Half of small firms hit by late payment Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) research shows that between April and June, half of the 1,300 small business owners and sole traders polled reported being paid late, while one in five said the issue was getting worse. Phil Hall, head of public policy at the Association of Accounting Technicians, believes the Government should legislate for all companies to pay at least 95% of their suppliers within 30 days.