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December cash flow becomes problematic when clients shut down early, accounts teams disappear on holiday, and payments stall. Your expenses increase from holiday stock and staffing whilst income slows dramatically between mid-December and late January. Waiting until payment problems occur leaves you scrambling to chase invoices during the busiest time of year. Setting up automated reminders and recurring billing now prevents the cash flow crunch that catches many businesses off guard.
In this episode, Charly covers:
✅ Using recurring invoices to ensure billing happens automatically
📌 Setting up polite automated payment reminders before invoices become overdue
🔗 Sending invoices earlier with extended payment terms during December
✅ Configuring holiday-friendly wording in automated reminder templates
📌 Checking CRM and accounting system connections before the rush
🛡️ Scheduling thank-you messages that double as subtle payment nudges
Most payment delays during holiday periods are not intentional non-payment. Clients simply forget about invoices buried in overflowing inboxes during their busiest season. Automated reminders that go out the day before payment is due, then again seven days after, dramatically improve payment rates without requiring you to manually chase invoices. The key is setting these automations up now, before the chaos begins, and adjusting invoice timing to account for slower December processing. Sending invoices at the end of November with 14 or 21 day payment terms rather than waiting until mid-December with standard seven day terms gives clients time to process payments before their accounts teams leave. The episode covers practical strategies using tools like Xero, Zoho Books, and CRM systems to automate the entire invoice-to-payment cycle.
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Music and Credits to:
Paradise Found is covered under Creative Commons.
"Paradise Found"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/licenses/
https://rumble.com/v7212be-how-do-you-stop-december-invoice-chaos-2025641.html
Life is busy and there's just so many things to remember. What tools do you use to help you keep on top of ALL the things?
It's easy to react or respond quickly to messages and the like. It's better to do that mindfully. That's why I try to Practice The Pause.
Heading into the holiday period without confirming your critical systems are working creates unnecessary risk. Discovering your website is down, your payment processor has stopped working, or your contact forms are routing to deleted email addresses whilst you are trying to enjoy time off forces stressful emergency responses. Running systematic tech checks now means you can actually take your break knowing your business systems will function reliably without constant monitoring.
In this episode, Charly covers:
✅ Setting up website uptime monitoring and email delivery verification
📌 Testing payment systems, contact forms, and automation workflows
🔗 Creating proper backup systems with off-site storage before you leave
✅ Checking SSL certificate expiration dates to prevent website errors
📌 Ensuring team members have appropriate access to critical systems
🛡️ Configuring auto-responders, email forwarding, and calendar blocks
Small oversights compound during holiday periods when response times are ...
Heading into the holiday period without confirming your critical systems are working creates unnecessary risk. Discovering your website is down, your payment processor has stopped working, or your contact forms are routing to deleted email addresses whilst you are trying to enjoy time off forces stressful emergency responses. Running systematic tech checks now means you can actually take your break knowing your business systems will function reliably without constant monitoring.
In this episode, Charly covers:
✅ Setting up website uptime monitoring and email delivery verification
📌 Testing payment systems, contact forms, and automation workflows
🔗 Creating proper backup systems with off-site storage before you leave
✅ Checking SSL certificate expiration dates to prevent website errors
📌 Ensuring team members have appropriate access to critical systems
🛡️ Configuring auto-responders, email forwarding, and calendar blocks
Small oversights compound during holiday periods when response times are ...
Customers assume your website information is accurate. When your site displays standard operating hours during holiday closures or reduced schedules, you create frustration, damage trust, and risk negative reviews. People arrive at closed shopfronts, encounter unanswered phones, or receive no email responses because they relied on outdated website information. Automating your holiday hours across all touchpoints prevents these problems whilst saving you from last-minute scrambles.
In this episode, Charly covers:
✅ Where to update holiday hours for maximum visibility and impact
📌 Automating schedule changes on WordPress, Shopify, and Squarespace sites
🔗 Using Google Business Profile to update maps and search results automatically
✅ Coordinating auto-responders, voicemail, and contact form messages
📌 Scheduling announcement banners to display and remove automatically
🛡️ Planning welcome-back messages now to save time when you return
The consequences of incorrect business hours extend beyond ...
