COLLECTIONS PLAYBOOK — Get paid without losing the client
=========================================================

Use with SideLedger Pro Collections ([your-site]/collections.html) or
standalone with payment-followup.txt.

── THE 3 BUCKETS ──────────────────────────────────────────────────

UPCOMING / DUE TODAY
  Action: None yet. Confirm client received invoice.
  Tool: Dashboard → money on the table view

LATE (1–14 days overdue)
  Action: Email within 24 hours of crossing day 1.
  Tone: Assume good intent — "friendly nudge"
  Escalation at day 7: ask for specific payment date
  SideLedger: "Firm follow-up" template

VERY LATE (15+ days overdue)
  Action: Final written notice + phone call same day
  Pause new work until paid or payment plan agreed
  SideLedger: "Final notice" template
  Consider: payment plan, partial payment, or collections agency (last resort)

── SCRIPTS BY SITUATION ───────────────────────────────────────────

"They forgot"
  → Friendly reminder + payment link. Most clients pay here.

"Accounts payable is slow"
  → Ask for AP contact, PO number, expected check date. Follow up on that date.

"Unhappy with work"
  → Call, don't email. Resolve scope dispute before discussing payment.
  → Offer partial credit only if you missed deliverables — not as a discount habit.

"Ghosting"
  → Day 15: final notice. Day 21: certified mail if amount > $2,000.
  → Document everything in SideLedger client notes (Pro).

── PAYMENT PLAN OFFER (when client is struggling) ─────────────────

"I can offer 50% now and 50% in 30 days — does that work?"
Get it in writing (email reply is fine). Send second invoice for balance.

── METRICS TO TRACK ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
Open invoices total:        $________
Average days to pay:        ______ days
Clients currently late:     ______
Oldest overdue invoice:     ______ days

SideLedger Pro dashboard calculates outstanding totals automatically.

── PREVENTION CHECKLIST ───────────────────────────────────────────
□ Contract signed before work starts (contract-template.txt or Elite)
□ Deposit collected on projects > $1,000
□ Invoice sent within 24 hours of milestone/delivery
□ Due date set (not blank — Collections can't bucket without it)
□ Payment link on every invoice (Stripe, PayPal, etc.)
□ Client email on file for one-click chase emails

── WHEN TO WALK AWAY ────────────────────────────────────────────────
Two final notices ignored + no response to phone call = stop work,
write off or escalate. Your rate must account for occasional bad debt
(build 5% buffer into profit margin on rate-worksheet.txt).

Elite weekday automation: [your-site]/automation.html