Winning a new client is always exciting. The energy, the ideas, the possibilities—it’s why you do what you do. But in all that excitement, there’s one crucial thing agencies often forget: making sure you get paid smoothly.
It’s not about sending an invoice and hoping for the best. It’s about making sure the process is clear from day one, so you don’t end up chasing payments, dealing with delays, or struggling with cash flow.
The Biggest Payment Roadblock Agencies Face
One of the most common issues agencies run into is not knowing who to invoice. It sounds simple, but a huge amount of finance time gets wasted just trying to track down the right contact.
Here’s how it usually happens:
- The agency signs a new client and jumps straight into the work.
- The project is completed, and an invoice is sent… but to the wrong person.
- Weeks go by, and the finance team realizes no payment has come through.
- After a few follow-ups, they find out the invoice is stuck in approvals, missing a PO, or hasn’t even reached the right person.
At this point, cash flow is affected, and the frustration begins.
5 Questions to Ask Before You Start Work
To avoid this, agencies should build payment details into their onboarding process. Before you start work, ask your client:
✅ Do we need a PO for this project? If so, how do we get one?
✅ Who should the invoice go to?
✅ What’s the approvals process? Will there be multiple steps before payment is made?
✅ Who do we contact if there’s a delay or issue?
✅ What are the agreed payment terms?
Sorting this out upfront removes unnecessary hassle later—no more chasing the wrong person, getting stuck in email chains, or waiting months for payments to clear.
Because cash flow isn’t just about sending invoices—it’s about getting the money in on time, without the headaches.