What to Do About a Chargeback
The money is taken back first and the argument happens afterwards. That reversal of order is what makes chargebacks feel so unfair, and it is also what tells you how to prepare.
When to Write Off a Bad Debt
There is a point where an unpaid invoice stops being money you are owed and becomes a subscription to feeling bad. Recognizing it is a decision, not a defeat.
Should You Take Card Payments?
The argument against cards is a number you can see. The argument for them is a number you cannot, which is why most people get this decision backwards.
Getting Paid by Commercial Clients
A homeowner decides to pay you. A company processes you. Those are completely different things, and most first commercial invoices are late for reasons that have nothing to do with willingness.
Should You Charge Late Fees?
A late fee you do not enforce is worse than no late fee at all - it is a written statement that your terms are decoration. Most people write one and never charge it.
When a Client Says the Work Wasn't Good Enough
Most complaints about quality are not about quality. They are about a difference between what you thought was included and what they thought was included, and that difference was created before you started.
Should You Take a Deposit?
A deposit is not a way of being paid earlier. It is protection against two specific risks, and if a job carries neither of them you are adding friction for nothing.
How to Write an Invoice That Gets Paid Faster
Most late payment is not a customer refusing to pay. It is an invoice that was easy to set aside. A handful of details decide which kind of invoice yours is.
A Customer Hasn't Paid. Now What?
One bad debt and one bad habit look identical on a list of invoices. They look completely different once the money is bucketed by how late it is - and they need completely different responses.