# How do I keep track of unpaid invoices?

Keep one list of every invoice with its number, client, date sent, amount and a paid yes or no column, sort it by date sent, and follow up at set points such as 30 and 60 days. A ProfitDrawer bookkeeping spreadsheet does this on its Unpaid Invoices tab, which flags invoices at 30 and 60 days. The SBA suggests issuing invoices immediately and having a follow up system for collecting.

Steps:

1. **Number every invoice** and record it the day you send it, with the due date.
2. **Mark it paid** only when the money reaches your account.
3. **Check the list weekly.** Highlight anything past due, for example with conditional formatting in Google Sheets.
4. **Follow up on a schedule:** a friendly reminder at the due date, a call at 30 days, a firmer notice at 60 days.
5. **Change terms for slow payers.** The SBA suggests deposits and, for slow-paying customers, payment on delivery.

Totals worth watching: how much is owed in total, how much is over 30 days, and which clients pay late most often. Money owed to you is a sale, not cash, so a large unpaid total can squeeze cash flow even in a profitable month.

A bookkeeping spreadsheet tracks invoices you have already sent; it does not create them. A separate invoice template is used to write the invoice itself.

- Source: [Small Business Bookkeeping Spreadsheet (ProfitDrawer)](https://profitdrawer.com/p/small-business-bookkeeping-spreadsheet.html)
- Updated: 2026-10-29
- Published: 2026-10-29
- Category: Bookkeeping basics
- Canonical: https://profitdrawer.com/answers/how-do-i-keep-track-of-unpaid-invoices.html
- Publisher: ProfitDrawer (https://profitdrawer.com)