[seandyer2003]

i did sae rigidly for 18 mnths on the whole it worked well , but about 20% were consistently late... i now do collecting again ...yes its a pain , but cashflow is a thing of the past...i still leave an envelope and stamp if they are out when i collect, and on long distance work i leave an sae....

Thats my plan.....one gone monthly and one cancelled today but picked up loads this week, one to cover them two, a one off frame and wc that might want cleaning till he moves out, and a £13 and £10 where i already work, and someone has stopped working that street so i should pick up almost £100 i reckon

so all good!!

[alanwilson]

we have a float in the business account which I pay staff, my son and myself from, a set wage each week (unless the boys do overtime in which case obviously they get more).

This ensures that even when a lot of payments are late there is never a problem with cash flow.

the float has gotten very low a few times though

[edd]

JAM JARS ARE THE BEST!!

problem crusties get the jam jar put a cheque in it and when it appears on door step
replace back in hiding place with another cheque works a treat for some old gits

[Wayne Thomas]

I've noticed customers sending cheques later and later as the months go by. I'm not bothered, I charge them a £2.50 late payment/administration charge which they pay, but frustrating all the same. I use it as a guide for who's becoming a risky customer that may eventually need dropping. No point having customers that eventually stop paying or become so late paying they become high risk.

[bwoofie]

Sorry, but forget about envelopes and the fancy stuff- you clean their windows-you want paying straight away (or call back later)
You buy a loaf from Mr Tesco- he wants his money straightaway dont he?
Nuff said
you run a business not a charity

[Wayne Thomas]

Sorry, but forget about envelopes and the fancy stuff- you clean their windows-you want paying straight away (or call back later)
You buy a loaf from Mr Tesco- he wants his money straightaway dont he?
Nuff said
you run a business not a charity

It's a complete waste of time calling back for money for me. Most are out and I've no intentions of driving around for hours wasting diesel and my time trying to catch a couple people in. All the holiday home owners live upcountry or as far away as Japan and that's a bit too far too collect
My customers can pay by cheque, postal order, cash, online by paypal or credit card, standing order and BACs. If that isn't easy enough for them then they are obviously bad payers who I wouldn't want as customers.

[bwoofie]

Just leave em a curt note with your mobile number asking them to ring you when they are going to be in.
Cheques take 7 days to clear, waste of time

[windowwashers]

Just leave em a curt note with your mobile number asking them to ring you when they are going to be in.
Cheques take 7 days to clear, waste of time

Collecting is a total waste of time, something your not paid for, and they say they will be in and then go out, cheque / postal order in the post, online or pay if they are there. Collecting sod that stopped that many years ago (because or the first sentence)
If I collected now I would be out every day of the week every evening 7 days a weeks again sod that. Get real and get them to post and stop wasting your own time. Time is money and collecting is time losed and money not earnt (you cant argue with that as it is true)

[dai]

I have one £13 job that's giving me grief, I clean for three months, if they haven't paid in three months they don't get done.
 The last time I did this job both the Porche and the Lexus were on the drive, Great they are in I thought, when I knocked there was no answer, maybe they're away on holiday, I came back an hour later and spotted an open window, knocked again, still no answer, went back 30 mins later and the porche had gone, still no answer.
I left a slip and an envelope asking for my £39. Nothing, and they're due again tomorrow.
This is on a posh Marina complex, and many of my customers pay up to a year in advance.

[jefftemperley]

must admit ive noticed payments slowing up too. i have online , s/o and freepost payments available (no need for stamps and only get charged for the ones used ) and george tells me i have £1500+ outstanding i was considering a catch all letter to all my custys explaining what late payments mean to a window cleaner

[scud]

  I to am having a slow response to payment at the moment, we were discussing this the other day and the upshot of this is I think I will start collecting from the more local jobs on a Monday night.
 
   I think it is just the economic climate, people feel they can leave the window cleaner until last, I have a City worker who owes me 50 quid, his Jag will be clamped soon if payment isn't received.

[alanwilson]

Honestly guys, you need to have a float in the bank to work from - its hard at the start but once you get the balance up you have breathing space.

Our float is £10k minimum - so that sounds a lot, but I have to assume no one will pay for 3 months and I need to pay my staff (x2) and my son.  I would have to do without should this ever happen but at least I can cover my costs.

Obviously a sole trader won't need as much as this but you still need a float.  Try to allow for as much as your circumstances will allow.

[karygate]

i ring my customers the night before i clean. then when i clean the money is round the back. only have to go back couple of times a month and am owed nothing. has worked fine for 18 months now. some leave a cheque but thats even better than all the mucking around.

[dmlservices]

i did sae rigidly for 18 mnths on the whole it worked well , but about 20% were consistently late... i now do collecting again ...yes its a pain , but cashflow is a thing of the past...i still leave an envelope and stamp if they are out when i collect, and on long distance work i leave an sae....

snap, i dont even bother to leave sae now, just write on ticket " please send cheque" was costing a fortune in sae's i used to put one in for each clean, some would send after 3- 4 mths , meaning 2- 3 sae's were probably binned by custy

daz

[Chris Galloway]

i did sae rigidly for 18 mnths on the whole it worked well , but about 20% were consistently late... i now do collecting again ...yes its a pain , but cashflow is a thing of the past...i still leave an envelope and stamp if they are out when i collect, and on long distance work i leave an sae....

snap, i dont even bother to leave sae now, just write on ticket " please send cheque" was costing a fortune in sae's i used to put one in for each clean, some would send after 3- 4 mths , meaning 2- 3 sae's were probably binned by custy

daz

If my custies want me to collect or i have to collect monies that are over due, then i charge them extra - and advise why.. my time and fuel costs! I leave a SAE which they have already paid for in their bill - if i need to send another then i would charge late payment fee's. I still have 2 custies that are 2 months late.. so will send a nicely worded letter requesting monies.. otherwise i will have to cancel the service, and if they wish to continue then a direct debit or pre payment must be made.

Many are right, you dont expect anyone else to wait for payment for services (unless you agree to that in the first instance), so i dont see why i should.