Monthly Invoicing
One billing cycle, four dates, zero chasing. Invoices are created on the 31st, dated forward to the 1st, due on the 20th, and escalated the moment they slip.
One month, four dates
The whole workflow hangs on a fixed calendar. Same dates every month, no judgment calls.
All client invoices built in QuickBooks on the last day of the month.
Invoice date is set to the 1st of the new month and sent the same day.
QuickBooks reminds clients automatically as the date approaches.
Anything unpaid past the 20th gets escalated. No waiting, no assuming.
The five steps
Invoices are created in QuickBooks on the 31st, dated forward to the 1st, with payment terms set to the 20th. Credit card payment stays disabled by default, with a single exception client where it is turned on.
Invoices go out the same day they are created. One check before hitting send: the displayed invoice date and due date are correct.
QuickBooks automatically sends payment reminders to clients approaching their due date. No manual action required unless a client has a specific question.
The 20th is the deadline. One known client pays a few days late every month, and that is accepted. Everyone else is expected on time.
Any invoice unpaid beyond the 20th gets escalated immediately. The rule is explicit: do not wait, and do not assume it will resolve itself.
The seven elements
Every workflow we document has the same anatomy: seven elements, each assigned to a human, a machine, or both. This is the Centaur Map from our workflow design method.
The calendar. The 31st arrives every month whether anyone feels like invoicing or not.
The client list, agreed terms, and billing history, all living in QuickBooks.
The exceptions: which client gets card payments enabled, and what gets escalated versus tolerated.
QuickBooks routes reminders to clients approaching their due date, automatically.
Invoices created by a human on the 31st, dated forward to the 1st by rule.
Invoices and reminders reach clients through QuickBooks the day they are created.
Paid versus due on the 20th. Anything past due becomes an escalation list, never a shrug.
The standing rules
- Create on the 31st, date to the 1st, due on the 20th
- Credit card payments are off by default, one exception client
- Reminders are automated, never manual
- Past the 20th means escalate, not wait
Why the dates are fixed
- Forward-dating keeps every invoice aligned to a clean calendar month
- A fixed due date makes late payments obvious at a glance
- Automation handles the chasing so humans only handle exceptions
- A hard escalation rule means receivables never quietly age