1. Invoicing Too Late
You finish the job on Friday. You invoice on the following Wednesday. The customer's already forgotten you. Send your invoice the same day the job is done — ideally within the hour.
2. Not Chasing Overdue Payments
British politeness is great for pub conversations, terrible for business. If an invoice is 7 days overdue, send a reminder. If it's 14 days, call.
3. Not Tracking Expenses Against Jobs
You bought £200 of copper pipe for the Henderson job. Did you bill for it? Without job-level expense tracking, you're guessing.
4. Quoting Too Low to Win Work
Undercutting competitors feels like winning until you realise you've worked 60-hour weeks for minimum wage. Price based on your costs plus a fair margin.
5. No Deposits on Large Jobs
Any job over £500 should have a deposit. 30-50% upfront is standard in every trade. It commits the customer and covers your materials cost.
The Bottom Line
Cash flow isn't about earning more — it's about getting paid for the work you've already done, on time, every time.
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Accept card payments — your way
Turn on ServicePay Payments for an instant, no-setup managed service (2.9% + £1, never more than 4%) — or connect your own Stripe account and pay £0 platform fee. Your customers get the same simple pay-by-link experience either way.
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