Name and Shame your business late payers NOW

It has long been said that UK companies have a reputation of being the worst of the European late payers. Legislation to reduce payment delays and add interest to overdue invoices has been in place for a long time with little sign that it is being adopted.
A major factor for UK companies taking longer to pay invoices was the increase in interest rates. In times of high interest rates it was natural to look on suppliers as a cheap form of loan. Extending payment for 1 month means that you do not have to borrow and pay interest to a bank to fund that loan for 1 month. With banks tightening their belts it is harder to get loans and coupled with a reduction in interest rates the delaying of payment still continues as a method of managing cash flow.
Industry late payment figures have shocked industry observers who fear that late payment is likely to get worse with the rise in interest rates and the economy taking a downturn, factors that make retaining cash for as long as possible even more attractive. This level of late payment comes despite legislation phased in since 1998 that was designed to encourage better payment practice by allowing firms to claim interest on Invoices that were not paid on time.
The UK culture of late payment damages business, employment and international trade.The two main factors agreed by many to be the greatest challenge to business growth is restricted financial lending and late payment. The two go hand in hand. Banks will not lend money so where else can a business be funded ? For many it is the unfortunate supplier and it is the less vigilant or commercially aware supplier which suffers.
This is the point at which companies have to be aware of the other tools available to them. For new accounts a company credit check is essential, whilst these are historical they provide useful information. The use of other methods such as http://www.due2pay.co.uk/ , business debt collection and solicitor’s letters may seem extreme but are essential in this day and age. DUE2PAY’s approach to late payment takes the company credit check to a much needed area. Companies have been wanting a central register of late payers for a long time. With DUE2PAY a company can list a late payer and other members have sight of this information, simple.
Where late payment is traditionally one sided in favour of the late payer, DUE2PAY redresses the balance by giving the late payer the opportunity to flag up a reason for late payment of a specific invoice or invoices. All members have sight of this information and all members can contact the late payer or other members. Court action or solicitor’s letters do not offer this service. Debt recovery has now been taken to a new level with DUE2PAY.

Google DUE2PAY now for better cash flow

Late payment is a problem for many UK businesses and can lead to serious cash flow problems, it reduces profits and can threaten commercial survival. If a business is continually paid late it can have no option but to raise its prices, if it can, to reflect the costs of the finance required, or going into liquidation is another option.

The act of raising prices in the current climate can cause their customers to change their supplier. There are and always will be businesses which have no qualms about using the the ‘protection’ of using Limited Company status to avoid payment and debts which they have no intention of paying. Debt Recovery initiatives are often too late and sometimes the late payer themselves are so near the line that the Business Debt Collection alternatives have no effect.

Early use of DUE2PAY can serve as an early warning device for all UK limited companies and as a Business Debt Collection method in it’s own right.
In today’s climate, companies which are living hand to mouth, being short of work sometimes ignore normal business precautions and accept orders without making good credit checks.
Google DUE2PAY and you will find a simple tool to help defend yourself against unscrupulous companies which sacrifice their suppliers in pursuit of their own profitability.
DUE2PAY is a novel approach which has been wanting in the UK commercial world for many years. It addresses late payment by using the internet to make it possible to put companies who suffer late payment in touch with each other. For the first time you can list a company as a late payer on a web site and other companies which are dealing with that company are able to contact you. Members are anonymous on the site but can if they wish exchange details and join forces to combat the problems caused by a specific company.
Another feature of the site is the ability to create a WATCH LIST of companies which you want to keep an eye on. As soon as a company is listed as a late payer, all members with that company on their WATCHLIST will receive an email saying that company has been listed.
DUE2PAY is giving teeth to the supplier, enabling them to take action on companies which could drive them under.

.... accepted practice for Companies to pay bills late ? ?

Late Payers say it is accepted practice ......
Late payers have over the years paid bills when it has suited them. Without being challenged, and many of us are guilty of this it has grown into accepted practice. In the current economic downturn, it is common for big companies to delay payments to smaller suppliers and use bullying tactics to legitimise this practice. Pressure is on the larger companies but it is their smaller suppliers which can help stop late payments happening. Many small suppliers are finding themselves pushed to the wall and closing down because of this impossible cash flow situation. A company credit check gives information from a historical perspective it is a valid form of credit check management in the same way that debt recovery is used when things start to go pear shaped.
We have set up http://www.due2pay.co.uk/ specifically to help businesses tackle the issue of late payment from their customers. Members are able to register late payments which are affecting their business. An email and fax is sent to the customer letting them know that if the bill is not paid within 14 days, other members will be able to see details of the non or late payer payer.
The beauty of the internet is that we can put members in touch with each other where ever they are in the UK. So if you spot a member is having payment problems with one of your customers or with one of your intended customers, you can get in contact with them.
DUE2PAY can be considered to be an added arm to the business debt collection industry, though we do not handle funds or take a commission. We work to get outstanding monies owed paid on time. The business banking world is tightening its belt with banks closing the doors on many small businesses which need money to pay their staff, overheads and day to day running costs. This is not the fault of the banks, in many cases, if customers paid their bills loans would not be needed from banks. Many companies are being forced into bankruptcy.
To use http://www.due2pay.co.uk/ there must be no dispute over an invoice, if the buyer thinks it is in dispute, he can register that on the site. Members are anonymous on the site but are expected to enter into discussions through the site message system if someone contacts them.
We are trying to level the playing field and avoid the secrecy which late payers have traditionally relied upon. If you are intending going to court or to use a solicitor, try http://www.due2pay.co.uk/ as an alternative and use your experience to help others.

DUE2PAY helps get invoices paid on time

Smaller firms often find it hard to force their larger customers to keep to agreed payment terms. Smaller suppliers rarely make a legal challenge to try to impose interest charges on late payments although they are quite legally able to do this.
So the result of banks either increasing their interest rates and the buyers taking longer to pay gives companies cash flow problems. It is usually when it is too late that SMEs pay attention to cash flow. They are so busy managing other parts of their business that they take their eye off the ball. For this reason, many companies are in danger of going bankrupt even if they have a healthy business
When cash flow dries up, a business is left drowning, the game is over ! A company credit check can be made during trading with a company as well as being part of the decision making process of deciding if you should trade with a new business. Don’t forget that a business credit check is historical and the information can be over a year old.
http://www.due2pay.co.uk/ is offering a different type of service to UK limited companies. Their web site will take details of late payments, they will email and fax the customer to remind them that monies owed is due. If the invoice remains unpaid, other members will have site of the fact (the amount of the invoice is not shown). The other members will then be able to contact the supplier and the customer if they wish. The Watch List of DUE2PAY is proving popular. Members can create a WATCHLIST of companies which they want to keep an eye on. As soon as a company is listed as a late payer, members with that company on their watch list will receive an email telling them that that a company they are watching has been listed on DUE2PAY.
It is common to find that your debtor is also in debt to other companies, if you delay in addressing any late payments, the debtor may be wound up or go bankrupt before you have the chance to recover monies owed to you.
Liquidity is the key to survival today. There are several methods of managing debt recovery of overdue accounts, a useful way is to factor invoices though the percentage take of those offering the service may be considered high especially in low margin businesses. Solicitor’s letters are almost one off methods which still rely on you and the solicitor to monitor accounts. Some companies are offering a debt collection service for a monthly fee, they will chase your invoices for you.
Managing working capital will give any business with the cash resources to contine to trade.
A bad debt uses valuable internal company resources in chasing the debt.
Less considered methods of improving liquidity is timing of salary payment to the receipt of guaranteed payment of suppliers. Increasing order size from your own suppliers negotiated with a decrease in price and extended payment terms (be careful of overstocking) , taking stock from suppliers and paying for it is when it is used (your supplier is effectively using you as a storage facility), reducing your own stock levels and having suppliers deliver smaller amounts just when you need it.

The Business Credit Crunch

Things just seem to be getting a little tough for Businesses at the moment. Major Banks are reporting a growing number of British firms have fallen behind with their repayments. This has led to larger companies getting more aggressive and

1) forcing extended credit terms on suppliers
2) demanding discounts on already agreed prices
3) demanding settlement discounts for just paying on time
4) Imposing retrospective rebates for goods already delivered.
5) Using late payment as an easy way of funding their own cash flows.

These are extremely worrying developments for the whole business community.

It is now more important than ever for small businesses to protect themselves and ensure invoices are paid on time.This will help them avoid potential cash flow problems, which, if not addressed quickly could result in the ultimate closure of their business.

A new internet based service to help victims of late payments has been launched by DUE2PAY LIMITED which has been specifically designed to help these companies recover their overdue invoices, without the need to go to court, also to share information on companies identified as late payers by fellow members, giving them the opportunity to make more informed decisions in dealing with a particular company.

The service is being offered free on a 60 day trial, after which, normal membership fees will apply. If you are interested please contact DUE2PAY.CO.UK