The Price of Payment Preference Shame
Look up! Your payment preferences aren’t anyone’s business but your own. Literally.
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When I was planning weddings full-time, there was a point where the couple would tell me about some GREAT idea they had for their wedding that they were so enthusiastic about. And then they would look at me all worried and ask, "is that okay?"
[RECORD SCRATCH]
Like this is something they would be judged on, and like, that judgment mattered. It's your wedding, I'd tell them. If you can afford it, if it works within the laws of space, physics, and your budget, you can do whatever you want. My job was to figure out how to make it work. And then we would make it work.
Ironically, I'm getting the same questions from my Honeybook and CRM about how they accept payment. Is it okay to accept payment by Zelle, Venmo, or a lower-cost processor like Paypal or Square? There's way too much worry and shame around that, too, like you're obligated to use your CRMs processing system, and you're not. It's your business, and you can run it however you want. You're good if you're not breaking the law or breaking the service agreement you signed with your CRM. Again, my job is to help you make the way you want to run your business work for you, as far as time, creating a process that tracks your payments and makes money. But here are four clear reasons why shame about your payment preferences comes with a high price.
1. It's a waste of time
All the time you're worrying about it, you could be telling your clients how to pay you and get paid. This is not an original idea, and most of my clients require or allow their clients to make non-Honeybook/CRM payments. You're in good company. The time you spend on shame and worry should be spent on getting new clients and working with the ones you have.
2. To quote Marie Forleo, Everything is figureouttable
A lot of the worry/shame is because non-processor payments aren't the norm, so how do you manage them without having to do one more step and create more work for you or your clients? It's not that hard, especially when you can automate many processes supporting the payments. Click here for more information on that.
3.No one else cares how you run your business. They just don't.
No one is watching you except the people who are hiring you. They will be happy if you offer them solutions that work for them. Flexibility doesn't hurt, but you get to set the rules about how flexible you will be and what that looks like. Credit card fees in some states must be legally service fees in others. If you're okay doing a little extra accounting work, that's literally your business and not your client's or the world's concern.
4. You're asking the wrong question, which isn’t good for anyone
The question you need to answer isn't "Can I do this, or should I do this?" but "How?" What is the most efficient way to let your clients know - and remember - your payment preferences? What is the best way to manage that on the back end, so you don't scramble for balance payments?" Showing up at a gig or finishing a project without getting paid for it beforehand needs not to be an option, ever. Focus, and continue focusing, on that.
If you have any questions or want some help setting up your CRM so you can confidently manage your time and money, click here to schedule a call with me next week or email me directly at elizabethcoopersmith@gmail.com, while 2023 is still new and fresh!
I'll talk to you soon,
Elizabeth
