Priya, Tech Startup Owner, Cardiff.

• Sector: Tech Startup (Health Apps)

• Business Size: 6 employees

• Location: Cardiff

• Experience: 5 years in tech

• Impact: Priya’s startup depends on regular payments to maintain servers and payroll. Delayed invoices have led to temporary shutdowns, causing a loss of users and investor confidence.

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“Starting a tech company has been one of the most challenging and rewarding things I’ve done. Our app helps users manage their health, and we’ve got a small but growing user base. Like most startups, cash flow is tight. One of our main clients—a private healthcare provider—delayed a £10,000 payment by over two months.

That payment was meant to cover server costs and pay our developers. Without it, I had to make tough decisions. I delayed salaries for two months, which understandably upset my team. One of our key developers left shortly after, which set back our progress on a major update.

The delay also affected our credibility with other partners. We couldn’t afford to attend an industry event where we’d planned to showcase our app, missing out on a key opportunity to attract investors.

Since then, I’ve introduced stricter contracts with clear late payment penalties, but enforcing them is tricky. It’s hard to push back when you’re a small company relying on big clients. Late payments don’t just cause financial issues; they undermine trust and momentum. For startups like ours, every pound and every day counts.”