How to stop cashflow chaos in your plumbing & heating business

Cashflow is king – but far too many businesses let it quietly die from neglect.

If you’re not in control of your invoicing, payments, and reminders, then you’re effectively starving your business – even if you’re flat-out busy on the tools.

It’s a brutal truth, but it’s one that every successful plumbing and heating business owner eventually has to face.

In The Systems Handbook, we dive deep into cashflow – not in a jargon-filled accountant kind of way, but in a clear, step-by-step format that actually makes sense. If you’ve ever struggled with feast-and-famine cycles, this blog will give you a taste of how to fix that for good.

Busy doesn’t pay the bills – paid does

You can have the busiest diary in town, but if you’re not getting paid on time – or at all – it means nothing.

We’ve worked with too many business owners who were grafting all hours but still couldn’t afford to pay themselves properly. Why? Because the cash wasn’t flowing. Quotes weren’t followed up on. Invoices went out late. Payments were slow or forgotten. No reminders. No system. Just crossed fingers and a hope it all works out.

Let me be clear: this is one of the fastest ways to burn out and break your business.

Consider this:

• Do you have a clear payment calendar?

• Are you tracking overdue invoices daily or weekly?

• Is chasing money taking you hours – or worse, not happening at all?

You’re not alone if this stuff’s fallen by the wayside. You’re not a finance expert – you’re a plumber, a heating engineer, a business owner. But that doesn’t mean you can ignore it.

In The Systems Handbook, we walk you through how to fix this with real, practical tools built for trades – not accountants.

Systemise your cashflow, stabilise your business

Cashflow problems often come down to one thing: lack of a repeatable process.

Here’s what a solid cashflow system looks like:

• A payment calendar that shows you exactly when money’s coming in and going out.

• Automated invoice reminders set up through your accounting software (we recommend Xero).

• Dedicated pots for VAT, corporation tax, and savings – so you’re not scrambling when bills are due.

• Clear payment terms and upfront deposits that protect your business from delays.

• A follow-up system for unpaid invoices that doesn’t rely on you remembering during a job.

None of this needs to be complex. In fact, the simpler it is, the better. It just needs to be consistent – and that’s where systems come in.

Wayne Bettess has shared his insight into effective cash management via pots. Wayne has helped shape The Systems Handbook, which doesn’t just talk about the theory. He’s lived it. The advice in this section comes straight from the trade – designed to be used in the real world, not just in a spreadsheet.

This is how you get peace of mind

When your cashflow is sorted, everything gets easier.

• You sleep better because you’re not worried about the VAT bill.

• You know what’s coming in and when.

• You can plan – not panic.

And more importantly, you start to feel like a real business owner – not just someone working harder and harder with less and less to show for it.

If that sounds like a future you want, start by getting systems in place. The Systems Handbook is full of them – all tried and tested by trades business owners just like you.

For help with pricing, quoting, systemising or simplifying your business, drop us a message at [email protected]. Whether it’s The Quote Handbook, The Systems Handbook, or our all-in-one toolkit Business in a Box, we’ve got the tools to help systemise your operations and move your business forward.

Get your copy of The Systems Handbook today