Its that time again. You send out invoices and sit and wait, and wait, and wait for your clients to pay you. Sometimes its a matter of cash flow on their end, sometimes they are just too busy and forget and other times its something little that they are unsure of, but havent found the time to contact you.

* Put terms on your invoices.

How can you be paid on time if your clients dont know what on time means? Whether you select net 15, net 30, due on receipt, or other terms, be sure to tell your clients when to pay you.

* Accept credit cards.

This is critical in todays world and if youre not doing it, youre not getting paid as quickly as you could. I highly recommend using a Merchant Account Service such as Card Service International (www.cardserviceinternational.com), but if youre not ready to do that, at least get a PayPal account. Its free and it allows anyone to pay you via credit card.

* "Request Money".

If you have a PayPal account, make it easy for your clients by sending them a Request Money link from your PayPal account. Your clients wont have to stop to get a check, write the check, address an envelope, stamp and mail it. They can click a few buttons and you get paid.

* Email your invoice.

Software products such as QuickBooks allow you to email directly from the software with the email address coming from you. Do this even if you have sent a PayPal funds request so your clients have the proper backup.

* Unique invoice numbers.

Make it easy for your clients by including unique invoice numbers. Theres nothing worse than having your clients toss out an invoice because they think its a duplicate.

* Be available.

Insure your contact information (or that of your accounts payable person) -- physical address, email address and phone number -- is on every invoice. If your client has a question, you want to be able to answer it quickly and the person who pays the bills may not be the person you work with.

* Invoice off cycle.

If you invoice on a regular basis and not per project, invoice at a time other than the end of the month. At the end of the month, youre competing for your clients cash at the same time as most other vendors.

Sandra Martini

Ever since I was a young girl growing up in a small town in Massachusetts, I've loved helping people succeed. My sisters used to call me "The General" as I constantly told them how to do this, that or the other. Friends would refer to me as "Counselor" as I was always asked for my advice and recommendations on how to handle various situations.

I left that small town for Washington, DC where I attended college and spent the next 11 years working within the Federal Government. While with the Peace Corps, ACTION, and AmeriCorps federal agencies, I honed my skills in the areas of marketing, project management, and finance.

It was my life, I loved it all -- from planning the most minute details of Presidential events to estimating the needs within the intricacies of a Federal agency's budget! I had a natural talent for getting things done and making things happen and often got the projects no one else wanted. I realized at that point, that there was an opportunity. While discussing this with a colleague, I was encouraged to start my own business helping other small businesses with their difficult tasks -- the entrepreneur in me was unleashed!

After I returned to Massachusetts, I spent the next 7 years within "Corporate America." In New England, the perception is that success comes from prestigious positions with large corporations. I followed this path as Director of Operations for a nationwide satellite television company. It was a great job and I learned a lot, but corporate life wasn't for me -- I didn't want the commuting, corporate politics, and the thought that someone else was benefiting from my hard work. I wanted MORE for ME, I wanted FREEDOM, INDEPENDENCE, and PERSONAL SUCCESSES and began dedicating nights and weekends to rebuilding my business.

As a result, I've been a very successful solopreneur for several years now and wouldn't trade it for anything. I love the feeling of helping other entrepreneurs and service professionals realize their dreams!