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Collecting commercial debts is not unlike convincing somebody to buy something, but people with that talent tend to go into sales. For most people, however, collecting B2B debts is an acquired skill. Those of us who have spent our careers in credit and collections fell into the profession. Vigilance is crucial.
Finding the time and resources to complete every collection activity needed to be done at the optimal time to be done is a constant challenge. Most small companies come up short because the owner or CFO have more important things to do and there isn’t a dedicated employee responsible for credit and collections.
Inevitably they will need to initiate Collection activities to recover some of this money owed; in other words, contacting delinquent customers and requesting them to pay your firm for goods and/or services provided on credit terms that have become pastdue. it just might help them pay you sooner!
When we first think about credit risk, our minds focus on the financial status of the company in question. To manage the risk that a customer might default, companies implement credit and collection policies and procedures. Your Virtual Credit Manager is a reader-supported publication.
Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash Effective collections is the single most important factor for achieving reliable cash inflows. Effective collections can also reduce bad debt losses by compensating for a liberal or weak Credit Control function. Procrastination only makes a pastdue situation worse.
Successful collections require the coordination of a variety of activities: timely and accurate invoices and payment posting, monthly statements, email reminders and other dunning notices as well as telephone calls. The company had maxed out its line of credit and so was having some cash flow difficulties.
Finding the time and resources to accomplish all the collection activities required to do a good job is a constant challenge. Most small companies come up short because when there isn’t a dedicated employee responsible for credit and collections, the owner or CFO have more important things to do.
Credit Policy is an inextricable part of a company’s Sales Policy. If you choose to sell on open credit, the terms you offer are in effect part of the price. If you discuss credit terms with a competitor, you are in violation of anti-trust statutes forbidding price fixing. What’s Right for Your Firm?
Who absorbs any potential bad debt loss — does the lender have recourse to return the AR if they cannot collect it versus a non-recourse arrangement? Who performs the Credit & Collection activities — you or the finance company? Your Virtual Credit Manager is a reader-supported publication.
Moreover, if you are trying to collect from a small business, you may have to deal with the owner, who will have a lot on their plate in addition to their debt to your company. New to collections? You should attend Introduction to Business/Commercial Collections on Tuesday, July 16 at 1:30 PM EDT. annualy, forever.
To optimize the order-to-cash (O2C) process, it's crucial to understand the significant role Credit and Collections plays. Photo by Jay Heike on Unsplash ) What happens during the O2C process, however, apart from credit and collection activities, can have an outsized impact on cash flow and AR performance.
Inevitably you will need to initiate collection activities; in other words, start requesting pastdue customers pay what they owe your firm for goods and/or services provided on credit terms. What are the other tasks that will not get done or be delayed because of the time you devote to collections?
You call your bookkeeper, and she explains to you that—although sales were outstanding this past month—you’ve only collected about 15% of the amount due from your customers. The rest is within the current collection period, so it’s not that you have a collections problem. The money just hasn’t come in yet.
Many businesses that are profitable on paper fail due to inadequate cash flow. Invoice payment terms not only regulate your business’s cash flow, but they can also impact your customers’ payment habits, including whether or not payment will be collectible at all. Invoice Payment Terms Defined.
Large swaths of the order-to-cash (O2C) process involve credit and collection activities. Broadly defined, the credit’s contributions involve approving new customers for open terms and new orders at the front end of the O2C cycle. Your Virtual Credit Manager is a reader-supported publication.
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