Category: SMEs

  • How to approach rental arrears in a COVID world

    In the wake of COVID-19, local councils and housing providers have been jolted into finding new ways of delivering services and interacting with their tenants – especially when it comes to income collection and rent arrears. Increasingly, we’re seeing providers employ innovative strategies while moving from debt recovery to support provision. Behavioural insights tell us…

  • Your options when a debt becomes overdue

    Once an invoice exceeds its credit terms, the likelihood of collecting the debt decreases as it grows older, which is why it’s worrying to see that 30% of businesses now classify more than 10% of their debtor book as over 90 days old. DIY Firstly, if you have a dedicated credit control team in house…

  • The pros and cons of taking legal action against late paying customers

    With two in five small business owners (40%) saying that they are taking legal action against customers not paying them on time, we consider the pros and cons of taking legal action to recover what’s owed. According to new research from Hitachi Capital Business Finance, three in five small businesses are affected by late payments (62%).…

  • CAN I STILL CONTACT MY TENANT IF THEY CLAIM HARASSMENT?

    In an ideal world your tenants will be respectful and answer your emails and phone calls either immediately or in a timely fashion.   Sometimes however disputes can arise leading your tenant to claim you are harassing them and spoiling their quiet enjoyment if they are a residential tenant. This then presents you as the landlord…

  • WHAT HAPPENS IF A SERVICE CHARGE DISPUTE IS TAKEN TO COUNTY COURT

    Sometimes, despite the best efforts of property managers, service charge arrears continue to be a problem in blocks where property owners find themselves in financial difficulties, or they are simply unwilling to pay. In cases where demand letters are ignored and payment deadlines missed there is often no option other than to take matters to…

  • HOW TO AVOID LATE PAYMENT DISPUTES

    While you may not encounter them often, disputes over payments can become a major problem and lead to your non-paying client or customer coming up with excuses not to pay you. To avoid this happening it is necessary to identify why these late payment disputes happen and close any loop holes that can be exploited…

  • What cash flow support is available for businesses impacted by Coronavirus?

    HMRC coronavirus helpline If you are concerned about cashflow or tax, HMRC have set up a helpline for businesses worried about not being able to pay their tax due to coronavirus. HMRC will discuss your specific circumstances to explore: agreeing an instalment arrangement suspending debt collection proceedings cancelling penalties and interest where you have administrative…

  • Service Charge Dispute

    How to handle a service charge dispute Service charge disputes can be costly and time-consuming if not handled efficiently. Landlords have a responsibility to maintain the condition of all their residential and commercial properties. They may be able to recoup some of the costs of doing so by issuing tenants with service charges. There are…