How a Painter Used Milestone Billing to Double Capacity

Cash Flow Conversations with Fexingo: Working Capital, Receivables, and Small Business Finance · Jul 5, 2026 · 10m · transcript

In this episode of Cash Flow Conversations, Lucas and Luna examine how a residential painting company in Portland used milestone billing to slash its payment cycle from 55 days to 5 days. The owner, Jenna Cortez, had been financing labor and materials out of pocket while waiting for post-completion net-30 terms. By breaking each job into three triggers — paint on site, drywall finished, final walk-through approved — she collected 70% of the invoice before the crew packed up. Cash flow stabilized enough to hire a second team and grow revenue by 130% in 18 months without outside debt. The hosts…