So, Clive wanted to know – how do you deal with late or non payers and how can the industry stop this from happening?

He was joined by great friends of the show Dean Saxton from Dean Saxton Building Solutions and George from GM Joinery for their thoughts, and Clive chimed in with a few hints and tips of his own.

Saxton said: “My process to that is to make sure I don’t get a late payment. I probably have had one payment that was three weeks late. It wasn’t massively late but I knew it was late. The thing is I hadn’t done a contract with the client telling them when the final payment should be made. We had a contract for one big callout and there after it was a stage managed payout with no contract.

A caller Aaron from Symeon Electrical said: “I have to chase invoices all the time and it’s not on. People ignore the payment terms set out. Most clients agree 30 days and still manage to miss them. Luckily I’ve managed to get them all in the end.

“Unfortunately, one client I have had to warn if invoice is not paid I will be ripping all my materials out. It was paid 20 minutes later. On the plus side, I’m now fix radio approved get in BOSH”

Chris added: “I have been caught out with a bad payer and best thing I did was join FSB then you get free legal advice and they told me exactly what to say and do. They also told me how to avoid this again happening.

“Best £199 I have ever spent.”

And a caller Chance explained: “When it comes to late payments - I am absolutely sick of the working man being treated as a constant after thought. I find it a huge lack of respect to anyone who has not been paid on time, not just by a private customer but especially big, a big commercial site I’ve heard every excuse in the book when it comes to this. You wouldn’t go for a meal in a restaurant and say you’ll pay next week after you eaten would you?

“I say ask twice for payment to be paid if nothing happens after then. Outright ask ‘why have you not made payment yet’ if nothing after that then say you will be taking matters further (no claims court etc).”

Dave said: “I've got a customer who's only paid me £500 out of just over £1,000 for a job I did in August and he requested I send them the invoices for the materials I brought but that doesn't include the things off the van that I keep a supply of, nor insurances and registrations. I think people don't realise how much things cost now.”

John said my previous business went under because of late commercial payers. “So, when I started the London Spray Company, I told myself to never do commercial work anymore. The payment terms are ridiculous and clients try and mess you around even when you have a signed contract. We have never had any payment issues with the London Spray Company except for one commercial client during Christmas who was sent a debt collector’s late and he paid right away.”

For the full show, listen here