That stat about 80% of clients not paying on time surprised me more than it should have

I was looking through some freelancer forums last week and found a survey from a site called FreshBooks that said 80% of small business owners have clients who pay late. I always figured it was just me dealing with that in my graphic design work here in Austin. But seeing that number made me realize maybe I'm not the one causing the problem. I had a client last month who took 45 days to pay a $600 invoice for a logo redesign. Has anyone else found data that actually changed how they handle their billing process?

3 comments

3 Comments

rowan_ross1d ago

Damn, 45 days for a logo redesign? That's brutal.

perry.jesse1d ago

Hang on, 45 days for just a logo redesign does sound excessive. In my experience, that timeline usually means they're doing way more than a simple logo. They're probably building out a whole brand kit with colors, fonts, and guidelines. Your mileage may vary, but I've seen those big overhauls take a solid month or more. The client might also be slow with approvals or feedback, which always drags things out. I'd take that 45 days with a grain of salt unless they're just sitting around, which would be nuts.

the_john23h ago

Yeah but 45 days still feels like a lot even for a full brand kit, right? I've done full identity systems with logos, colors, fonts, business cards, and social templates in like 3 weeks tops. What's actually taking up all that extra time in your experience? Is it just waiting around for the client to pick a font or something? Or are they doing tons of revisions and mood boards and presentation decks that eat up the clock?