Hot take: Chasing every late payment is a waste of energy

Dropped $40 on a collections service to chase down a $300 invoice from 8 months ago, and after fees I got $190 back after waiting 4 months. Learned it is better to write off small deadbeats and focus on finding clients who actually pay on time than burning hours playing debt collector. Anyone else stopped chasing nickels and started firing cheap clients sooner?

2 comments

2 Comments

pat_harris11d ago

wait, don't you mean you netted $150 after the 4 month wait and the collection fee eaten into it, not $190? losing a third of the invoice to chase it down kind of proves your own point more than you think.

shane_morgan11d ago

Hang on, isn't the real cost the time and stress of having to chase it, not just the money? If that $150 took 4 months of calls and emails, you basically paid yourself minimum wage to get stiffed out of the full amount. It's not just about the math, it's about the lesson that some clients are a loss before you even send the first invoice.