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If you are extending credit to other businesses, it’s high time you began watching your customers closely for late payments and other signs of distress. Moderate levels, though, are not likely impactful enough to cause your firm to fail, but still can severely impact profits. Do you need help improving cash flow?
In most companies, sales are given a strong priority over the risk of slow payments and bad debts regardless of gross margins and the resources the credit and collection function can provide to mitigate risk. Photo by Piret Ilver on Unsplash ) Too often, credit and collections are an afterthought. Customers default.
Photo by Beth Hope on Unsplash Once your accountsreceivable (AR) portfolio exceeds several dozen accounts, it becomes impossible to stay 100 percent up-to-date on the risk status and creditworthiness of every customer. This is because customers and markets are dynamic. Do you need help improving cash flow?
Photo by Bernd Dittrich on Unsplash In a sense, that’s fortunate because it’s much more likely a large firm, rather than a smallbusiness, is your biggest customer. Consequently, a large percentage of your accountsreceivable (AR) is likely to derive from large firms. Share Read more
Trustee Program anticipates bankruptcy filings to double over the next three years, signaling a potentially prolonged period of financial distress for businesses across various sectors. In contrast, customer bankruptcies or other defaults typically cause the loss of most, if not all, the AR owed.
A high degree of transactional transparency across the entire Order to Cash Process (O2C), coupled with 360-degree visibility of customers and their life-cycles, is necessary to optimize accountsreceivable (AR) performance. Too often, customer and AR information is kept in an assortment of data silos.
To receive new posts and support my work, please subscribe for just $5 per month ($49 yearly). The experts at Your Virtual Credit Manager have default risk probabilities and other financial benchmarks for analyzing your AR portfolio and revealing actionable credit & collection insights. Do you need help improving cash flow?
How was your accountsreceivable (AR) performance last year? This is a very important question because AR is typically one of the top two or three largest assets for a B2B vendor. The primary way most companies measure AR performance involves looking at the Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) metric.
Photo by Alex Radelich on Unsplash When smallbusinesses add customers and increase sales, their company’s AccountsReceivable (AR) will grow. it just might help them pay you sooner! Share A Case in Point A parts distributor was having difficulty with collections and high dispute volumes.
Now that we are past the mid-point of November, the end of the year is zooming into focus. Chances are, there is a lot that needs to be done in terms of accountsreceivable (AR) management between now and December 31st, especially if you are short of your Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) goals.
billion in annual sales was dissatisfied with the management of its AccountsReceivable (AR). The experts at Your Virtual Credit Manager have default risk probabilities and other financial benchmarks for analyzing your AR portfolio and revealing actionable insights. Share Read more
This constant pressure is one of the greatest challenges executives with accountsreceivable (AR) responsibilities face—navigating urgent issues while still keeping focused on the strategic goals that drive long-term success. Learn More About Credit Reports Please share this newsletter with your smallbusiness customers.
Furthermore, new businesses and smallbusinesses tend to have high failure rates, and there is good reason to believe a wave of defaults is coming. The experts at Your Virtual Credit Manager are ready to help you improve cash flow and reduce AR risks during these challenging times.
In order to maintain optimal cash flow, your accountsreceivable (AR) portfolio needs to remain in good shape. That can be a constant battle because all the mis-steps made during the order-to-cash (O2C) process will accumulate in your AR, and given time, clog it up.
In the face of an economy being buffeted by opposing trends, what should those with credit and collection responsibilities do to protect their organizations’ accountsreceivable (AR)? Learn More About Credit Reports Please share this newsletter with your smallbusiness customers.
In every accountsreceivable (AR) portfolio there are customers that almost always pay on time, other customers that pay within a reasonable proximity of the due date, and those that pay consistently slow. It usually only takes about six months to figure out the segment into which a new business customer will fall.
Over the next couple of years, many more companies are expected to file bankruptcy chapter 7 liquidations, or simply close their doors for good. As a consequence, commercial accountsreceivable (AR) portfolios are at an increasing risk of suffering bad debt losses. Share Read more
Specifically, Credit and Collections is responsible for approving new customers for credit terms and managing orders at the beginning of the O2C cycle, while also monitoring risks within the AccountsReceivable (AR) portfolio and collecting overdue payments, both of which are post-sale activities.
Back then, the main question was simple: will this account pay us? Delinquency risk and the risk of default were the primary focus. Risks are multiplying at a dizzying pace, demanding that credit functions adopt a more comprehensive and forward-thinking approach to safeguard their organizations. What are the risks?
Cash flow is the biggest cause of customers defaults, but often cash flow is a result of other financial problems or miscues. Please share this newsletter with your smallbusiness customers. A business with a strong credit history is more likely to be considered creditworthy than one with a weaker credit history.
There has always been a strong correlation between the cost of funds and accountsreceivable (AR) management. As interest rates increase, the cost of borrowing money also increases for businesses. Learn More About Credit Reports Please feel free to share this newsletter with your smallbusiness customers.
For smallbusiness executives, and many mid-sized businesses as well, managing collections effectively can be a significant challenge, particularly when time and resources are limited. With so many competing priorities, it’s easy for receivables to take a backseat to other pressing operational tasks.
Following the sharp but short Covid Recession, roughly 5 million smallbusinesses closed shop in the first six months after the economic shutdown, but commercial bankruptcies did not begin increasing until May of 2023, ostensibly due to the government’s economic stimulus programs. it just might help them pay you sooner!
Accountsreceivable (AR) represent the amounts owed your business by your customers for the purchase of goods or services delivered on credit. Because AR constitutes one of largest assets on your books, proactively managing accountsreceivable is crucial for the financial health of your business.
As such, they are just one of the many tools, such as credit reports, supplier and bank references, and financial statement analysis, that can help assess a business's creditworthiness. Commercial credit scores are often not as well understood as consumer credit scores such as FICO. it just might help them pay you sooner.
If your sales are consummated via payment at the point of sale, which may involve “pay with order” or “pay on delivery” protocols involving a credit card or an online e-payment product, managing AccountsReceivable (AR) will not be big issue for you. it just might help them pay you sooner!
Subscribe now Impact of Offering Discounts From the seller’s perspective, the effect on revenue from offering an early pay discount needs to be weighed against the potential reduction in AccountsReceivable (AR) carrying costs, bad debt and collection expenses. it just might help them pay you sooner!
Photo by Ralph Hutter on Unsplash Confronted with high interest rates and inflation, and heading into a what is increasingly looking like a recession, small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) will probably need to use a Collection Agency more than they have in the past. it just might help them pay you sooner!
It will reduce your AccountsReceivable (AR) balance and the associated elevated credit risk inherent in a larger AR. Getting customers to pay now rather than later reduces the risk of a default down the road. A Prompt Payment Discount can help you avoid serious losses as customers go out of business.
Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash For small enterprises, however, a “wide range of tasks” is usually the norm for its limited staff. So, how can a smallbusiness acquire high level functional expertise with its “Jack of all trades” workforce, especially in regard to managing the AccountsReceivable (AR) asset?
Execution and Escalation then round out the three key elements of an effective and efficient Collection effort: Please feel free to share this newsletter with your smallbusiness customers. The key factors informing your prioritization scheme are: The amount of the past due accountsreceivable (AR) The age of the past due AR (e.g,
If you have poor credit controls, you won’t be able to afford as much risk in your accountsreceivable (AR) portfolio. Please feel free to share this newsletter with your smallbusiness customers. The scores typically are assigned on a scale of 1 (low risk) to 5 (high risk) or some variation thereof.
AccountsReceivable (AR) reflect a promise of payment at a future date. Though a paper asset, AR competes with Property, Plant and Equipment as well as Inventory for being the largest line item on a company’s balance sheet. Share What Determines How Much Your AR Will Yield?
Growth is down, interest rates continue rising, smallbusinessesare facing a credit crunch, commercial bankruptcies are skyrocketing and experts see an emerging threat: Washington Post: U.S. There are several ways to mitigate the risk of extending credit on open terms. economy grew at 1.1%
Please feel free to share this newsletter with your smallbusiness customers. Share Signs There Are a Problem It is important to regularly monitor your collections. If sales are consistent, month-to-month, DSO provides an excellant indicator if your collection efforts are keeping up with sales.
AccountsReceivables (AR) require active management. Any O2C friction that results will ultimately have a negative affect on AR performance. Photo by Elisa Ventur on Unsplash When a company’s AR under-performs, the consequences are substantial. Laissez-faire doesn’t cut it.
Photo by Keren Fedida on Unsplash Each business customer presents a unique set of circumstances. No two are alike, but they do tend to fall into some common groupings. Identifying the groupings within your customer accountsreceivable (AR) portfolio enables you to deal with them all more effectively and efficiently.
Chapter 11 filings, used by businesses hoping to reorganize, have increased by 34 percent in the first six months of 2024 compared to last year. Chapter 7 commercial liquidation filings are up 28 percent and sub-chapter V smallbusiness elections are up a staggering 61 percent despite the filing threshold recently being cut in half.
Effectively managing accountsreceivable (AR) is essential for a company's financial well-being. Poor receivables performance affects cash flow, and it is no secret that cash flow problems are the leading cause of business failures. it just might help them pay you sooner!
The experts at Your Virtual Credit Manager are currently offering 33% off our standard smallbusiness consulting rates. Learn More About Consulting Readers of Your Virtual Credit Manager can access sharply discounted business credit reports from D&B, Experian, or Equifax through our partner accredit.
In today’s rapidly evolving financial landscape, businessesare continually seeking ways to enhance efficiency and optimize cash flow. One critical area ripe for innovation is accountsreceivable (AR) management. The question, “Can accountsreceivable be automated?”
Smallbusinessesare under a lot of pressure. It is therefore no surprise that smallbusiness owners’ top economic concerns are inflation, recession, commodity prices, the U.S. political environment, and interest rates in that order.
Also, e-mails can provide more complete account information and can often be generated automatically in high volumes, especially if you have collection software with an email component. Dunning emails are a proven way to increase efficiency and ensure full coverage of your accountsreceivable (AR) portfolio coverage.
Whether you have automated the collection process or not, mapping out collection strategies for the different types of customers in your accountsreceivable (AR) portfolio is an accepted best practice. More About Purchasing Credit Reports Please feel free to share this newsletter with your smallbusiness customers.
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