It’s now been ten years since the UK voted to leave the European Union.
In that time, businesses have had to adapt to a long list of changes. Some arrived almost immediately, while others have appeared more gradually. New trading arrangements, changing supply chains, higher operating costs and recruitment challenges have all played a part.
Most businesses have adapted remarkably well.
What has changed, though, is the financial pressure many businesses now operate under. And that’s something we’ve seen first-hand at Churchill Recovery Solutions.
Cash Flow Has Become More Important Than Ever
For many businesses, Brexit didn’t create financial problems overnight. Instead, it added another layer of cost and administration at a time when companies were already dealing with rising energy prices, inflation and changing consumer spending.
When margins become tighter, cash flow becomes more important.
Late payments that might once have been an inconvenience can quickly become a much bigger issue, particularly for smaller businesses that rely on invoices being paid on time.
It’s one of the reasons credit management has become far more important over the last decade.
Late Payments Are Often a Symptom
We’ve noticed that businesses are rarely late paying because they simply don’t want to pay.
More often, they’re dealing with pressures of their own.
Longer lead times, increased import costs, supply chain disruption and reduced customer demand can all have a knock-on effect. One delayed payment leads to another, and before long several businesses are waiting for money at the same time.
That’s why early intervention usually works better than letting debts build.
Credit Management Has Taken on a Bigger Role
Ten years ago, many businesses relied on long-standing relationships and trust.
Those relationships still matter, but they’re no substitute for good credit control.
Clear payment terms, regular communication and acting quickly when invoices become overdue all help reduce the risk of debts becoming much harder to recover later.
Businesses that stay close to their debtor book are often in a stronger position than those who only review accounts once problems have already appeared.
We’ve Also Seen More Businesses Disappear
Economic uncertainty has meant some companies simply haven’t survived.
When businesses close, move premises or enter insolvency, recovering money becomes much more complicated.
That’s increased the need for professional tracing services to locate directors, identify trading addresses and establish the best route forward before recovery work even begins.
Often, knowing where to start is half the battle.
Commercial Rent Arrears Have Become More Common
Commercial landlords have faced their own challenges over the past decade.
Changing retail habits, increased operating costs and business closures have all contributed to higher levels of commercial rent arrears in some sectors.
Where informal conversations stop making progress, more structured recovery options such as Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery (CRAR) can provide landlords with a way of moving matters forward while remaining within the legal framework.
Looking Ahead
Brexit isn’t the only reason businesses face financial pressure today, and it probably never was.
Covid-19, inflation, rising interest rates and global events have all shaped the economy over the last ten years.
What Brexit did do was change the environment that businesses operate in. For some, the changes were relatively small. For others, particularly those trading with Europe, they were much more significant.
At Churchill Recovery Solutions, we’ve seen how those pressures filter through into everyday business life. More late payments. Greater demand for credit management. An increase in tracing work. More commercial rent arrears. Businesses looking for support earlier than they might have done previously.
The businesses that have come through the last decade strongest haven’t necessarily avoided challenges. They’ve generally dealt with them earlier, stayed closer to their cash flow, and acted before small problems became much bigger ones.