It doesn’t matter what type of business you operate, making sure you get paid on time and as seamlessly as possible (for both you and your client) is critical to your success and survival.
But knowing how to get paid isn’t as easy as it sounds. The payment options that work for one business, may not work for another. Likewise, getting paid on time requires you put the right pre-emptive measures in place for collecting what you’re owed and managing past-due payments.
To help you make the right decisions for your business, here are some pointers about setting up customer payment options, tips for getting paid on time, and what to do if you don’t!
What Payment Options are Right for Your Business?
It doesn’t matter whether you operate a brick and mortar store, an e-commerce site, or a home-based business, cash has to flow from A to B. But what payment options are right for your business? Here are some quick insights and FAQs that may help you decide.
- Cash Only – Cash only businesses still exist in today’s economy but are they missing out? If you’re not sure if you are ready to make the jump to plastic, read this quick article “Will That Be Cash or Credit?” on the pros and cons of sticking with a cash only policy.
- Credit and Debit Cards – Should your business accept debit and credit cards? What are the costs and benefits? This quick guide to the Pros and Cons of Accepting Credit and Debit Cards outlines the benefits, pitfalls, and laws that regulate their use. If you decide to go this route, read this Guide to Setting up a Merchant Account for FAQs on the process of establishing a clearing house for accepting card-based transactions.
- Online Payment Services – The rise in popularity of alternative online payment services such as PayPal and Bill Me Later have begun to change how consumers shop online (some freelancers insist on being paid via PayPal). If you’ve never used one of these services, the idea may sound confusing but in reality is quite simple. Check out this quick Guide to Online Payment Services to understand what these alternative payment options are, how they’re used, who uses them, and if they’re realistic options for your business.
Another increasingly popular payment option are layaway plans. Layaway plans typically require customers to pay a deposit, generally a percentage of the total price for an item, and make additional payments until the total cost is covered. Retailers agree to hold the item for the customer until the payment plan is complete, at which point they can take home their purchase. There are several disclosure and truth in advertising laws that you need to be aware of if you choose to offers this option. Read about these here: Federal and State Laws that Govern Layaway Practices.
You can read more about all these payment options and others including extending credit, loans and leases in Business.gov’s Managing Business Finances Guide.
Getting Customers to Pay On Time
You’ve provided a service, invoiced your client, but payment is past due and there’s no indication of when you’re going to get paid! It’s frustrating but inevitable. However there are some measures you can take to pre-empt and deal with this troublesome issue.Read “Getting your Customers to Pay-Up: Tips for Protecting Yourself from Non-Paying Clients,” for tips.
When Customer’s Don’t Pay
Customers don’t pay for a number of reasons – cash flow issues, poor accounting, or sometimes they may just consider the work incomplete. Whatever the reason, and no matter what pre-emptive measures you have put in place, this follow-on article to the one above, outlines some “soft” and legal options for collecting or pursuing client debt: “Getting your Customers to Pay-Up: Tips for Collecting from Non-Paying Clients”.
Additional Resources
For more information on debt collection options and the legal and regulatory ramifications read the government’s “Plain English Guide to Collecting Debts“.
It doesn’t matter what type of business you operate, making sure you get paid on time and as seamlessly as possible (for both you and your client) is critical to your success and survival.
But knowing how to get paid isn’t as easy as it sounds. The payment options that work for one business, may not work for another. Likewise, getting paid on time requires you put the right pre-emptive measures in place for collecting what you’re owed and managing past-due payments.
To help you make the right decisions for your business, here are some pointers about setting up customer payment options, tips for getting paid on time, and what to do if you don’t!
What Payment Options are Right for Your Business?
It doesn’t matter whether you operate a brick and mortar store, an e-commerce site, or a home-based business, cash has to flow from A to B. But what payment options are right for your business? Here are some quick insights and FAQs that may help you decide.
- Cash Only – Cash only businesses still exist in today’s economy but are they missing out? If you’re not sure if you are ready to make the jump to plastic, read this quick article “Will That Be Cash or Credit?” on the pros and cons of sticking with a cash only policy.
- Credit and Debit Cards – Should your business accept debit and credit cards? What are the costs and benefits? This quick guide to the Pros and Cons of Accepting Credit and Debit Cards outlines the benefits, pitfalls, and laws that regulate their use. If you decide to go this route, read this Guide to Setting up a Merchant Account for FAQs on the process of establishing a clearing house for accepting card-based transactions.
- Online Payment Services – The rise in popularity of alternative online payment services such as PayPal and Bill Me Later have begun to change how consumers shop online (some freelancers insist on being paid via PayPal). If you’ve never used one of these services, the idea may sound confusing but in reality is quite simple. Check out this quick Guide to Online Payment Services to understand what these alternative payment options are, how they’re used, who uses them, and if they’re realistic options for your business.
Another increasingly popular payment option are layaway plans. Layaway plans typically require customers to pay a deposit, generally a percentage of the total price for an item, and make additional payments until the total cost is covered. Retailers agree to hold the item for the customer until the payment plan is complete, at which point they can take home their purchase. There are several disclosure and truth in advertising laws that you need to be aware of if you choose to offers this option. Read about these here: Federal and State Laws that Govern Layaway Practices.
You can read more about all these payment options and others including extending credit, loans and leases in Business.gov’s Managing Business Finances Guide.
Getting Customers to Pay On Time
You’ve provided a service, invoiced your client, but payment is past due and there’s no indication of when you’re going to get paid! It’s frustrating but inevitable. However there are some measures you can take to pre-empt and deal with this troublesome issue.Read “Getting your Customers to Pay-Up: Tips for Protecting Yourself from Non-Paying Clients,” for tips.
When Customer’s Don’t Pay
Customers don’t pay for a number of reasons – cash flow issues, poor accounting, or sometimes they may just consider the work incomplete. Whatever the reason, and no matter what pre-emptive measures you have put in place, this follow-on article to the one above, outlines some “soft” and legal options for collecting or pursuing client debt: “Getting your Customers to Pay-Up: Tips for Collecting from Non-Paying Clients”.
Additional Resources
For more information on debt collection options and the legal and regulatory ramifications read the government’s “Plain English Guide to Collecting Debts“.
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