Run your business without giving up your evenings

These tips are general. For tax and legal matters, your accountant is still the one to ask.

1. Invoice the same day

Every day between finishing a job and sending the invoice is a day of cash flow lost. The most profitable rule for a small business fits in one sentence: the job is done, the invoice goes out.

• Prepare the invoice on site, from the accepted quote.
• State a clear due date and the payment reference.
• For a large job, invoice in stages rather than at the end.

In the software: an accepted quote becomes an invoice in one click, with the due date and the structured payment reference.

2. Ask for a deposit

A deposit pays for your materials and confirms the client's commitment. Ask for it when the quote is signed, not once you have already paid for the materials out of your own pocket.

• State the deposit in the quote, with its percentage.
• Only order made-to-measure materials once the deposit has been received.

In the software: the deposit invoice is created from the quote, and it is deducted automatically from the final invoice.

3. Reply quickly to quote requests

The first quote received is often the one that gets signed. A clear quote sent within two days is better than a perfect quote sent in two weeks.

• Start from a template for your routine jobs and adjust the quantities.
• Separate materials and labour: the client understands what they are paying for.
• Give a validity period, and have the quote signed before you start.
• Send one reminder, after a week with no reply.

In the software: quote templates by trade, client signature on their phone, a list of unanswered quotes.

4. Know your cost price

An hourly rate is something you calculate, not something you copy from the business next door. The method is simple: add up what the business has to cover over a year, then divide by the hours you actually invoice.

• Add a margin on materials: you pay for them up front, transport them and guarantee them.
• Review your prices once a year, when your costs change.

5. Check unpaid invoices every week

The sooner you deal with a late invoice, the better your chances of getting paid. A polite reminder, a few days after the due date, is enough in most cases.

• Pick a fixed time in the week to look at overdue invoices.
• First reminder by message, second by phone, third in writing.
• Keep a note of every reminder: if there is a dispute, the history counts.

In the software: the client portfolio lists the clients to follow up, and the payment reminder is ready to send by WhatsApp, SMS or email.

6. Keep an eye on four figures

No need for a complicated spreadsheet. Four figures, checked once a month, tell you what matters.

• Turnover for the month, compared with the same month last year.
• The amount outstanding: what your clients owe you.
• Pending quotes: your work for the coming weeks.
• Your best clients' share: if three clients account for half your turnover, look for others.

7. Don't lose track of stock or due dates

A missing part means a wasted trip. A forgotten vehicle inspection takes a van off the road. Both losses can be avoided with a threshold and a date.

• Set an alert threshold for the items you use every week.
• Note each vehicle's due dates: inspection, insurance, servicing.
• Do a quick stock-take twice a year.

8. Get things ready for your accountant

An accountant who receives well-organised documents works faster and gives you better advice. Since 2026, invoices between Belgian VAT-registered businesses must be structured e-invoices, sent over the Peppol network, so it pays to have everything in order from the moment the invoice is issued.

• File your purchase invoices as you go, not the day before the return is due.
• Check the VAT number of your business clients before invoicing.
• Keep your invoices and supporting documents for the legal retention period: ask your accountant what it is.

In the software: your accountant has their own free, read-only access, with the sales journal and the invoices in Peppol format.