Working as a freelancer for a while made me realise just how often people consider accumulating accounts owed as legitimate cash flow management strategy. If they want extended payment terms we can talk about it, but waiting until the owed party gets angry enough to finally cough up is a cunt move.
Comment on Daily Discussion Thread: Friday, 7 February 2025
tone212_@aussie.zone 2 weeks ago
Client with 100+ day overdue invoice finally paid me. Chasing him to pay was a pain in the ass but we finally got there. The ugly side of running a business - getting slimy people to pay me. Soon I’ll be able to take upfront payments and this person will need to pay everything upfront for future services. Burn me once, you don’t get a second chance.
Now one more person with 100 day overdue invoice to pay me, also a slimy person. I’ve been lucky that most people I do work for actually respect and value what I do and pay me on time. I hate being a debt collector.
Pilk@aussie.zone 2 weeks ago
Nath@aussie.zone 2 weeks ago
I sometimes resent a little the disparity between what the clients pay for my services vs. my salary. Without exaggeration, I take home a little under 50% of what the client pays.
But at least I spent 0% of my time wondering about this. Plus I get paid leave (sick/holiday etc). I know my employer is still making a hefty profit, but I’m not sure I’d want to go the pure consulting route. Stories like this put me off. I would hurt my family if I had to routinely deal with chasing up the money.
Gibsonhasafluffybutt@aussie.zone 2 weeks ago
The monthly revenue of the clients i manage is close to $400k. It stings when we don’t get bonuses when my co-worker and I bring in 6 figure projects and don’t get a bonus.
tone212_@aussie.zone 2 weeks ago
In my industry the norm is earning a salary which is around 1/3 of the turnover you’ve brought into the business, so 50% is pretty good!
Gibsonhasafluffybutt@aussie.zone 2 weeks ago
If it makes you feel better I’ve been chasing a client here that owes the company $350k for 7 months.
They finally agreed to pay $65k this week lol
Llabyrinthine@aussie.zone 2 weeks ago
It’s an unpleasant aspect.
I had chase up invoices once in an industry where it’s easy to fall behind. Never forget calling someone who was visiting their wife in hospital. (I know that some people lie, but it was pretty evident in his voice.)
I don’t know how people do it for a living.
StudChud@aussie.zone 2 weeks ago
As someone who used to do debt collection, one turns off their brain. Otherwise the emotional burnout will kill ya lol
Seagoon_@aussie.zone 2 weeks ago
many years ago when my husband was doing freelance IT consulting he’d get stiffed all the time
ended up putting in time bombs in code so that if he didn’t get paid it would shut down the program until he gave them the pass word. It was illegal but so is employing consultants in bad faith.