There's a particular kind of dread that comes with typing "hi, just following up on the invoice from last month" into WhatsApp for the third time. It's polite. It's awkward. And it is a genuinely terrible way to run credit control.
Why texting doesn't work as a system
A text thread has no memory. There's no record of when the first chase happened, no automatic escalation, and no way to see at a glance who owes what across your whole customer base. It relies entirely on someone - usually you - remembering to do it, feeling awkward about doing it, and doing it inconsistently. Late payment is a genuinely serious problem for UK small businesses; government guidance on prompt payment exists precisely because it's such a widespread and damaging issue, not a personal failing of businesses that struggle with it.
The awkwardness tax
Chasing money you're owed for work you've already done shouldn't feel like begging, but informal channels make it feel exactly like that. A proper invoicing and reminder system takes the emotion out of it - reminders go out on a schedule, automatically, without anyone having to work up the nerve to send a slightly passive-aggressive text on a Friday afternoon.
What good looks like
At minimum: invoices that are easy to pay (a link beats a bank transfer description nobody can read), automatic reminders before and after the due date, and a single place to see exactly who's overdue. Whether that's a proper CRM or just a disciplined use of your accounting software, the principle is the same - take the human awkwardness out of the loop entirely. Our own product Pipeline was largely built around this exact problem for trade businesses, for what it's worth.
The verdict
You did the work. You shouldn't have to write a diplomatic text message to get paid for it.