Insolvency: The Missing Collections Tool in the B2B Credit Lifecycle
Paul Taylor MBA MSc CMgr FCMI FCICM
I provide expertise in Customer, Credit and Debt Operations, Driving Growth, Innovation & Operational Excellence as a Consultant and Strategic Leader
Effective credit management starts long before an invoice is issued. It begins with the first interaction—a sales lead. Understanding your client’s needs, challenges, and expectations allows you to tailor a solution that works for them, and gets you paid on time.
From that point, thorough but efficient checks—such as AML (Anti-Money Laundering), fraud prevention, and identity verification (IDV)—are crucial. These processes don’t need to be complex or time-consuming. In fact, with the right tools, they can be completed in as little as 14 seconds, ensuring you get off to a solid, compliant start.
Once the business relationship is established, it’s critical to focus on accurate billing and an effective collections strategy. This should be customised to match the client’s behaviour and circumstances, enhancing the chances of timely payments.
But what happens when the client doesn’t pay?
Most businesses turn to traditional debt recovery agencies—a great first step. If that doesn’t work, civil court actions to obtain a County Court Judgment (CCJ) or writing off bad debt are common practices. However, many overlook a highly effective tool in the B2B credit lifecycle: Insolvency.
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By leveraging insolvency options, such as winding-up proceedings, we can turn seemingly lost cases into recoverable payments. Through my work with trusted Insolvency Practitioners (IPs), I’ve successfully:
Insolvency doesn’t have to mean the end of the road for a client or a bad debt for your business. It can be a strategic part of your collection’s toolkit, enhancing cash recovery and client relationships.
Interested in improving your sales lead-to-cash or recovery strategies? Let’s connect and see how I can help you optimise your credit management process from start to finish.
The Challenging Core Purpose Interventionist
1 个月A very valid approach and one I have used in the course of a turnaround, when clients delay in the hope of never paying. As usual, it's not the client refusing to pay, but an executive often acting on their own initiative. Service of a writ at the registered office prompts a change of attitude. Mandatory ADR may be a barrier in future, but that would likely require the client to concoct a bogus dispute. Avoidance of the problem is the best approach to minimise risk. Too many companies still chase turnover and ignore credit risk. Amazingly, few challenge the t&c of the purchase order before accepting & even more fail to check the client's likely payment performance by checking trade creditors in the accounts with purchases. I have successfully advised the Board of even large businesses that they do not have a right to credit terms, but we do have a right for payment for a job well done. Funnily enough, it's the biggest loss generators that take offence. Good riddance!