Debt Recovery

Staying in business can be as simple as pulling out the steamy croissants from the oven right when the timer rings just before your bakery opens or as complicated as the daily coordination of a supply chain that involves numerous moving pieces and partners.

We have mentioned the challenges faced by accounts receivable before, but one item stands out as a recurring and headache-causing problem: predictability of timely receipts.

Delays or interruptions in customer payments can jeopardize all of your downstream activities, leading to potential losses, bad credit, and eventually more serious consequences for your business.

Here are several key paths and practical tips to use in order to avoid payment delays and prevent cash-flow issues.

1. Trust and communication

Business is about trust, and the key to trust is communication. Having open contact with both new and longtime customers and partners is vital to building an environment of efficient collaboration and honest mutual dependency. Good communication helps focus your common interests in order to keep them attainable and helps your business adjust to crisis and instability without defections and bad surprises. Interaction can help to sense the intentions of new customers, and a good communication channel with longtime customers makes it more likely that they won’t hide their cash flow difficulties. That may give you an opportunity to prepare on your end and also to address such problems together, proposing payment plans that can prevent defaults and save the interests of both parties

2. Know your business partners

New commercial relationships are always risky and full of unknowns, and even the best long running relationships are subject to conflict and deterioration. From the very beginning, setting up a channel or a system to identify, vet, and authenticate your partners can save money and headaches in the long run.

Sometimes, communication is just not enough, and trust can be lost along the way. Treat any disputes respectfully and promptly, and don’t let your emotions control your actions.

Monitoring your customers’ behavior is important for you to be able to anticipate and avoid uncomfortable positions and breaks in your cash flow. You don’t have to resort to any kind of obsessive, intrusive surveillance systems to do that. Just staying informed about what’s going on in the industry and keeping in regular contact with your partners is enough.

Trusting means finding where your interests meet theirs, not neglecting them. Set up processes to collect up-to-date information about your customers’ financial health where the partner liaisons and account managers can access them, and modify your Policies and Procedures to include clear guidelines on payment practices befitting the customers’ situation. Depending on the case, you can require payment beforehand or establish credit limits.

3. Know your own business

Efficient and responsible choices in payment policies are possible only if you know your business’ own needs very well. How much total customer credit can you afford in terms of account receivables? What are your essential cash needs? What are the real risks you can take? Awareness about the limits of your business will help you enforce your payment policies in a non-aggressive, efficient way and avoid unnecessarily strict payment requirements when possible.

Learn to read a balance sheet, have monthly or quarterly meetings with your sales team and accounting department, and always ask for reports on unpaid invoices. Be prepared to stop services or the distribution of products to customers that have not paid, and establish a procedure for reinstatement of service.

We’ve talked about how a low rate of accounts receivable shows your business is on the right track.  A maximum of 20% is usually what a company can withstand, but conservative risk analyses show that the cash trapped in outstanding invoices should not be higher than 8%-10% of your total business income.

4. Fix your processes

A lot of payment delays can be easily avoided by designing efficient invoicing processes.

Ensure invoices are always correct, down to the last detail, so customers don’t reject them. Sometimes customers don’t even notify you that they haven’t accepted the invoice, and meanwhile, you’re still waiting for payment. Requiring them to validate the invoicing details can be an option.

Make sure that you always follow up on unpaid invoices. Streamline the payment process so your accounts receivable department can follow actionable, clear steps such as setting up automatic reminders and diversifying the notifications (phone calls, emails, or mailed statements).

In general, any possible source of misunderstanding and ambiguity in your process has to be identified and avoided in order to prevent both unintentional mistakes and deliberate strategies by customers to take advantage of the flaws that might be in your workflow. You can also include simple expedients to encourage quick invoice payment, such as offering prompt-payment discounts. Your company can offer a 1% to 3% discount if the invoice is paid within 15 days, ensuring you have healthy cash flows every month.

An alternative would be to allow a debtor to pay in interest-free and penalty-free installments. For those businesses facing hard times but struggling to get back on track, this method not only helps them maintain their relationships but also to ensure they’ll have a lower balance to pay in the future.

5. Method of payment

Many companies have switched to digital payments, but some are still using paper, which means that a check might or might not be coming. Offer incentives to your established customers to switch to ACH, credit card payment, click-and-pay or even PayPal. With an app highly-rated in terms of features and user-friendliness, PayPal also offers a business account that can be connected directly to your business checking account or credit card. If you have a website where you already accept credit cards, you can add PayPal as a secondary payment method. Once you give your customers several ways to pay that bill, they’ll simply have no good reason not to complete the transaction.

6. Platform of payment

You have to make sure that the digital platform you’re using, whether a website or specialized software, is fast and secure. Nearly 80% of online users who have a bad experience with pages loading slowly don’t return to those pages. The rule of thumb is that they expect no more than a 3-second lapse between the click and the moment a page fully loads. Imagine one of your partners trying to make a payment when your website doesn’t load the payment page. He might try one more time and then either forget or give up in frustration. Yours is just one of the bills he has to pay and his time is limited.

There are many ways to improve the loading speed of your website, and some are technically challenging. What you can do from the very beginning is to choose a competent web hosting service for your online business profile. That only requires a little bit of research.

7. How do others do it? What should you look out for?

Always be on the lookout for new solutions to problems. Innovative technology or methods of being paid are always emerging. Traditional solutions still work as well. If a customer is in trouble, you can help them by sending business their way or asking for free products/services in lieu of their debt.

Also, it’s good to be realistic about the type of service or product you’re offering. When a business starts going badly, companies tend to slash non-essential costs first. Do you service office water coolers or offer catering for company events? Are you a manufacturer of vintage toys with a very niche customer base and very few distribution centers? The type of business you have will determine how badly hit you’ll be during an economic crisis.

Cash-flow is the lifeblood of every business. Regular and on-time customer payments are key to keeping the order-to-cash cycle healthy, which in turn enables you to make well-timed investments, pay your own bills, and ensures your business’ financial health. Anything you can do to secure your cash-flow will never be too much, as long as the steps you take are within practical, legal and ethical bounds. Prevention is always better than needing a cure, and that applies just as accurately to businesses working together.

Unpaid traffic and parking violation tickets can cause a huge drag on the finances of cities and counties. It is a common practice for police and regional transport authorities to hire a collection agency to recover these unpaid debts.

Need a Collection Agency for Unpaid Tickets? Contact Us for a free consultation – Serving Nationwide

Courts and law enforcement agencies charge the original fine plus late penalties once an account is forwarded to collections. Some states allow them to charge an additional 30%-40% Collection Fee on top of the delinquent amount. The unpaid amount can be reported to credit bureaus if requested. Debtors can make payments online, over the phone, or using a credit card.

Traffic police officers do not have adequate resources and time to chase people who have not paid citations, parking and traffic tickets issued by law enforcement officers. Collection agencies have advance skip tracing tools to find the latest contact information of debtors and employ diplomatic tactics to recover money. It is recommended to forward these violations after 60 days to a professional debt collector for maximum recovery rate.

Traffic tickets amounts are usually under $100 and not every collection agency will effectively dedicate resources required to collect significant money from these accounts. Only those collection agencies with an efficient recovery process and those with extensive experience recovering for law enforcement agencies. A low fee collection agency will ensure that maximum money is recovered from unpaid traffic and parking tickets.

Unpaid bills are a huge problem for funeral homes. Recovering money from the estate or from relatives can often become difficult. The internal staff of funeral homes is able to recover money in most cases but then there are those tough 10% of the cases where recovering money gets a bit out of hand. A Collection agency for funeral homes can attempt to recover money a lot more efficiently. Being a third-party debt collector, they are well-versed with dealing all those excuses and know exactly how to get your money back to you.

Recovering Money for Funeral Homes Nationwide Need a Collection Agency? Contact Us

Top 4 Financial Challenges Funeral Homes Face

It might seem like a profitable industry to be in now, but funeral homes are challenged with financial management decisions every day. Similar to any other business, the success of a funeral home rests on maintaining proper financial management. Funeral home directors, however, are facing a unique set of financial challenges that may put the future of their business in jeopardy. Here are four major challenges funeral home directors face. In fact, many funeral homes struggle with one, several, or all of these four common financial challenges.

Payment Receivables

In the funeral industry receiving payment can be difficult. Funeral directors often avoid discussions about payment for their services as they do not want to put additional stress on the grieving family. Funeral directors may offer financing plans to families who don’t have the money upfront, to pay for the costs of funeral arrangements. While this offers the customer more convenience, it can come back to bite if those customers don’t make their payments. A collection agency is really helpful in such cases.

To ensure that payments are received, it is best to utilize a funding company that can eliminate claim paperwork, accelerate the insurance verification process, and gets you your money quickly. This can also improve your cash flow instantly and eliminate financial risks.

Upselling

The key problem facing funeral directors is that some families require costly extras – such as flowers and chapel of rest viewings and limousine services – but do not have the cash up front to pay for it. These extras bring the most profit for funeral homes.

It’s difficult to provide the high-end funerals customers want when funeral homes don’t have the ability to offer to finance. It’s easier to upsell when the customers can be instantly approved for financing at the payment terminal. This allows them to pay over several months instead of upfront.

Furthermore, the current pandemic has made upselling even more difficult as just a handful of mourners are present and families do not require costly extras at all.

Managing Debt

With funeral homes offering plans to help mourning families who cannot pay for the funeral of their loved ones, their debt accumulates if families do not pay their outstanding balance on time.

This can soon cause funeral homes to be in a very compromising position financially. Funeral homes must therefore prioritize debt management before offering these plans to keep their business from bleeding out.

Poor Cash Flow Management

In order to pay your employees and suppliers, you need to have money coming in. Poor cash flow management will cause your funeral home to crash. Typically when a funeral home attempts to improve cash flow they increase their service costs, or lower operating costs. This is a bad idea, as increasing service costs with no true value will turn customers away.

Instead, funeral home directors need to adopt and implement proper cash flow management to keep their business running smoothly, the key, however, is learning how to keep the money coming.

Wrapping up

The funeral home industry might be profitable but it is also riddled with challenges that can affect your bottom line. It might be time for funeral home directors to assess their financial strategies and opt for more healthy ones where receivables and proper cash flow are at the center.

Hire a collection agency to avoid losing money from your unpaid invoices.

For snow removal companies overdue accounts receivable is an ongoing issue. Their customers can be a small business, government, large corporates as well as private homeowners.

Customer excuses may range from underbudgeting the cost snow removal work, to temporary economic problems. Not getting paid on time can quickly restrict your cash flow, that’s why hiring a collection agency when an account is 60 days past due is absolutely the right choice. A collection agency can offer a flat-fee collection package or contingency based collections. You can focus on your work, while a collection agency will effectively collect your money on time before they become unrecoverable.

Serving Snow Removal Contractors Nationwide Need a Collection Agency? Contact Us High Recovery Rate. Referrals of existing clients can be provided if requested.

4 Cost Inducing Issues Faced by Snow Removal Companies

Snow removal services are a staple during the winter months. Yet, snow removal companies are also at higher risks for financial distress during the winter season than at any other time of the year. When it comes to snow removal, there are many unknowns and, many things can go wrong. Here are some of the issues snow removal companies face that can directly impact them financially.

• Liability

Snow removal companies are relied upon to keep commercial and residential properties safe during the icy winter months. Any minor error can cause a slip and falls liability lawsuit that can have a devastating impact on the future of the business. Lawsuits and insurance claims can unexpectedly become very expensive.

Correct salt and ice melt applications can reduce icy conditions. Also, employees must keep the correct logs of services provided to clients. Timestamps and description of provided services are crucial to reducing liability. By taking these precautions, your snow companies not only save money but also time.

• Snow Removal Cost

The monetary expenditures of snow removal companies can accumulate for so many reasons. Snow removal companies need to take into account direct Snow Removal Cost and other indirect costs such as power outages and sporadic deliveries among others. These costs if continued can add and can cause the company significantly.

Additionally, lost revenues due to employee absence or late arrival, damages caused by the snow, and other less obvious costs can also cause huge financial distress if continued in the long run.

• Not Following Through With the Signed Contract

If the contract states that the parking lots must be cleared before the first shift arrives for work, then they must be cleaned. If the parking lot is not cleaned, the snow removal company is taking a chance of being held liable for injuries. Thus, it is crucial to follow the term of the signed contract diligently.

Snow removal companies that do not have a professional contract can obtain a template from The Accredited Snow Contractors Association (ASCA) to develop a contract that reduces their liability risks so they can maintain a successful business.

• Not Properly Training Crew Members on How to Use the Equipment.

The crew must know how to use different types of equipment. Therefore, proper training on how to use different plows, skid loaders, and other equipment is a must. One rookie mistake with the equipment can cause damage to the equipment and open the door for possible liability issues.

Companies with commercial snow accounts must take a crew leader to each site for orientation, so workers will know where to put the snow, who the property manager is, and how the parking lot is laid out.

Having the right size of equipment is also extremely crucial. Using smaller trucks that aren’t designed to handle a heavy plow or pushing heavy snow will make the job harder, will need frequent repair and check-ups, and depreciate faster. These pieces of equipment won’t last long.

Wrapping It Up

Running a snow removal company can be tricky as you need to deliver impeccable services in unfavorable weather conditions while attempting to stay financially afloat. Snow removal companies face many issues that can impact them financially. Avoiding these issues is the best way to build a flourishing company.

Snow Removal Collection Agency Services Include

Collection Letters Service

Upfront cost for 5 Collection Letters is about $15 per account. Debtors pay directly to you, no other fees and a low-cost option. Good for accounts less than 120 days past due.

Collection Calls Service

Contingency fee only. No upfront or other fees. Agency gets paid a portion of money they recover.  No recovery-No fees. Best for accounts over 120 days. A debt collector calls the debtor many times. If everything fails, a possible Legal Suit if recommended by the attorney.

They say that the devil is in the details. This is generally true, but when it comes to invoicing, the devil is in the details omitted.

Invoices that are vague, confusing, or lacking in basic information are much harder to collect than invoices that spell things out. This might seem like an obvious point, but many businesses don’t realize their invoices aren’t as clear as they could be.

Maintaining healthy accounts receivable is challenging enough without your invoices working against you. This article will reveal some of the ways that your invoice specificity can be improved, resulting in faster payments and fewer delinquent accounts.

Make Sure You’re Using Accurate Contact Information

Employees come and go. If you’re a B2B company, that means your clients’ billing contacts can change over time. If you don’t keep your contact information up to date, you may end up sending invoices to an employee that no longer works for the company, delaying payment.

It’s also essential to use the full legal names of the people and companies you do business with. If one of your clients goes by ABC Supply, but their full legal name is ABC Supply and Distribution, Inc., don’t use the shortened version.

In the unfortunate case that you have to send an account to collections, having the full name on all invoices makes it easier for the collection agency to locate the right entity. It also prevents possible claims by your client that the entity named on your invoice isn’t them. To that end, always include your customer’s address and phone number.

Spell Out Your Payment Terms

Don’t assume that your customers will remember the payment terms you negotiated when your relationship first began. Left to their own devices, they may choose to pay you on their schedule.

Instead, list specific terms on every invoice. Include the customers allowed payment window, any discounts you offer for speedy payment, and any penalties incurred when payments are late. Make sure the information is featured prominently so that there’s little chance your customer will miss it. When they know what’s expected of them, the chances of compliance increase.

List Services Rendered in Detail

Patronize any retail establishment, and you’ll leave with a detailed, itemized receipt. This piece of paper leaves no question regarding what you purchased and what you were charged for. Invoices should do the same thing.

This doesn’t mean you need to itemize individual charges. Many businesses prefer to keep their hourly rates or individual services costs hidden. But you should include a detailed description of the work provided, even if it all falls under a single total.

Being verbose helps prevent billing disputes that can slow down or stop payments. This is particularly useful when your invoice also functions as a bill of sale. When you elucidate final deliverables, there’s less chance of damaging miscommunications.

Include Instructions and Details for Multiple Payment Methods

Not all customers like to pay the same way. And some may cycle between methods, depending on their business situation. Providing as many ways to pay as possible helps ensure that your customers can access the method they prefer, helping speed payments.

However, similar to payment terms, your customers may not remember all of the payment options available to them when they receive your invoice. Providing details for every payment method you offer on each invoice reminds your customers and gives them instant access.

For services like Venmo and PayPal, list the email associated with payment. Provide a link to your credit card portal. Make sure your name and address are present for check payments. And, if you send digital invoices, you might consider including links to how-tos to help clients pay using services they aren’t familiar with.

Number All Invoices Using a Consistent System

If you aren’t numbering your invoices, you’re making it much more difficult on yourself when you need to find one, particularly if they’re stored digitally. If you’re numbering them, but using a poorly-devised system, the same issues may occur. Payments can slow down or cease if a client raises an objection and you can’t locate your original to settle the problem.

The most important feature of an invoice numbering system is that every invoice has a unique code that’s logically tied to your clients. You may consider a numbering scheme like this:

20acme001

“20” is the year, “acme” is the first four letters of your client’s name, and “001” is the first in a sequence of numbers. Each time you send an invoice to Acme Supply, you iterate the last three digits. At the turn of the year, you update “20” to “21” and the sequence over again.

This short invoice number gives you a lot of information to help locate an invoice. You know the company that was billed, the year the invoice was created, and its position in that customer’s invoice sequence.

It should be clear that invoice specificity can lead to dramatically better AR performance. Try these suggestions for yourself.