Should things not improve and you're not able to get your invoice paid - there are a number of further options to take. This is where we hand over to the specialists.
Freeagent have a great guide on their site from Lawbite on legal action you can take once it's clear your reminders are not working, and your invoice is at risk of not getting paid.
The Small Business Commissioner have simple and effective guides on all actions you can take, signposting to lots of other resources, and can investigate if your client has over 50 employees (great for when you're dealing with a larger company).
There are also some useful resources on debt for small business owners and the self-employed from Stepchange at https://www.stepchange.org/debt-info/self-employed-debt-advice.aspx and Business Debtline at https://www.businessdebtline.org/
If you're struggling with debt as an individual, the impartial Money Advice Service has a wealth of content on tackling financial challenges, as well as financial planning if you have irregular income.
MoneySavingExpert has a brilliant guide specifically on mental health and debt and Martin Lewis has established an amazing organisation which is also super helpful for anyone with existing mental health challenges.
Don't do it alone - seek help and advice. There are wonderful free and paid for services where you can talk to a trained professional, and as money issues are such a common topic, most helplines are well prepared for conversations about money.
Samaritans. To talk about anything that is upsetting you, you can contact Samaritans 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can call 116 123 (free from any phone), email [email protected]
SANEline. If you're experiencing a mental health problem or supporting someone else, you can call SANEline on 0300 304 7000 (4.30pm–10.30pm every day).
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). If you identify as male, you can call CALM on 0800 58 58 58 (5pm–midnight every day) or use their webchat service.
