fed up of having to ask for my money!!

[casey's mum]

Hi all, I have just come accross this site purely on accident! Can't believe I have been missing out for so long!! It is a pleasure to meet you all!

On to my problem! My problem is me, lol! I find the subject of payment absolutely agonising! I send invoices out the week before payment is due and I seem to be paid a couple of days late by most people and weeks in some cases! So much so I typed out individual payment rora's for all parents for the next 6 months so they have a reminder as to when payment is approaching.

Before Christmas one of my parents was 2 weeks late with Novembers payment and then decided to tell me that they had changed their bank account and their payrole department had sent to their old account which as it had been closed was not detected and payment was left undetected! I was then told that they were struggling to pay their mortgage that month because of this and could I invoice them for Novembers and Decembers in December. I did this cause I am a sucker for a sob story. In the back of my mind I was thinking "should this really be my problem"? They did pay me the full amount owed in December but it made my run up to Christmas extremely tight and stressful! January's payment was then 2 weeks late again!
Another parent was due on New Years eve and I was paid 3 weeks ago! They are due again today and on dropping off their LO this morning, as expected they did not even mention payment!
When I actually pluck up the courage to tell them their payment is late I end up feeling sick, nervous and generally awful! Just seems so unfair! Is it just me that has these problems? How can I assert myself where payment is concerned without coming accross in the wrong way! Hate this part of the job!
Thanks in advance

[berkschick]

Its not just you, it seems to be part and parcel of the job unfortunately!

Do you get fees in advance or arrears?

Thanks to this forum, I charge in advance, I have already been paid for Februarys work. This means that you are always in control of the finances and if they are a week late then they dont owe you loads if you see what I mean!

[casey's mum]

I invoice and request payment on an advanced 4 weekly basis.

[angeldelight]

Welcome to the forum - please go and say hello to everyone in the hello section and introudce yourself so we all know who we are speaking too

Good question from Debbie

Do you get paid in advance

I always do and to be honest my parents now know the rules - no fees - no childminding

It is part and parcel of our job I think and the more we let parents get away with it and walk all over us the more they will take advantage of us

You really do need to stand firm and get this sorted once and for all

Your business your rules

Have a good look around the forum and I am sure you will soon see that you are not the only one this happens to

How you deal with it though is def the key

Good luck have a look around and if you are still stuck give us all a shout

Angel xx

[casey's mum]

I think what makes it hard is that I have been minding this LO since I started so I know I have made a rod for my own back through being so soft for all this time!
Thanks though. Have said my hellos, just done it.
Lovely to meet you all

Angela xx

[angeldelight]

Yes you have made a rod for your own back but we have all done it so you are not the first and certainly will not be the last

You need to explain that your rules are now changing and payment is in advance

Do you have a late fee policy if so you do need to do one so if fees are late you can charge for that

Angel xx

[casey's mum]

I have always charged in advance, however seems like they pay when they feel like it! I have not got a late payment fee in place but am doing all my reviews this month and I will defo include! Thanks soooo much for making me aware that I can do this! What would be the norm to charge??

Angela xx

[angeldelight]

I think it would be up to you how much you charge

I charge £5 extra per day - but we are all different

Why dont you do a newsletter if you do not like to tell everyone

Explain that you are going to be be enforcing your late fee policy from March and that you will charge £5 a day or whatever you decide for anyone who is late with their fees
Explain in a nice way that you also budget for your bills and late payments are making you late with your bills etc
Also say that if payment is not recieved 3 days after it was due along with the extra charge of £5 a day then you will be unable to childmind their child until the fees are up to date

That way you are not directing the message to one person and it saves you facing them
you will feel braver also if they ask you about it after reading the newsletter

It is an idea and one that some of us do find easier to use

You usually find that they do take the hint

Well lets hope so anyway

I used to be soft the same and can still be - but you live and learn

Good luck

Angel xx

[Banana]

Im fed up of it too Angela !!

I always get paid late from the same sets of parents and it does become a joke. I really feel for you - im like you, find it awkward asking for MY money (crazy isnt it).

I am drafting up newsletter at the moment which mainly consists of talking about LATE PAYMENTS (thats the heading!) lol. I have never implemented my late fees - despite having a policy that states late payment will not be accepted and charges will apply (£5 per day) not once has anyone been asked to pay them!

You need to be firm... I have gotten to the point where I am really being taken for a mug by certain parents and im now going to rectify that.

Hope you come to some arrangement with the parents!!

Good luck, oh, and welcome to the forum

xxx

[angeldelight]

Lana same goes for you

Refuse to have their children if they continue to be late

You know up till a few mths ago I was the same and I so hate asking them for money you feel terrible like you are begging it is horrible

Then a few mths ago a parent who pays me monthly said she was going to stagger my payments that month because they had things to buy and it would make it easier if they paid me in that way

I turned round and said im sorry but I also have bills to pay and if you pay weekly you pay weekly if it is monthly it is monthly - not when you feel like it

She looked very very unncomfortable ( I felt it but of course did not let her know that )

But you know what shes never been late or even suggested paying when she feels like it since that conversation

Stick to your guns you can not let parents do this

Angel xx

[Banana]

Sorry Mum lol!

I know Angel. I do have to sort it out. I am starting to get very stressed out with the whole thing and I am sending out my newsletters this week...

Just you wait until my next thread,,, you'll love this one, another late payment story - really not happy!

x

[angeldelight]

Oh poor you

You do not want to be stressed like this all the time Lana it is making your childminding less enjoyable and it should not be like that

Good luck with your newsletter and I wait patiently for your next post haha

Angel xx

[casey's mum]

Oh yes I defo feel like a mug!! I get to the point and I plan exactly what I gonna say and then when it comes to it I get all hot and sweaty and really do feel sick and like you said it is MY money!

I am gonna get tough now, thanks for the confidence booster!!

What makes me even angrier with this family is that the parents have extremely good jobs and they make it perfectly clear money is no object but in comparison I have a little girl on my books whos Dad is a single parent and struggles to make ends meet and he is the most organised person I have ever met!! Never once been late with payment! Forgot my check the one day and went all the way home and back when he collected his daughter to get it for me!!

The family I have the issue with, their little girl will be going to full time school in September and I expect they will expect me to keep her full time place open just to collect her after school but not want to pay to keep it open. Their constant late payment is making that descision a lot easier!!!

Angela xx

[barbarella68]

Hi everybody,
Can you tell me, if you get paid in advance what do you do if they owe you more than the invoice do you just add it on to next months invoice.
I have a lady and I look after her son 1 hour before school and 3 hours after school,but next week I will have him for 10 hours a day all week but I didn't know this until today because I thought she would have the week off so do I just add the extra 20 hours on next month.
I have only just started doing invoices in advance I use to do it weekly in arrears.
Thanks
Alyson

[deeb66]

Angela (Casey's mum)

You have received excellent advice already and have now decided on what to do......

I do exactly the sme as Angel.......paid in advance.......no payment no childcare simple as that.



Alyson (barbarella68)

If there are any adjustments in the month then I usually just amend the next month's figure.

However as this is quite a big chunk of money we are talking about I would be tempted to ask for the money up front.

Tell mum that you would like it in cash and to be handed to you on the first morning.

[casey's mum]

Hi everybody,
Can you tell me, if you get paid in advance what do you do if they owe you more than the invoice do you just add it on to next months invoice.
I have a lady and I look after her son 1 hour before school and 3 hours after school,but next week I will have him for 10 hours a day all week but I didn't know this until today because I thought she would have the week off so do I just add the extra 20 hours on next month.
I have only just started doing invoices in advance I use to do it weekly in arrears.
Thanks
Alyson

I would add the extra's on next months invoice or I suppose you could ask her to pay for the extra's the begining of week she needs them?

[wendywu]

You would not go into a shop and say i will pay you next week for the goods. Nor would you have a work man round your home and tell him that you will pay him when you feel like it. It is wrong and parents know this

[jaz]

Just reading this post makes me feel better just knowing that I'm not the only one going through this problem. I have a family who are supposed to pay at the beginning of the month for their little one's childcare. I asked her for it last week and she said she would put it into my account - but still nothing!

I have noted that you say -'no payment - no childcare', but do not feel strong enough to say this to her. I feel gulity for asking for it when I know I've done the work and everyone should be paid for the work they do - on time!!!! Do I refuse to take the child tomorrow afternoon?

Also you have mentioned a late payment policy - can anyone send me an example of this please as I have absolutely no idea of what to say.

Thank you all in advance

J
x

[Rubybubbles]

Hi everybody,
Can you tell me, if you get paid in advance what do you do if they owe you more than the invoice do you just add it on to next months invoice.
I have a lady and I look after her son 1 hour before school and 3 hours after school,but next week I will have him for 10 hours a day all week but I didn't know this until today because I thought she would have the week off so do I just add the extra 20 hours on next month.
I have only just started doing invoices in advance I use to do it weekly in arrears.
Thanks
Alyson

I would give her a bill for the outstanding amount to be paid next working day

[deeb66]

Just reading this post makes me feel better just knowing that I'm not the only one going through this problem. I have a family who are supposed to pay at the beginning of the month for their little one's childcare. I asked her for it last week and she said she would put it into my account - but still nothing!

I have noted that you say -'no payment - no childcare', but do not feel strong enough to say this to her. I feel gulity for asking for it when I know I've done the work and everyone should be paid for the work they do - on time!!!! Do I refuse to take the child tomorrow afternoon?

Also you have mentioned a late payment policy - can anyone send me an example of this please as I have absolutely no idea of what to say.

Thank you all in advance

J
x

Have a look on the Bromley Website....there is one there

Here is the link

http://www.bromleycma.org.uk/policie...rocedures.html