💳 Day 22: Take Money and Bookings Properly

How people pay in Jamaica

Bank transfer with a screenshot is still the most common way a small business gets paid. Add Lynk or a similar wallet for small amounts, cash for walk-ins, and cards when the amounts are bigger or the customers are abroad — card payments for a small business usually come through a local provider or your website's checkout. Say your payment options clearly on the catalog and the quote.

Prove the payment

A screenshot can be edited. Confirm every transfer in your banking app before you release goods or start work, and send a receipt back. Write the rule once ("order confirmed when the transfer shows in our account") and nobody argues.

Bookings and no-shows

If you take appointments — hair, lessons, repairs, rentals, tours — a shared calendar and a deposit cut no-shows more than anything else. A reminder message the day before cuts them again. When the diary fills up, booking software that takes the deposit and sends the reminder for you is the first "staff member" worth paying for.

Homework

Payment options written on the catalog and quotes; confirmation rule written; reminder habit started by day 25.

✅ Do this now — step by step

1. Write your payment options in one line on the WhatsApp catalog, every quote and the directory listing.
2. Confirm every transfer in the banking app before you start; send a receipt back the same minute.
3. For appointments: shared calendar, deposit to book, reminder message the day before.
4. Keep one list of money owed to you and check it every Monday.
5. When you are double-booking or chasing balances weekly, move to a booking or order system.

⚠️ Mistakes to avoid

• Releasing goods on a screenshot without checking the account.
• No deposit on bookings "because people cancel anyway" — the deposit is why they stop cancelling.
• Ten payment methods when two clear ones are better.

🇯🇲 How it plays out in Jamaica