Patience on the battlefield

We've all seen the movie or read the story or even experienced a situation where an injured participant is left on the battlefield and must wait for reinforcements to rescue them.  Sometimes being a small business can feel like being the injured participant left for dead.  I'm talking about outstanding receivables.

You performed admirably and stood side by side with your customer, however, it has been months and still no payment. Yes, you knew they were a behemoth of a company with 90 day terms but you thought it would all work out.  Or maybe they are focused on other issues...or they have their own problems. Whatever the reason, you don't really care because you may not even be able to continue the work you are doing unless cash comes in soon. You've got your own bills and they are piling up.  The need for reinforcements (cashflow or payout) is imminent.  You can see the metaphorical light at the end of the tunnel but the tunnel seems longer than you originally thought.

If you find yourself in this position, my sympathies and prayers.  You should definitely take appropriate steps to put yourself in the best position to get paid, however, you should also stay patient and stay encouraged. Oftentimes there are factors beyond your control affecting these situations and getting down or stressing out could magnify the problem. So expect good things to happen and enjoy it when they do.  But if they don't, lick your wounds, bounce back up and take steps to work with the right type of customers going forward.