Most owners know roughly how much they are owed. Fewer know how long it has been owed. The second number matters more, because money becomes harder to collect every week it waits.
Sort by age, not by amount
Group every unpaid invoice by how long it has been unpaid since its due date:
- Current: not yet due.
- 1 to 30 days late.
- 31 to 60 days late.
- Over 60 days late.
This is called ageing. Accountants call the report an aged receivables report. In Diwaan it is simply Money owed to you, by age.
What each group needs
Current: nothing, except a clear invoice with the due date and how to pay. Most late payment starts with an invoice that was unclear or never arrived.
1 to 30 days: a polite reminder, sent on a fixed day. Diwaan can send it by email on the days you choose; text is coming.
31 to 60 days: a phone call from a person. Ask when, not whether. Write the promised date on the invoice.
Over 60 days: stop new sales on account to that customer until the balance is cleared or agreed. A credit limit in Diwaan does this for you at the till.
Watch one number each week
The average number of days customers take to pay tells you more than the total. If it rises two weeks in a row, something has changed: a large customer is struggling, or invoices are going out late.
Make paying easy
Put every way to pay on the invoice: bank account, mobile money number and the invoice number as the reference. When a payment arrives with the right reference, Diwaan matches it to the invoice and marks it paid.