This December, give yourself the gift of peace of mind and build a reputation for boundaries. Stop performing professionalism for clients who can’t match it with respect; draw the line and enforce it. Walk into the new year with clients who don’t just love your work, but honour your worth.
There is a particular friend who I’ve recently reconnected with and catch up with on the phone once in a while. She's one of those friends I wished lived in Dar, but alas we are destined to be long distance friends for now. Well, she’s run her own business for a few years now and last month, she was cracking me up about clients performing vanishing acts in December.
Here are a few quotes of hers I’ve paraphrased “You’d think the pending invoice was a spiritual attack.” “It’s giving rapture energy every December. Everyone has been called away unexpectedly.” Two things, first we all need a friend who can crack jokes in the midst of a serious moment to avoid absolute melt down and secondly, we all need a friend who tells the truth and notices real patterns in business.
Late payments aren’t just an admin hiccup, they’re a form of silent communication. Every delay reveals something about boundaries, respect, and power and as the festive season nears, many professionals, especially creatives and freelancers, find themselves stuck in a cycle of sending “gentle reminders” that start to sound less gentle the closer it gets to the 24th.
When clients pay late, they’re not just delaying your income. They’re testing your tolerance. In East Africa, where informal agreements are common and client relationships often blur into social ones, the issue runs even deeper.
Let’s be clear; being liked isn’t the same as being respected, your invoice isn’t a suggestion. It’s time to stop treating late payments as a nuisance and start treating them as red flags. Not every client deserves access to your calendar, energy, and expertise. Your work is not a favour, it’s a service with terms. Perhaps as you go into the new year, start considering a mindset shift that sounds like “If they don’t respect your invoice, they can’t afford your excellence.”
4 ways to handle late payments:
1. Set the tone early. State payment terms clearly and early in every proposal and reconfirm in every email. Make timelines reasonable and non-negotiable. That could sound like “To avoid any delays or confusion later, I want to be clear before we begin: I operate on a 50/50 model, half upfront, half on delivery. Payment timelines are firm once confirmed. Let me know if this works for you and I’ll send the invoice.”
2. Automate the follow-up. Use tools like Wave, QuickBooks, or Paystack to auto-send reminders. This removes the emotional labour and builds consistency. You’re not “nagging”, or sending veiled threats, you’re enforcing a system.
3. Charge for late payments. Introduce a grace period, then apply late fees. Even if you never collect them, their presence signals you’re running a business.
4. Protect your energy. If a client has delayed payments twice, add them to your internal “watch list.” Adjust your payment structure, perhaps 70 per cent upfront, 30 per cent on delivery, or consider declining future work altogether. This can sound like “I’ve updated the payment terms for this project. The revised structure is 70 per cent upfront and 30 per cent upon final delivery. This helps ensure clear alignment and keeps us both accountable to timelines.” And if you choose to decline working with them, you can claim to be booked or clearly and firmly state that "Due to a history of significantly delayed payments in the past, I’ve decided to move in a different direction at this time. I won’t be able to proceed with the project, and I recommend seeking this service elsewhere. Thank you for your understanding."
This December, give yourself the gift of peace of mind and build a reputation for boundaries. Stop performing professionalism for clients who can’t match it with respect; draw the line and enforce it. Walk into the new year with clients who don’t just love your work, but honour your worth.
