Small business employment news is conflicting, with a major payroll company indicating small businesses created fewer jobs during May than in the past while the government reporting unemployment figures were down in April.

If you own a small business, you know how challenging it can be to keep customers coming back. Between intense competition, the changing economy and people’s transient nature, a business owner needs to be creative when it comes to maintaining a steady flow of established customers. For some business owners, offering loyalty perks is one way to keep the good vibes going and the Square app (or whatever a business uses for credit or debit payments) chirping.

Attorney Barry Kaufman has a simple suggestion for small business owners who want to avoid having once-valued customers become late and non-paying ones. “Have good communication with customers or clients to forestall payment issues,” says the Jacksonville, Florida-based lawyer who has been in collections 18 years.