Fractional Resources

“Has anyone found a good process to get payment logistics smoothed out when onboarding new clients? Or do I just need to adjust my mindset that it’s going to take clients 2–4 weeks from initial invoice to get payment actually sent?”

This is EASY.

Don’t adjust your mindset. Adjust your terms.

You’re not waiting on payroll anymore — you’re running a business. That means you set the rules, and rule number one is simple:

Get paid up front.

Set the Terms from the Start

Here’s how I phrase it in proposals:

TERMS AND CONDITIONS
I never assess an hourly or daily fee, since you should not have to make an investment decision every time my assistance may be needed. This is a unique feature of my consulting practice.

The monthly pricing for each option is as follows:
...

Fees must be paid in full at the beginning of each period.
You may upgrade, downgrade, or cancel your selection at the beginning of any period.

(Adapted from Jonathan Stark’s 5-page proposal)

If you only remember one thing, make it this:

Fees must be paid in full at the beginning of each period.

Why It Works

Clients who need you will figure it out. Let them apply pressure to their own finance department. This isn’t just about starting work — it’s about reserving your time. You’re getting paid to stop looking for other clients, not just to show up.

I generally mark my first invoice due upon receipt. If the engagement starts weeks or months out, you have a little more flexibility — but I still recommend getting paid ASAP.

What Happens After the First Invoice?

After that, I’ll either:

• Align with the client’s preferred invoicing schedule (often after talking to AP team), or
• Stick to my standard cadence — usually one month from start date, minus two weeks (effectively NET14)

Invoicing software may shape the details. I use Wave.

A Few Other Tips

• Put your ACH and bill.com (or other platforms you support) payment info directly on the invoice. bill.com for example is very specific about what email address can be used.
• Use a dedicated payment account. I sweep mine to zero after every deposit to reduce risk around shared ACH info.
• Don’t be afraid to flex — with structure. One client wanted weekly payments. Fine — but we baked that into the agreement, automated it, and made sure weeks were still paid in advance. I just adjusted the monthly rate to match.

What If You’re Hourly?

You can still apply the same principle:

• Invoice one standard block of hours (e.g., 40) up front.
• Bill normally after that.
• Apply the upfront payment to the final invoice as a credit.

Simple, clear, and it protects you.

Tired of chasing down payments or dealing with vague onboarding timelines? Let’s talk. I help fractional leaders build sustainable practices — including setting up boundaries, expectations, and yes, payment terms that actually work.