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If there’s one thing that unites virtually all SME business owners, it’s the scourge of late payments. This is always a problem, especially for those operating on narrow margins, but the pandemic seems to have turned it into a crisis. The Scourge of Late Payments The great majority of SMEs don’t enjoy the huge cash reserves and almost unlimited credit enjoyed by the giant companies. If they’re

It’s a sad reality that in the coming months, as government support schemes for businesses wind down, we are likely to see a high number of companies going into liquidation. On occasion, this can be a planned, natural end to a business, but most often it’s forced on the directors by economic reality. So what exactly does liquidation involve? Solvent Liquidation There are sometimes reasons for winding up a

Every day brings more news of major businesses in trouble due to the coronavirus lockdown. Airlines have been particularly hard hit, for example, with Virgin Atlantic cutting 3,000 jobs and closing their Gatwick operation, while British Airways are also considering pulling out of Gatwick. The problems aren’t confined to big business, though. Depending on the sector, many SMEs have also been badly hit. The Chall

Insolvency — it’s a prospect every business owner has nightmares about, even if everything seems fine at the moment. But what leads to a business becoming insolvent, and how can you, as owner, see the signs that you’re at risk? Why Does a Company Become Insolvent? Insolvency can be the result of a company no longer being able to pay its way. It may be unable to meet its debts or have more liabilities than assets, but

So you’ve got your court order that says you’re entitled to the money your debtor owes you. Now what? It’s one thing to be entitled to it, but that’s not much good if they claim not to have the funds available to pay you. Or do they really? Getting the Information You Need Fortunately, you don’t have to take your debtor’s word that they can’t afford to pay you. If you have a judgement about the debt, you’re entitled

Have you suffered from late payments by customers? If so, you’re not alone — research by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) suggests this is an alarmingly common problem faced by SMEs, especially when they do business with large organisations. Needless to say, this can be extremely annoying and inconvenient, but sometimes it’s a lot worse. If late payments are large and persistent enough, they can prevent your

If you’ve owed a debt for a long time (or if you’re a creditor) it’s important to understand there’s a time limit, beyond which a creditor can no longer take certain actions. However, there’s a lot of uncertainty about when a debt is or isn’t “statute-barred” — and what exactly that means. What Is “Statute-Barred”? A debt is statute-barred when no action has been taken to recover it for a specified time (usually six

One of the worst things about being in debt is that it can seem there’s no way out. You might certainly think negotiating with your creditors is a non-starter. After all, they hold all the cards, don’t they? It’s not as bleak as you might think, though. In some cases, a negotiated settlement could be your way out of debt. How Does a Negotiated Settlement Work? What you have going for you in negotiations is that your

It’s simple enough — if your business doesn’t have enough money coming in, it isn’t viable. And that’s cash in your bank account, not invoices you’re trusting will be paid promptly, or work you haven’t done yet. It’s staggering, though, how many business owners have no idea of their cashflow. Whether you manage your own finances or employ someone to do it for you, if it’s your business, you need to know all about you

Personal debt is currently at a record high, which means that more people will be consulting debt advisors or insolvency practitioners. In general, it’s the best possible thing to do in this situation — as long as you’ve chosen a reliable advisor. The Current Debt Crisis As I reported in a recent blog, personal debt is at its worst level since the height of the economic crisis following the 2008 crash. With income ha