Your debtors book is a list of decisions, not a number

On most balance sheets, trade debtors appear as a single figure. That figure hides the only thing that matters: which accounts are going to pay, which need pressure, and which are already disputes waiting to surface.

Reconcile before you demand

A demand issued on an incorrect balance hands the debtor a reason to disengage and puts you on the defensive. Establish what was invoiced, what was delivered and what was paid first. The demand then rests on a figure that is difficult to argue with.

Consistency beats intensity

One aggressive call achieves less than a documented sequence of contact at predictable intervals. Log the calls, date the letters, confirm the promises in writing. If the file eventually goes legal, the record has already been built.

Take the arrangement

A signed acknowledgement of debt with a payment schedule usually returns more, sooner, than a judgment obtained two years later against a business that has since failed. Monitor the arrangement, though: an unmonitored schedule is just a postponement with extra paperwork.

Review monthly, in writing

Every account should carry a status: contacted, promised, paid, disputed or recommended for escalation. That single change turns collections from an occasional panic into an ordinary management routine.

If any of the above describes your position, the first consultation is free and there is no obligation attached to it.