Almost every self-employed tradesperson will have to deal with a customer who doesn't pay at some point during their career. 

Some of those customers may pay you eventually (after months of chasing), whilst there are others who simply have no intention of paying from the start and can cause a great deal of stress. So what can you do to give yourself the best chances of getting paid for your work?

Get a written agreement

No matter how friendly a client seems, always get an agreement in writing before you start a job. This should include a list of the customer's requirements, and should be signed by the customer before you proceed. 

If they aren't happy to sign this agreement before work commences, alarm bells should be ringing.  

Invoice on time

It is always best practice to invoice timely and accurately for your work. This shows your customers you take being paid seriously, and also gives them a deadline for paying you. 

If the payment is late

Send them one final request for the payment, containing the details of the original payment agreement you had with them. Let them know that you will be taking them to Court and filing a claim against them for the amount due if they are unable to make payment within 7 days of the request issue date.

Small claims court

If it looks like you won’t be getting paid, going to a small claims court is the most cost-effective option for taking legal action on debts up to £10,000. You may be able to claim court costs back if you win the case, however, the judge will need to see proof of the efforts you have made to recover the money owed to you prior to court action.