Many sole traders in the holistic or beauty fields of work feel that chasing money is not good business.
It becomes very emotional. They don’t understand why someone would not pay or not show up. It actually really upsets them. But at the same time they have guilt and a degree of fear about following up on people who have not paid or who have missed appointments.
A good rule of thumb is if someone missed one appointment, but apologises and re-books shortly after it, then let it go. Don’t sweat the small stuff.
But if they do it more than once, that shows a complete lack of respect for your skills and time. They are basically saying their time is worth more than yours. Is that the sort of client you want?
If a person has had a treatment, then doesn’t pay, that’s completely different. That needs to be tackled as soon as possible. (see How long should I wait for payment? on how to manage that situation.)
So is it good business to let people waste your time? No.
Is it good business to maximise your chances of getting paid? Yes.