The Credit Collections Company

The Credit Collections Company Built by SMEs, for SMEs 🤝
Friendly credit management partners who actually get small businesses.

Credit control from £199.99/month • No-win, no-fee debt recovery from 10% • Real people, real results.

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Personal insolvencies in the UK hit 10,843 in January 2026—up 12% year-on-year.If you're a business owner, this matters....
20/05/2026

Personal insolvencies in the UK hit 10,843 in January 2026—up 12% year-on-year.

If you're a business owner, this matters. When individuals enter insolvency, they often owe money to multiple creditors. Your business might be one of them.

WHAT IS PERSONAL INSOLVENCY?
It's when someone can't pay their debts. Forms include bankruptcy, Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVA), Debt Relief Orders (DRO), and sequestration in Scotland.

WHY IT MATTERS
The 12% increase reflects real economic pressure: cost of living crisis, wage stagnation, rising interest rates, and reduced savings. When individuals struggle financially, businesses that extended credit feel the impact first.

THE CREDITOR'S REALITY
If your customer enters insolvency, you're one of many creditors competing for recovery. Secured creditors (banks, lenders) get priority. Unsecured creditors typically recover only 5-20% of what's owed, and the process takes months or years.

EARLY WARNING SIGNS
Watch for payment delays, partial payments, shifting excuses, and sudden changes in communication. These are red flags that someone's financial situation is deteriorating.

WHAT YOU CAN DO
Proactive credit control means early intervention. Monitor payment behaviour, act quickly when payments are late, and understand your customers' financial health before extending credit.

The businesses that survive economic downturns manage credit strategically.

What warning signs have you spotted in your own business? Let us know your thoughts.

£10. That's what I found on my list of aged debtors.Sounds silly, right? But here's why it matters to me.If someone won'...
13/05/2026

£10. That's what I found on my list of aged debtors.

Sounds silly, right? But here's why it matters to me.

If someone won't pay £10, what does that tell you? Either they're struggling, or they don't care about your terms. Neither is good.

I teach credit management, so I have to walk the walk. I can't tell SMEs to keep their ledgers tidy if mine looks like a mess.

Now, I'm not saying chase every penny just to prove a point. That's cutting off your nose to spite yourself. But if the debtor is stable? If they can pay? Then yes, you collect it. Because it matters.

The difference is knowing which debts are worth your time and which ones aren't. That's smart credit control.

Late payments draining your business energy? You’re not alone. Every week, UK SMEs lose precious hours chasing overdue i...
11/05/2026

Late payments draining your business energy? You’re not alone. Every week, UK SMEs lose precious hours chasing overdue invoices. But what if you could take control—without the stress or awkward conversations?

A few small changes can make a big difference. Want to see how other businesses are protecting their cash flow and sanity?

Learn more in the comments. ☕

Which sectors are most exposed to tariff shock?The answer matters because it tells you whether your customers are under ...
28/04/2026

Which sectors are most exposed to tariff shock?

The answer matters because it tells you whether your customers are under pressure.

Construction & Property: Materials costs up 20-30%. Projects delayed. Payment cycles extend. Developers hold cash longer.

Food & Beverage: Import tariffs hit ingredients and packaging. Margins compress. Hospitality and retail customers push back on pricing. Payment disputes increase.

Automotive & Engineering: Direct exposure to US tariffs plus supply chain cascades. Lead times stretch. Customers negotiate harder. Bad debts spike.

Retail & E-commerce: Inventory costs rise. Margins thin. Customers reduce orders. Payment terms tighten as they conserve cash.

The pattern is consistent: when tariffs hit a sector, payment behaviour deteriorates. Customers who were reliable become cautious. Those already struggling become delinquent.

The question for you: Are your top customers in exposed sectors? If yes, payment risk just increased. Not because they're dishonest, but because their cash flow tightened.

Understanding sectoral exposure isn't about doom-saying. It's about seeing the signal before it becomes a problem.

SMEs can master cash flow today. Want a smoother path from invoice to payment? Start with these 5 steps: credit check, c...
24/04/2026

SMEs can master cash flow today.

Want a smoother path from invoice to payment? Start with these 5 steps: credit check, clear terms, prompt invoicing, regular follow-ups, and a quick monthly review. Small changes make a big difference.

What’s your biggest credit control challenge? Let us know below.

Have small businesses never had it so bad?That was the topic of a recent phone-in by BBC Radio 5 presenter Nicky Campbel...
22/04/2026

Have small businesses never had it so bad?

That was the topic of a recent phone-in by BBC Radio 5 presenter Nicky Campbell. There is a lot of conversation in small- and medium-sized business (SME) circles currently about trading conditions and the pressures on most sectors, with hospitality among the most frequently discussed.

Many of the challenges callers referred to may be familiar to you:

• Increases to the National Minimum Wage
• The Cost-of-Living Crisis
• The COVID pandemic and increasing debt
• Rent rises
• Local government and parking charges
• Business rate increases

The consensus was that small businesses are facing a 'perfect storm' of difficulties.

But here's what wasn't mentioned at all: how destructive it is for businesses to carry unnecessary debt. And, in the midst of a 'perfect storm', for them to be owed money that doesn't come back quickly or, in some cases, at all.

In those times, having expert help and robust systems on your side to keep debt down and ensure money flows is vital.

We can't change the world, but we might be able to change your world.

£200 recovered in just 60 days.That is not a typo. A debt recovery case was for £200, and we were happy to help because ...
16/04/2026

£200 recovered in just 60 days.

That is not a typo. A debt recovery case was for £200, and we were happy to help because every debt matters. That's what makes us different.

Curious what your business could recover? Book a confidential chat today: https://thecreditcollectionscompany.zohobookings.eu/ #/Discoverycall

Chase Less Stress Less

One slip-up doesn't mean the rules are gone.We've just updated our contracts, and it got me thinking about something tha...
15/04/2026

One slip-up doesn't mean the rules are gone.

We've just updated our contracts, and it got me thinking about something that trips up so many business owners: the waiver clause.

Here's the plain English version: If you let a customer break a rule once (like missing a payment deadline), that doesn't mean the rule disappears forever. You can still enforce it next time.

But—and this is important—if you keep letting it slide, a court might say "well, that's just how they do business now." So being flexible once? That's okay. Being flexible every time? That's a problem.

THE LEGAL RISK
If you repeatedly ignore breaches without taking action, you could actually lose your right to enforce the contract. Here's why:

• Implied waiver: A court might argue you've implicitly agreed to waive that rule.
• Estoppel: The client could claim you've led them to believe the rule no longer applies.
• Pattern of acceptance: Repeated acceptance of late payments could become a new, informal term.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD
1. Issue a formal written notice the first time a breach occurs.
2. Keep records of all breaches and your responses.
3. If it continues, send a formal warning letter with a clear deadline.
4. If warnings are ignored, suspend services, terminate, or pursue recovery.

Your contracts should protect you. Make sure you understand them, enforce them consistently, and document everything.

That's how you protect your cash flow.

Ever wondered what a credit expert’s desk looks like? Today, it’s covered in client notes, a strong coffee, and a little...
13/04/2026

Ever wondered what a credit expert’s desk looks like?

Today, it’s covered in client notes, a strong coffee, and a little hope for every SME I support. Every business story is different. Every unpaid invoice is a new puzzle to solve.

If you’re losing sleep over cash flow, you’re not alone. Remember, you are not alone.

Your contract has a waiver clause. Do you know what it actually means?I've spent this week reviewing client contracts, a...
08/04/2026

Your contract has a waiver clause. Do you know what it actually means?

I've spent this week reviewing client contracts, and it's made me reflect on something crucial: many business owners have solid agreements but don't fully understand their protective clauses.

Take the waiver clause. It's one of the most misunderstood provisions in any contract.

Here's the reality: Just because you've let a client slide on a 30-day payment term once doesn't mean you've waived your right to enforce it going forward. A waiver clause protects you here.

But here's the catch—if you repeatedly allow breaches without taking action, a court could argue that those breaches have become the new normal. So flexibility is fine. Inconsistency is not.

The legal risk is real:
- Implied waiver: A court might argue you've implicitly agreed to waive that rule
- Estoppel: The client could claim you've led them to believe the rule no longer applies
- Pattern of acceptance: Repeated acceptance of late payments could become a new, informal term

Best practice: Document everything. Issue a formal written notice the first time a material breach occurs. Keep records. Escalate if the pattern continues. Take action if warnings are ignored.

Your contracts are only as strong as your willingness to enforce them.

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