*see you run do or have been self-employed. Do you find that clients appreciate being chased for money multiple times within 24-48 hours of an invoice being issued, or do you find that you are less likely to get repeat business if you come across as a pain in the arse? Do you find that customers trust you les if they think you're right on the breadline and need cash instantaneously?
If you require payment literally immediately upon issuing an invoice do you make this EXPLICITLY clear at the outset so that the customer can put things into place to enable immediate payment (eg get cash out in advance, or set up payment details in advance?)*
I’m no longer self employed but I used to run kids after school classes. I requested a deposit to secure a place. This covered the first two sessions. The invoice was issued on confirmation of the place with the balance due in full 14 days after the date of the first session. A reminder was issued after 7 days. All made explicitly clear on the paperwork.
Dh is a private tutor. He generally takes cash each lesson as it’s a small amount or some will pay by bank transfer. He sends the invoice and expects payment within 24 hours if a weekday or the next working day if a weekend. But it’s less than £50 so much easier to set up new payees.
When my dad was self employed he would issue an invoice (or rather he’d get my mum to). His invoices stated Payment now due and customers would be chased after 7 days depending on how the invoice was sent. He still now sends a lot of invoices out by post & he still accepts cheques! He doesn’t get domestic customers email addresses. Back in the day he used to have a duplicate invoice pad he’d write them out on and give them to the customer on leaving. Sometimes he would request cash on completion but that would have been stated in advance and he’d have an invoice prepared or have issued a pro-forma.
He wouldn’t have dreamed of chasing a customer over the weekend or a bank holiday. That looks unprofessional.
The joiner who fitted my kitchen recently requested cash on completion. But he gave me plenty of notice so me and Dh could arrange it (we can only take £250 per day out of the cash point).