Client Chaos (What Problems I Solved This Month)

This month, a client came to me frustrated and over it. Their business was growing, their services were strong—but their cash flow? A hot mess. The problem? Clients weren’t paying on time—or worse, not paying at all. And they had no clear way to see: Who had paid, Who still owed, What was late, What to follow up on. No spreadsheet. No invoice tracker. No system. Just vibes!

Here’s the Real Catch: They Were Too Close to Their Clients

They didn’t just hire me to organize their payments, they hired me to be the buffer. A faceless third party who could step in and handle the awkward money conversations they didn’t want to have. Because like so many service providers, this client had become friends with many of their clients. Which is beautiful, until someone doesn’t pay on time and it gets… weird.

They told me: “It just feels awkward to chase people when I know they’re going through stuff. But also we need to be paid.”

So part of my job was to be the person behind the curtain. The one who could send reminders, track payments, and enforce boundaries without damaging relationships.

The Real Cost of Not Tracking Payments: Disorganization around payments doesn’t just mean awkward “Hey, just checking on that invoice…” messages.

It also means: unpredictable income, missed payments (and missed opportunities to follow up), stress around friendships and professionalism, a business that feels heavy, even when it’s growing

How I Solved It (Without Making It Overwhelming)

This is exactly the kind of behind-the-scenes work I live for, because most business owners don’t start their business to become accountants or boundary enforcers.

Here’s what we did:

1. Audit What’s Coming In (and From Who). We created a master list of all active clients, monthly rate or retainer, what platforms they paid through, due dates, recent payment history. This gave us a clear picture of who was consistently paying and who wasn’t.

2. Set Up a Simple Payment Tracker. I built a Google Sheet (user-friendly, color-coded, nothing fancy) with: Client names, amount due, payment status (Paid / Late / Unpaid), onboarded a late fee protocol. Now everything lives in one place!

3. Built a Repeatable Payment Process. We created a basic monthly system: Invoice reminders sent like clockwork, friendly but firm email templates, calendar reminders for late follow-ups, and late fees communicated to clients after a grace period. I handled communication behind the scenes so my client could maintain their role as the friendly service provider!

The Outcome?

After two weeks: Three late clients were followed up with (two paid within 48 hours!)

My client finally knew who owed what!

They were able to stop avoiding the money convo, and still protect their client relationships

And they never had to say the words “Hey, just checking on that payment…” again.

If This Sounds Like You, If you’re running a business and becoming friends with your clients—bless you—but also… you probably need someone like me.

Someone who can: Keep tabs on your income, set up easy-to-maintain systems, protect your boundaries, and help you actually get paid—on time

Let me be the behind-the-scenes buffer your business (and sanity) needs.