Getting Paid Late? A 15-Minute Monthly Habit That Protects Your Cash
If it feels like clients are taking longer to pay, you're not imagining it. In QuickBooks' 2026 Late Payments Report, 59% of small business owners said they're waiting on at least one invoice that's 30+ days past due. A year earlier, that number was 47%.
Q4 makes slow payments harder to absorb. Clients slow down for the holidays, and your own bills keep coming.
The fix isn't complicated. It's a short review you do every month.
Your monthly receivables review
Run your A/R Aging report. It shows who owes you and for how long. Anything over 30 days gets a follow-up this week.
Follow up on a schedule. Send a friendly reminder at 7 days, a firmer one at 14, and call at 30. A consistent routine works better than an awkward one-off email.
Check your terms. Giving clients 30 days to pay often turns into 45 or 60. The same report found overdue invoices were about twice as common for businesses on net-30 terms (55%) as for those asking for payment upfront (26%). For new projects, consider shorter terms or a deposit.
Decide your pause point before the holidays. If a client is 60 days late, will you start new work for them? Decide now and put your policy in writing, before a December rush request lands in your inbox.
Match payments to invoices. A payment recorded in QuickBooks but never applied to its invoice makes your receivables look worse (or better) than they really are.
Fifteen minutes a month and you'll know where your cash actually is. With monthly bookkeeping, RBG keeps your receivables current and lets you know who's slipping.
Don't wait, schedule your Discovery Call today!
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