Payments, invoices & discounts — tracker
The money panel of the dashboard: incoming payments, deposits, invoices, recurring MRR, and founding-client discounts. Pre-revenue — this is mostly the plan + structure; nothing is invented. Terms & rails are operationalized in process/03 — Pricing, payments & discounts.
Updated 2026-07-21.
Status: pre-revenue
No invoices raised, no deposits collected, MRR R0. This doc holds the structure we track against + a placeholder row per client. Actuals fill in as deals close. Policy: nothing invented (same rule as the client metrics files).
Terms (settled — see process/03 + BRAND-STRATEGY)
- SA: 50% deposit up front, balance Net 7–14. ZAR. Rails: Paystack (primary), Yoco (in-person). (Rail ordering itself is Proposed — see process/03.)
- INTL: 50% up front; milestones or platform escrow offered as a feature to first-time international clients. Invoice in USD/GBP, plan at the R16.0/$ buffer. Rails: Wise (primary), Payoneer; Upwork takes 15% when billed via the platform.
- Risk-reversal: soft promises only — fixed price honoured, no lock-in, you own everything. No money-back.
Incoming / expected ledger
| Client | Item | Amount | Deposit | Balance | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | — | — | (none raised yet) | — |
Recurring (MRR)
| Client | Plan | R/mo | Since | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | R0 | — | (no retainers live) |
Care Plan / WhatsApp Receptionist attach at launch per client. Target: R9–14k/mo recurring floor by Q4.
Founding case studies & discounts
Policy (Proposed → DECISIONS): a small set of founding clients, each traded explicitly for a written case study + metrics rights. For a founding client we waive or heavily discount the build fee; the deliberate open question is what they eventually pay — the intent is they convert to / start on a recurring subscription (Care Plan + tracking + marketing), so the case study also seeds MRR. This is our cheapest CAC — it buys a named reference; it is not ad-hoc discounting (never cut price to close a hesitant signature — drop to a smaller package instead). The general discount band for a paying founding client is 25–30% (up to ~40% for a marquee arm's-length INTL reference).
The founding case studies — each proves a different story (Daniel, 2026-07-21):
| Client | Story it proves | Metrics to gather over time | Payment | Rights? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mozguide | dated WordPress → modern rebuild + new features | load times (before/after), lead-gen improvement over months/years | founding / portfolio (family) | ☐ in writing |
| Berlein | a brand-new site from scratch for a practice | leads generated over time | founding (terms TBD) | ☐ |
| Aerias | e-commerce rebuild | GA4 funnel (conversion, cart, mobile) | equity, not a fee (see below) | ☐ |
| Physios CPT (prospect) | a running business → real baseline numbers + we drive advertising | leads + ad performance over time | strong founding candidate — TBD | ☐ |
Alternative payment — equity. For Aerias we work directly (not via an agency) and take equity in the business instead of a build fee. Equity-for-build is a standing option to weigh for startups: sign a contract, take a stake rather than (or alongside) cash. (Proposed as a formal payment option → DECISIONS.)
Targets to steer by
- Floor ~R20k/mo · Steady R30–35k (m9–12) · Peak months R45–55k. Recurring floor R9–14k/mo by Q4.
- The binding constraint is deal flow × the hours ceiling, not price-per-job. Push toward the top of the band by raising the INTL Repaint anchor ($2,750 → $3,500–4,500 once references exist) — a price lever, not a volume lever. Volume is hours-capped (1 active build + waitlist).