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Here Are the Distress Signals Private Firms Flash When They Are in Trouble

Your Virtual Credit Manager

The Imperative to Keep Past Due Balances in Check A key objective of Accounts Receivable (AR) management is minimizing past due AR to ensure cash in-flows and minimize bad debt losses. Customer defaults can be devastating , especially if they cause a substantial bad debt loss.

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How Are Your Customers Doing?

Your Virtual Credit Manager

As discussed in a recent post , gathering customer information doesn’t stop with the credit application. This company was fortunate to avoid significant bad debt loss until Ames Department Stores, Kmart, and Fleming Foods (a distributor) all filed bankruptcy within the same year. Bad debt losses were understandably huge.

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Storm Warning: Private Company Red Flags

Your Virtual Credit Manager

The Customer Delinquency Challenge Successful accounts receivable (AR) management involves minimizing past due balances to ensure steady cash in-flows and limit bad debt losses. Customer defaults can be devastating , especially when they cause a substantial bad debt loss.

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Big Company Red Flags You Can't Afford to Miss

Your Virtual Credit Manager

While the principals of credit are the same for businesses of every size, there is a lot more information on the big guys making it easier to see any red flags that suggest they are in trouble. Consequently, a large percentage of your accounts receivable (AR) is likely to derive from large firms.

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Are Your Collection Efforts Myopic?

Your Virtual Credit Manager

Gathering all the details needed to inform a decision becomes a time-eating burden. What if that information isn’t in one place? Too often, customer and AR information is kept in an assortment of data silos. As crucial as the consolidation of information on just three screens was the easy navigation between these screens.

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After the Credit Application: Getting to Know Your Customers Even Better

Your Virtual Credit Manager

Seldom is a poor decision made when there is ample information. One of the biggest challenges for any credit function is making a valid decision when information is lacking. That’s why standard procedure calls for gathering additional credit information until a comfortable decision can be made.

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A Focus on Collections & Credit Fraud

Your Virtual Credit Manager

For more information on this subject, please click on this link. Fraud can occur at various points in the customer lifecycle, particularly during customer onboarding, changes in customer information, and when payments are made. Need help improving cash flow? Ensuring legal due diligence and credit reviews are crucial to prevent loss.

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