As with almost any problem, the best way to stop debt collection problems is before they start. The second-best solution is to identify a problem early. Business owners are often unsure about when to turn a client over to a collection agency. Unfortunately, studies show that after seven months, the chance of collecting on … Read more
A lot of executives, especially entrepreneurs, think of themselves as independent, but the truth is very few businesses stand alone. The financial wellbeing of your company may be much more dependent on other companies, and random factors, than you like to admit. The most obvious connections are between you and your clients. If a client … Read more
At The Kaplan Group our goal is to try to recover your money without going to court. We do this on over 97% of our successful claims. However, sometimes litigation is necessary. Clients often wonder if they can add our collection fees, or attorney fees, to the amount to be collected. These costs can only … Read more
One of the standard pieces of advice we give to people creating credit applications is to make sure they require complete contact information, not just for the accounts payable department, but for other finance people and principals within the company as well. Complete contact information means email addresses, phone numbers, and a mailing address, at … Read more
Companies like United Airlines, Pepsi, and PricewaterhouseCoopers spend millions of dollars every year on marketing and advertising. As we’ve seen recently though, all it takes is one mistake or one ill-advised interaction and all that money is wasted. When less high-profile companies suffer from poor PR they may not have the same public nature … Read more
It’s a general truism that no one wants to go to court, especially over financial issues. Even if you win a court case, you’ve still lost valuable time and money. Litigation costs more and takes longer than negotiating outside of court, and winning a judgment does not guarantee payment. However, usually the threat of … Read more
Potential new clients frequently ask us about the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and whether or not we conform to its rules and regulations. Interestingly, The FDCPA does not apply to commercial collection agencies. The FDCPA was enacted to protect individual consumers from unfair and harassing collection practices. The law has been around since … Read more
One question that business owners often have to wrestle with at tax time is whether or not to write off a debt as “uncollectible.” If your business uses a cash basis accounting system, this isn’t an issue for you. In a cash basis accounting system, you don’t count money that you’re owed until it’s paid … Read more
The end of the year always brings some predictable events. You know that magazines and websites will be releasing their lists of “best movies” or “most memorable events.” You know that car dealers and other large item retailers will be trying to sell off expensive merchandise. You know payroll departments will be preparing to … Read more
The end of the year is a hectic time for most businesses. I’ve always appreciated Thanksgiving as a time to pause before things get more intense. At The Kaplan Group, we love all of our clients, but we especially appreciate the clients that make our jobs just a little bit easier. These aren’t necessarily the … Read more
Is hiring a commercial collection agency truly better for your business? Undoubtedly the answer is yes. It frees you from the hassle of having to collect from your delinquent debtors, allowing you to focus on what’s more important– your business. But hiring a commercial collections agency can offer you more than just convenience. Doing … Read more
We recently were contacted by a prospective client who was owed over $30,000 for a consulting project. They had a solid contract with their customer and proof that they had performed the work. They had written acceptance of the work product from their customer and a written promise to pay. But six months had … Read more
For decades, a common sales mantra was to “Always Be Closing.” The Internet and social media have made this an outdated and potentially dangerous approach. Always Be Helping is the updated mantra, and it applies not only to sales, but credit and debt collections, as well as professional and personal interactions. ABC meant that … Read more
All too often, when a small business is up for sale, the net result for many of their vendors is bad debt expense. If you hear that one of your customers is selling their business it’s time to be very careful with outstanding receivables and new orders. WHY WOULD THEY SELL THEIR BUSINESS? If … Read more
According to a study at Duke University, 40% of our actions are out of habit, not actual decisions. If all your habits are good, this makes life much easier. But, if you are like me and have some bad habits, this statistic helps explain why changing the Habit Loop is so difficult. This is what … Read more
Last week I read an article on LinkedIn on how to be more productive. I’m always looking to learn and try new things. The one productivity tip that resonated the most for me was this: Before you go home today, write down the top 6 things you want to accomplish tomorrow; Cross out the bottom 5; … Read more
As every business owner knows, at some point the need for debt collection services (either by hiring a collection agency or having employees make collection calls during the work day) arises in every line of business. Customers stop paying, one of your clients is constantly late in making their payments, and other similar situations arise … Read more
When a business decides it is time to hire a collection agency, finding the debt collector that can do the job right can be stressful and confusing.The first step in this process requires a business owner to decide between contracting a consumer debt collection agency or a commercial collector. Without an understanding of the difference … Read more
As every business owner understands, dealing with customers that don’t pay their bills can be one of the most frustrating experiences of doing business. When customers do everything in their power to avoid paying their debts, sometimes it makes more sense to hire the services of a debt collection agency to convince the debtors to … Read more
A recent blog post by The Business Finance Store offers tips for small business owners who are having issues with clients not paying for goods and services provided. The post advises small business owners to follow five steps in order to best resolve the issue and collect the money owed. Face the problem head-on and … Read more
When $25,000–$2M+ goes unpaid, form letters won't move it. We negotiate directly with the people who control the money — no fee unless we collect.