ClientChaser and the Power of Automated Invoicing

Jessica

Alright, welcome back to Micro SaaS Ideas. I'm Jessica, here with Tom. Today we're talking about a side of freelancing that nobody really likes to admit, chasing up late invoices. Tom, I remember you shared something about this ages ago, didn't you have a real nightmare situation at your agency?

Tom

Oh, absolutely. I mean, yeah. There was this project "nice client, all smiles" until the invoice was overdue. And, um, you sort of convince yourself, "Give 'em another week, don't want to seem pushy." Stretch that out and, well, in my case, six months later, nothing. Completely unpaid. It's not just the money, really, it’s just, you feel awkward chasing, like you’re nagging, and that emotional drain just sits there. I still cringe thinking about it.

Jessica

It's so true. I talk to a lot of freelancers who just... avoid it entirely because it’s embarrassing. But then what? You risk not getting paid for your actual work. If you add up all those little awkward moments, plus the time spent writing emails or reminders, it’s what, hours every month gone?

Tom

Yeah, and the mental weight—honestly, it's heavier than the admin. No one wants to be the "chaser." It… sort of erodes the relationship if you do it badly, but do nothing and you end up… well, like me, waiting half a year for payment that, uh, never arrives.

Jessica

Exactly. So, how do you avoid all that weirdness, but still, you know, actually get paid?

Tom

Enter ClientChaser. This is one of those "Why didn't I have this five years ago?" kind of tools. So, you set it up and the system sends politely worded reminders when an invoice’s overdue, then, if needed, the tone gently escalates. So, it starts as a nudge, gets a bit firmer, and eventually, you’ve got something nearly legal-sounding but still professional. You don’t have to play bad cop every week.

Jessica

And the tech stack is totally lean, right? We’re talking Laravel backend, automate everything through Zapier, and just plug into Xero and Stripe for payments. I love that, no clunky dashboards, no reinventing accounting, just… automation that does the boring stuff.

Tom

Yeah, absolutely. And what’s cool is, it works for different levels, like, a freelancer or even a small design studio. There was a studio I worked with, they used Xero for invoicing… after switching to a ClientChaser style setup, they actually, um, reduced their overdue invoices by 70 percent. Because suddenly, those awkward reminders? They just happen, without anyone feeling embarrassed.

Jessica

It’s so much nicer to let a robot be "the bad guy", no weird vibes. Plus, you can pick from prewritten templates. You want the “friendly nudge,” or do you wanna go straight for, “Hello, as per our agreement…” it’s totally up to you.

Tom

So, let’s talk pricing, because that's where these micro SaaS tools make or break. ClientChaser could be, say, £5 to £15 a month, which is, what, like a coffee a week to skip all the hassle? Or maybe a per-invoice charge. Jess, what do you think makes sense?

Jessica

I think both, honestly. Some people hate subscriptions, so per-invoice is low-commitment. But most freelancers? They’d pay a flat fee if it means never having to send those awkward DMs. For validation, seriously, tweet the problem. I’ve done polls where you literally say, "How much time do you waste chasing invoices?" and boom! People throw out real numbers and actual pain. Then you just build a basic Stripe or Xero connector as your MVP. It's scrappy, but it's enough for feedback.

Tom

Yeah, don’t overbuild, just launch and learn. And a bit of an announcement - if you’re listening, we’re rolling out Micro SaaS 10 and 50 bundles soon, plus something called the Vault, so keep an eye out for those. And hey, if you’ve got your own SaaS idea, email us: idea@microsaaspodcast.com. We might even pick yours for a future episode.

Jessica

Oh, I love that. Genuinely, if you’ve got a pain point we haven’t ranted about yet, drop us a message. The best ideas always start that way.

Jessica

If you’re thinking about rolling out ClientChaser, first thing, figure out who it actually helps most. Freelancers, sure, but what about those agencies with a handful of regular clients? Or studios with complex cycles?

Tom

Yeah, it’s very different onboarding someone who invoices once a week versus someone sending ten invoices a day. That’s why, when you build your onboarding, maybe have a little walk-through guide or a quick video, just "plug in your Xero, select your templates, done." Keep it stupid simple.

Jessica

And then track what works. Set up some way, metrics, even just a Notion table at first to see, are overdue invoices actually dropping? Is anyone saying, "Hey, these reminders got me paid faster?" You need those stories and numbers to keep improving.

Tom

Plus, testimonials. If you get two or three people raving, that’s better than any expensive marketing. Real world results and real feedback, that’s how you tune the product and make it truly helpful.

Tom

Once you’ve got the basics, it gets interesting. Imagine, you’re customising those reminders for, like, a photography business versus, say, an IT consultant. The payment cycles are totally different so your automation should be as well. Build in options for the timing and even the escalation - you know, maybe creatives want more gentle nudges, consultants are fine with skipping straight to the "let’s keep this professional" tone.

Jessica

Yeah, segment out your clients right from onboarding. Maybe they pick a preset, or you use data, "Okay, these guys pay late every month, let’s switch them to a stricter flow." Keep adjusting as you gather more data, too. It’s never a one-size-fits-all. Use feedback to tweak your templates, even change up when the reminders go out based on actual payment behaviour.

Tom

That’s the big secret, isn’t it? Automation works best when it feels truly tailored. You keep it lean for yourself but make your clients feel they’re getting a little personal touch, even from a bot.

Jessica

Alright, so last piece, getting people to actually use the thing. Really clear onboarding: step-by-step guides, video walk-throughs, templates for different industries. Make it impossible for someone to get confused when they sign up.

Tom

Then, yeah, it’s all about outreach. Run campaigns not just to freelancers, but tailor your pitch, agencies want time-saving; solo consultants want to never "nag" again. Show off actual testimonials, like we said before—that’s what gets people over the line.

Jessica

And keep listening! Run simple surveys or hop on a call, find out what’s working, what’s not, if templates need more variety. If users feel heard, and see you’re tweaking things for them, they stick around. That’s real SaaS loyalty.

Tom

Always be iterating. And if you’re building something similar, small, focused, with real feedback loops, you’re on the right track. Jess, I think we’ve covered it. Ready to wrap up?

Jessica

Yeah, I think that’s a good place to leave it. Thanks for tuning in, everyone, hope this sparks some ideas.

Tom

Cheers, Jess, and thanks to everyone listening. See you next time on Micro SaaS Ideas, remember to send in those ideas and lookout for our idea vault!

Jessica

See you, Tom. Bye everyone!