For a sole trader, late payment isn't just annoying — it's your own money working for someone else's cashflow instead of yours. The good news: getting paid on time is far more about system than about luck or nerve. Here's the system.

Set the terms before you start, not on the invoice

Payment terms belong in the agreement, before any work happens — because by invoice time it's too late to negotiate. Fourteen days is perfectly professional; seven for small jobs. And there's no rule that says 30 days is standard just because big companies use it.

Ask for a deposit

For anything beyond a quick job, 25–50% up front is normal and sensible. It funds the work, and it quietly filters out the clients who were never going to pay well anyway.

Invoice the day the work is done

Every day you delay signals the invoice isn't urgent. Send it immediately, to the right person (ask who handles payments at the start of the job), with a clear due date, your bank details, and — the game-changer — a pay-by-card or open-banking link so paying takes one tap. FreeAgent (included in our packages) does all of this, including the bit sole traders hate most: automatic payment reminders that send themselves before and after the due date, so you're not writing awkward "just chasing" emails.

You're legally owed more than the invoice

Under UK late-payment law, overdue business-to-business invoices accrue statutory interest (8% above base rate) plus a fixed compensation fee per invoice. You don't have to charge it — but a line in your terms noting you may focuses minds wonderfully, and on a chronic late-payer, actually applying it is entirely legitimate.

Have an escalation ladder

  1. Automatic reminder on the due date (software's job).
  2. Friendly personal email at +7 days.
  3. A phone call at +14 — remarkably effective because almost nobody does it.
  4. At +21, pause any ongoing work until the account's current.
  5. Beyond that, a letter before action and, for sums worth it, Money Claim Online — the small claims process rarely needs a solicitor.

Most late payment clusters around a few clients and a few habits. Your books show the pattern; the fix is usually terms or pricing, not endless chasing. We help sole traders set up invoicing that gets them paid — part of every package from £19 + VAT a month. Get started.