Research suggests salon owners, freelancers and self-employed beauty professionals who soften client communication may be more likely to experience late payments, cancellations and pricing disputes
Self-employed business owners who soften client communication by using phrases such as “just checking”, “only if it’s okay” and “no worries if not” are significantly more likely to face late payments, client ghosting and price renegotiation, according to new research from business management platform Tide.
The study surveyed 1,500 employed adults in the UK, including 250 self-employed small business owners, to examine how workplace communication affects payment outcomes and professional relationships.
Among self-employed professionals, those who softened requests were:
- 8 times more likely to experience late payments (59% compared with 7%)
- 8 times more likely to be ghosted by clients (59% compared with 9%)
- Nearly 9 times more likely to face clients renegotiating agreed prices (62% compared with 7%)
- More likely to chase payments (57% compared with 4%)
The findings may resonate with salon owners, beauty therapists and freelance beauty professionals, where late cancellations, no-shows and delayed invoices can directly affect cash flow and profitability.
Beauty business owners report concerns around discussing money
The research also found that one in three self-employed and small business owners worry about how discussing money is perceived.
Across the wider workforce, 62% of respondents said they regularly soften requests at work, while 53% reported apologising unnecessarily in professional communication.
The study found employees who frequently softened requests were also more likely to experience unreasonable deadlines, late arrivals and last-minute appointment cancellations.
According to the data, 61% of those who always softened requests said clients arrived late to appointments, compared with 9% of those who communicated more directly.
Gen Z workers most likely to soften professional communication
The study found younger workers were the most likely to use softening language in workplace communication.
3 out of 4 (75%) of Gen Z employees and business owners said they regularly used phrases such as “no worries if not”, while 73% said they softened communication with clients or colleagues.
Nearly 1 in 5 employed adults (19%) also said they did not feel confident asserting themselves in conversations about money.
Workplace wellbeing expert shares advice for handling payment conversations
Dr Mahrukh Khwaja, a Tide member and founder of workplace wellbeing start-up Mind Ninja, shared her experience of dealing with delayed client payments.
She said one corporate client took five months to pay due to repeated internal payment system issues, prompting her to change how she approaches payment discussions and client agreements.
Dr Khwaja now raises payment terms at the beginning of client relationships and requires a 50% retainer at the time of booking.
She advised business owners to reframe conversations about fees as part of transparent communication with clients, remain confident when discussing pricing, and where possible move payment conversations from email to phone or video calls.
Dr Khwaja said, “It’s perfectly natural to feel nervous about sharing our fees and having money conversations. Hold your ground. With time, it does get easier.”
Heather Cobb, UK managing director at Tide, commented, “Being clear, professional and consistent in how you talk about pricing – even when it feels uncomfortable – helps set expectations early and avoids problems later, whether that’s chasing payments, undercharging, or feeling frustrated with clients.”
Methodology
The research was conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Tide and surveyed 1,500 employed adults in the UK, including 250 self-employed or small business owners. Data was collected in March 2026.
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