Category: Accounting & Bookkeeping

There is no doubt that getting invoices paid on time can make a significant difference to SMEs’ cash flow and the lack of cash due to late payment can make or break a business.
Clearly, there are cash flow advantages for those late payers who string out paying their invoices for as long as possible, while the opposite is true for those waiting on the receiving end, often SMEs.
Towards the end of last year Xero Small Business Insights calculated that the average British small business is owed £24,841 in late payments on any given day.  It is clear that Government initiatives, such as getting businesses to sign up to its Prompt Payment Code, are proving less than effective. A year after the appointment of Paul Uppal, the small business commissioner, it was announced that his service had recovered just £2.1m in unpaid invoices on behalf of small companies. Pitiful!
All this has prompted the Government’s Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee to call, yet again, for firms to sign up to the Prompt Payment Code and for the Small Business Commissioner to be given the power to fine companies that pay late. It says large firms should be legally forced to pay their small suppliers within 30 days.
In January Mr Uppal announced a traffic light warning system to be used to name and shame large firms that fail to pay their suppliers on time.
Will this strike terror into the hearts of persistent late payers and force a change of behaviour? I think not, although making it a criminal offence for directors would work, as currently is the case for HMRC’s Security Demands.

Do SMEs do enough to protect themselves from late payment problems?

Annual research by Bacs Payment Schemes showed that in 2018 small businesses in the UK faced a bill of £6.7bn to collect money they are owed by other companies, up from £2.6bn in 2017.
It is a problem that the FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) estimates is the reason for the collapse of around 50,000 businesses a year.
Some, however, would argue that SMEs should take more responsibility for and be more aggressive in recovering monies owed for the work they have done in good faith, but it’s hardly a level playing field. The cost of money claims through the courts is now horrendous.
Of course, a well-managed business should have a robust credit control system in place, which sets clear expectations from the moment it contracts for work, including a stated agreement with the client that invoice payment will be due within a defined number of days, usually 30.  It is wise to also credit check all new customers. It is also wise to check payment is scheduled for payment before it is actually due; this deals with most excuses in advance.
Payment should be made as easy as possible with online banking details and address for postal payments included on all invoices. If it is feasible perhaps a small discount could be offered to those who pay early or within a stated time period. A supplier to one of my manufacturing companies offers 90 day payment terms with a 40% discount if payment is made within 30 days. That’s my margin so late payment is painful.
The credit control system should also have clear, robust procedures for following up on late payers, from sending out reminder letters that make it clear that failure to pay will likely incur significant costs and disruption such as suspension of the account.
However, even with a robust system in place, and one on which the business acts, there may still be late payment problems and SMEs can use such services as factoring, where another company takes on responsibility for collecting and chasing invoices, or invoice discounting, where, again, another company takes on the task of chasing invoices but with the SME having ultimate control.
In both cases, however, these are fee-paying services, effectively “lending” money up front to the SME at less than the full value of the outstanding invoices. If you use such services do be aware that many have a recourse clause so make sure to check if you remain liable or have to reimburse the lender.
While borrowing against book debts might improve an SME’s cash flow, it comes at a price and often with hidden additional costs and conditions in the small print. This is where an independent broker, not an online one, is a useful ally when looking for book debt finance.
Another option is to take out credit insurance although this normally only pays out in the event of your customer going bust and doesn’t solve the late payment problem.
Why should a business have to pay extra/ lose part of its revenue in order to recover money promptly for work it has done in good faith?
What is needed is robust, effective legislation, and follow-up action, with sufficient teeth to eradicate this persistent problem once and for all.
A free guide to debt collection for SMEs is available for download at:
https://www.onlineturnaroundguru.com/p/getting-paid-on-time