A late payment makes someone else finance the work you already received.

Delayed payment is not a neutral administrative fact. The work was done, the materials were bought, and the wages were paid, so during every week of delay the supplier is lending you money they may not have, without being asked and without interest. For a small business or a freelancer that gap can decide whether rent gets paid.

Pay what you owe on the day it becomes due rather than at the end of your own cycle. If something will be late, say so in advance with a date. Pay the smallest suppliers first.