Stop chasing invoices in Birmingham. Let Owed do it for you.

The late payment problem in the West Midlands

If you run a small business in Birmingham, you already know the script. The work’s delivered. The invoice goes out. And then nothing. Days turn into weeks. Weeks turn into “sorry, I missed your email.” Across the UK, 62% of small businesses are dealing with unpaid invoices right now, and the average sole trader is owed around £21,000 at any given moment. That’s rent. That’s payroll. That’s the holiday you keep cancelling.

How Owed works for Birmingham businesses

Owed connects directly to your Xero account. The moment an invoice goes overdue, our four-stage chase sequence kicks in — starting with a friendly nudge and progressively getting firmer if there’s no response. Every email goes out in your name, in your tone, from your address. Your clients see you. They don’t see a robot.

The moment Xero marks an invoice as paid, the chasing stops automatically. There’s no awkward “oh sorry, I’ve already paid” follow-up. No repaired client relationships. Just money landing in your account while you get on with the actual work.

Backed by the Late Payment Act

Most Birmingham business owners don’t realise this: under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, you’re legally entitled to charge statutory interest at 8% above the Bank of England base rate on every late B2B invoice — plus a fixed compensation fee for every overdue invoice. You don’t need a clause in your contract. It’s your right.

Owed calculates the statutory interest for every invoice automatically and includes it (politely) in the later stages of the chase sequence. Most clients pay before it ever gets that far. They just needed a reason to take the email seriously.