange for their payment within the terms you agree upon. Period.

What I'm seeing more and more of is businesses using their suppliers as banks. Taking 60-90 days or more to pay a bill is becoming more and more common. I've seen some business owners shrug their shoulders and just accept that nothing can be done about it. That's just the way it is.

Naturally, I disagree with that approach. The reason you grant credit is to increase sales. But, the sales you want more of are the sales that pay and don't drag your business kicking and screaming into the Cash Flow Swamp.

So, what's a business owner to do?

Late paying customers can create a serious threat to the survival of your business. Whether you're just starting out or you've been in business for awhile, it's a critical business function to develop a solid plan to get paid.

Here's an example of a solid plan:

You decide your business will not grant credit. You decide to be paid up front before you provide services or products. You get set up to accept credit cards or use Paypal (or both). You communicate in no uncertain terms (nicely but firmly) what your payment terms are. You explain that payment is due before (or at) the time of service or purchase and that you accept cash, checks, money orders, credit cards and Paypal. Period. Then, you stick to it with no exceptions. You make that a condition of doing business. Communicate it firmly and respectfully. Don't waffle or apologize. People who take advantage of others can sense weakness. So can people who always have a tale of hard luck and woe. It's human nature.

Remember, late paying or nonpaying customers are endangering the survival of your business. These are not the customers you want to do business with. You'll have nothing to show for your work but stress and poverty. If you want to do some of your work for people in tough situations, donate your time but do it with the understanding that the majority of your time has to be spent on work that pays.

If you're working on a big project, set the expectations before you start so that a condition of doing the project is incremental payments. A percent before you begin, a percent during the project at specified intervals, and the remainder due on completion. This gives you the option of stopping work if you're not getting paid.

As with all areas of business, the best Defense is a good Offense. Set the standard for how you'll be paid, communicate it, and stick to it.

Caroline Jordan is a small business mentor and consultant helping small business owners understand, diagnose, and improve cash flow in their businesses. For more information and resources to improve cash flow visit http://www.thejordanresult.com/mastering.html.

affordable house cleaning Park Ridge ..

In The News:

Holiday shopping scams surge as fake refund emails target distracted consumers during Black Friday and holiday seasons, costing Americans billions annually.

The AI-powered IRMO M1 exoskeleton features four modes, including turbo, eco, training and rest for hiking, running, cycling and sports with eight-hour battery life.

OpenAI announced upgrades for its ChatGPT Images platform on Tuesday, saying the program can now make more precise edits and produce images more quickly.

Chrome for Android now turns web articles into AI-powered podcast conversations. Get hands-free browsing with Google Gemini's natural audio summaries.

LastPass faces $1.6 million fine from U.K. regulators after 2022 data breach exposed 1.6 million users. Password manager failed proper security controls.

Petco disclosed a data breach exposing customer Social Security numbers, financial account details, and driver's license information due to a software error.

Baseball teams can now analyze complete swing mechanics in normal training environments using Theia's markerless AI system that processes standard high-speed footage.

Smart home hacking fears overblown? Expert reveals real cybersecurity risks and simple protection tips to keep your connected devices safe from hackers.

MIT develops needle-free glucose monitor using light technology. Revolutionary device could replace painful finger pricks for diabetes management.

The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

Encouraging Your Customers to Pay On Time

Small Business