Sage Blog

Our guest blogger and Sage World producer Sam Wass from Benchmark Communications asks why in the digital age people still attend events.

As someone who produces events I’m very interested in the emotive and intellectual drivers that make people go along to them. While every event is different and everyone has different reasons for attending, I’ve hypothesised a theory that it’s the emotional experience that people seek and desire in the age of instant information.

There was a time (not so long ago) when the main reason for attending a business event was to gather information. It was a place where theories were first aired, breakthroughs discussed and depending on the sector it could be the only chance of the year to benefit from peer-to-peer support.

Due to search engines and social networking platforms, the above drivers to events are no longer true. It is arguable that with the same time investment on Google you can find out comparable information that you would have found at a conference.

This consumable information culture makes the need to have great content at an event absolutely key. Although you can see many great presentations online (and I’d highly recommend TED or Sage World as place to start) conference content is defined by the presenters and the presentation.

That Eureka moment

We now go to business events for the face-to-face live experience it offers. We go for the same reason we want to see a play live on stage, we don’t go because we wonder if Romeo and Juliet will live happily ever after, we go for the experience it offers. We go for the overall package, the hair standing on the back of your neck moment, the light-bulb Eureka moment, call it what you will, but we go for the emotive reason inside which you can’t really put into words.

When we conceptualised the free business event, Sage World, we wanted to create an event that was an emotive experience for everyone attending. Along with information, advice and support from the team at Sage, we wanted to create an inclusive event package. A place to reflect and to establish new thought lines, a place to network and meet new contacts, a place to interact and a place to be inspired by some amazing speakers. Most importantly it is a place to digest information and a place to have the experience you want it to be.

At a time when we are working longer and harder than ever before, an event offers the ideal chance to take a step back, to reflect and to get that emotive experience…you’ll get the information too!

Sam Wass, Producer – Sage World; Director – Benchmark Communications

Sage World runs from 12 – 13 October 2011 in Manchester. It’s free to attend and there are a host of inspiring speakers and practical workshops to help you have your own Eureka moment. Register at www.sageworld2011.co.uk

Jon Martingale

I love Question Time. I love staying in on a Thursday night, with a glass of red wine, watching Hugh Grant take on the tabloids, or listening to a couple of political veterans debating the topical subject of the week. But I must admit, that I always think that I could do just as well if I had the chance to discuss my own areas of expertise.

Thinking this is one thing, but actually having to prove it is quite different. So, when I got asked if I would be willing to be involved in a discussion on iXBRL (if iXBRL is a mystery to you then check out our XBRL doesn’t have to be four letter word blog post), and this would be filmed to world-wide audience, I admit I was hesitant.

The offer was to discuss XBRL: ‘the vision versus reality’, for the ACCA virtual conference taking place on the 27^th July 2011. The opportunity to be involved in such a high profile event, to engage with accountants as a representative of Sage, and to do something as cool as a ‘virtual conference’ was too great. I chose to ignore my doubts and go for it.

Prior preparation and planning prevents poor performance

So, on the day of filming I had done my XBRL revision, and was preparing myself for time in ‘make up’ getting ready to be in front of the cameras, the shout of “action” from a director, followed by multiple takes of the filming of each question and answer until we got things right. However, the reality was a little different.

We had a 60 minute continuous discussion, with some pre-prepared questions but also the opportunity to develop interesting topics – effectively going off-piste but with the pressure of knowing any mistake would be caught on camera. This was much more like Question Time than I could have ever imagined!

Having lived and breathed iXBRL in relation to Sage UK and software for the last 9 months, it was also a challenge to ensure that I kept discussions very general. And given the global audience, I also had to consider the world-wide impact of XBRL rather than just focusing on the UK – something I had not considered until the cameras started rolling.

Presenting to the Daleks

Ah, the cameras. Earlier this year, I presented at many Sage XBRL road show events. And whilst I enjoyed the experience immensely, it was a challenge of my presenting skills to articulate messages effectively and share important information. I assumed that 3 cameras would be much easier to talk to than a room full of Sage customers, but how wrong I was. Having ‘Daleks’ (well that’s what they felt like at the time anyway) with bright green lights pointing at you is off-putting indeed and the total lack of audience feedback is unnerving. You do not appreciate the collective nod of an agreeing audience fully, until it is not there when you speak in public.

I have to admit, it was a great experience though, and a new way for me to gain new insight and appreciation on a familiar subject. I have taken information that we discussed on the day and will use it to inform future software development. So, customers on the Sage strategic development group may have a chance to share their views on my ideas in the future. And who knows, in the future, users of Sage software may find a new feature in their software that was first thought of during the filming for the ACCA virtual conference.

Following this experience, I will look to be involved in filmed discussions in the future and hope I get opportunities to develop my on screen skills. And one thing is for sure, when I next watch Question Time, I will definitely have more of an appreciation for how tough the job of a panelist is.

Jon Martingale, Sage Accoutants’ Team

We’re pulling together this year’s line up for our free business event, Sage World. One of our speakers, Benedict Allen, takes time out of his dangerous day job as an explorer to talk about what we can learn from his time in the jungle.

I’m really excited about this year’s Sage World event. The speakers and sessions look every bit as inspiring, informative and thought-provoking as last year, and if you are in business – whether just starting up, or looking to go global or indeed to consolidate your hold on the world - this looks like the place to be in October. Personally, my interest is in battling against the odds. By profession, and by nature, perhaps, I’m an explorer – someone who likes mental and physical challenges.

Benedict Allen, Explorer

The tropical jungle

I’m someone known to have almost died nine times - I’ve been shot at by local drug barons, robbed by guides and left to die, even had to eat my own dog to survive – and I’ll be sharing with the delegates how I learnt to survive alone in some of the harshest terrain on the planet. One of these is tropical jungle, an environment of extraordinary competitiveness where you must quickly learn to adapt to its terms. By tuning into local conditions, by having a clear sense of mission, and by being ready to take calculated risks, I managed to survive  to cross the whole of the Amazon Basin, a distance of 4500 miles over seven and half months.

Exciting and entertaining and inspiring, I hope – but the main point is that we ALL have our own jungles. The world is a highly competitive place, just like the Amazon – who are your friends, who are your enemies? It makes no sense to FIGHT the jungle  – it’s too big. You must work within the resources available to you, accordingly set yourself a clear goal, and stride through all the obstacles which will inevitably come your way with the confidence gained from having had the best preparation possible. Sometimes you have to be ready to go it alone, sometimes take advantage of the talents and skills and resources of others: either way, it makes no sense at all not to get involved, not to take up the challenge – what will achieve  otherwise?

Benedict Allen, Explorer

Sage World takes place on 12 – 13 October in Manchester and is free to attend. Register for Sage World today.

Call centres: maybe you’re thinking of using one to benefit your business, or perhaps you’re one of the millions of customers who call one every day. Either way you’ll know from experience what makes a successful call centre. Here are some of the principles we use at Sage when you call our Sage Support Team.

When call centres go bad

Bad call centre experiences have become a cliché of our times. It seems that for many companies, if it can go wrong, it will. Callers complain of long waiting times, endless transfers to different departments in different countries, convoluted menu choices, ill-informed advisors and technical issues. In recent years, those calling contact centres for information, advice and support have discovered a brand new tool to fight bad service: social media. Bloggers, tweeters and furious Facebook users have all vented their fury online, in the most public way possible. All the more reason then, to get it right.

Here at Sage we try to do things differently, which is why we were so pleased to receive last year’s North East Contact Centre award. (Shameless plug alert: We’re shortlisted in the European Contact Centre Awards. If you think we deserve to win, please vote for us!)

Howay the toon

Contacting our call centre is one of the many ways that our SageCover customers can get support from us with their software and running their business. If you’ve ever called us you’ll have spotted that we’re based in Newcastle, the home of Sage. Last year, a study by Sitel, a global outsourcing call centre provider, named the Geordie accent as the UK’s most friendly and most likely to put you in a ‘good mood.’ Even more significantly, Geordie was one of five top accents in the categories of helpfulness, efficiency and trustworthiness. But we like to think our customer service is more to do with what we say than how we say it, so what else makes a successful call centre?

1. Be friendly. It’s amazing how a positive attitude can set the tone for an entire conversation, as well as its outcome.

2. Pay attention. The importance of listening can’t be overstressed. By listening to our customers’ exact queries, asking questions if we’re unclear and clarifying their requests, we keep communications clear and productive.

3. Never stop learning. Our first priority for our Sage Support Team is to know our products and services inside out; and that’s why when they start at Sage they sign up to 6 months of training. Our products and services are constantly evolving as the business world changes.  For example, our people have just been training on the lastest version of Sage 50 Accounts 2012 and it’s mobile app. After all, it’s no good to release a new product and not have the support in place to help customers should they need it!

4. Be clear and easy to understand: When you’ve providing support for business software it would be all too easy to get carried away with bewildering jargon. Don’t, no one will thank you for giving garbled explanations. Once we’ve established how an issue can be solved, we talk our callers through what we plan to do, step-by-step.

5. Give a bit extra. At the end of a call we double-check that the caller is satisfied with our response. Do they require additional information to be emailed through to them? Can we direct them to anything specific on our website? Is there anything else we can do to help them use our products and services to their best advantage?

For us, how customer calls are handled is part of a larger overall commitment to outstanding customer service, a keystone of our philosophy.  Our customers are our business so it makes sense to look after them. That’s why, anytime you have a question, a technical enquiry, or just an idea for how we might improve things, we’d really love it if you gave us a call.

Sarah Woods, Small Business Team

Technology Research company, Gartner describes Enterprise Resource Planning software (ERP) as the following: ERP improves business processes and the use of information across an organisation by integrating functions such as finance, order management and purchasing into a set of interconnected modules.

All clear now?

In simple terms, I would describe ERP as software that integrates all information and processes of an organisation into a common system. Enterprise Resource Planning software (ERP) can provide significant benefits to companies looking to take advantage of improving economic conditions. Improved cash-flow, enhanced financial and business-wide reporting, and a reduction in duplication of data entry are just some of the tangible benefits.

Evolving expectations

The market for ERP software changed significantly after the financial meltdown of 2008, since then businesses have witnessed a slow, fragile return to growth. Firms now want to see a faster return on investment, and products that are quicker and easier to install and integrate – all features found in Sage ERP 1000.

Deployment of ERP software can have a profound and positive impact on revenues. A sharp reduction in duplication of data and processes, improved cross departmental communication and better financial reporting are just a fraction of what ERP software can deliver, provided that the product is chosen carefully and the deployment and ongoing maintenance are managed well.

An emerging trend in the market is the need for quick to implement, international ERP solutions that support domestic locations, as well as offering strong international features, multiple language and currency support, multiple chart of accounts, all delivered to multiple locations – all features of Sage ERP X3.

Our free whitepaper ERP – building on the basics will help you find out more more about how ERP is evolving to meet the demands of you business.

The benefits of ERP software

Although they can be hard to quantify, the financial benefits of ERP may be realised in many different ways. Some organisations use ERP software to make savings in departmental budgets; being able to compare cost savings with revenue gains, leads to better decision making when setting targets.

ERP systems can also make it easier to identify non-productive areas of the business, allowing managers to move staff to where they can better benefit the organisation. Still more savings can be realised by speeding up the monthly close process, in which a firm’s books are temporarily closed and analysed to produce a set of financial statements that indicate how well the company is performing.

A faster close process allows management information and analysis to be made available sooner, giving the organisation more time in which to analyse the figures before producing financial statements. Full or partial automation of this process by ERP can lead to significant reductions in the close cycle. The boost to business from these financial benefits is obvious. Better cash flow and liquidity is a critically important part of both riding out an economic downturn and taking maximum advantage of the recovery.

The question of compliance

The compliance landscape has become harder to navigate safely in recent years. The last UK government passed record amounts of regulatory legislation and in the wake of the financial crisis the financial industry in particular has been subjected to further scrutiny.

The financial services industry serves as an ideal illustration of the importance of data governance. The crisis in 2008 ensured that the customers of financial institutions are more clear-eyed than ever about the risks they run in investing their money. Trust is imperative and quite rightly, potential customers insist on knowing that their confidential information is safe.

ERP software can help companies re-engineer their business processes to ensure compliance with government lead legislations such as Sarbanes Oxley or IFRS (…to give but a few examples). Sage ERP X3 is particularly strong in helping companies to achieve and provide evidence of compliance with the above legislations through providing comprehensive audit facilities, embedded work flow, field auditing options and strong security.

Positioned for growth

As the economy emerges from recession, firms need to ensure they are positioned for growth and able to take full advantage of the changing conditions. It is clear that the advantages in terms of operational efficiency, financial flexibility and inter-departmental communications offered by ERP systems can provide a distinct competitive advantage to those firms with the foresight and capability to deploy them.

There can be no doubt that ERP software is evolving to meet the demands of businesses both now and in the future. Sage provides a number of solutions aimed at different organisations, taking ERP out of its traditional enterprise environment and making it available to specific industries and niche markets.

Julia Commons, Product Marketing Manager, Sage Enterprise Solutions

Download the free whitepaper ERP – building on the basics; how ERP is evolving to meet the demands of you business or visit our ERP software pages for more information

I’m Alex Reid, a senior developer in Sage Central R&D, the team responsible for the development of Sage Accounts 50 Mobile.  I was the lead developer on the Sage iPhone app.

A key feature of Sage 50 Accounts 2012 is the inclusion of our free Sage 50 Accounts Mobile App. This gives you access to the data held within Sage 50 Accounts in your office, anywhere in the world using your iPhone or BlackBerry.

The extremely portable nature of mobile phones is a massive advantage but as with any piece of software or technology that facilitates remote access to sensitive data, security is a fundamental consideration. If you are a business owner, you are likely to be excited about the possibilities offered but are perhaps cautious of the security implications associated with making your company data available in this way.

Would you access your accounts on a mobile?

One of our twitter followers asked the question: would you access your accounts on a mobile? I would say, if it’s secure and helps you work on the go, then why not?

We have engineered the Sage Mobile solution to be secure from the ground up. As someone that’s worked on the Sage 50 Accounts Mobile App I’m in a good position to give you some background on

• how the mobile solution works
• the built-in security features
• and finally some recommendations for businesses looking to use this app

So how does information from Sage 50 Accounts 2012 securely find its way to your iPhone or BlackBerry?

Both our Sage 50 Accounts app and Sage 200 mobile use multiple Sage technologies and online services to provide remote access to data stored in Sage 50 Accounts and Sage 200. These services and infrastructure have been independently audited to ensure your data is not compromised.

When installing the mobile solution, no company data is transferred or held anywhere other than within your company’s on-premises installation of Sage 50 Accounts or Sage 200. Our Sage 50 Accounts app and Sage 200 mobile securely communicates with your on-premises copy of Sage 50 Accounts or Sage 200 via the service we provide to allow secure access to your on-premises data across the Internet. We call this the Sage Secure Gateway.

This software creates a secure tunnel between your office and the Sage infrastructure over the public Internet. All data sent and received through this connection is encrypted so cannot be intercepted by third parties.  Once the tunnel is established, your data can now be accessed from anywhere in the world, but don’t worry – access can only happen through the Sage infrastructure, which requires authentication.

How to log on using your Sage Passport

Users of our software are likely to be familiar with our Sage Passport, but if not it’s free and straightforward to create one.

It is with these credentials that a user logs into the Sage app. An administrator grants access to their company’s data by associating a user’s Sage Passport with their data through a subscription. A user selects the subscription they want to use after logging in to the Sage app.

Controlling the levels of access to your data

Not all users with mobile access will require or be permitted global access to company data. The user’s subscription dictates the level of access they have. The Sage 50 Accounts mobile setup wizard makes it easy for an administrator to completely control the level of access granted to a user’s subscription. Permissions can be granted or revoked at any time, should an employee require further access or cease to work for the company.

What happens if your mobile goes missing?

Our app is a secure and robust solution, but human vigilance is a vital part of overall security. Just as a briefcase containing sensitive paperwork can be lost on a train, so can a logged in mobile phone. So what happens if a mobile phone gets lost or stolen?

Firstly, an administrator can revoke access to the user’s subscription using the mobile setup wizard. This will prevent the user from logging in and accessing company data.

The iPhone and BlackBerry apps also contain two security settings. These can be accessed through Settings > Sage 50 on an iPhone and Options > Sage Mobile on a BlackBerry.

By default, the Sage app does not prompt a user to re-enter their password every time they use the app.  This behaviour can be disabled by enabling the sign out on exit option.

For efficiency and performance, the mobile will store the most recent version of accessed data. For instance if a customer record has not changed since it was last accessed, it will not be sent again. With considerable technical knowledge, software tools and access to the physical device it is possible to extract this data from the phone. For this reason, the user can instruct the mobile phone to clear this cache each time the Sage app is exited or suspended. A user’s Sage Passport credentials are never stored or cached anywhere on the mobile phone.

In addition, mobile phones offer their own security features.

• iPhone and BlackBerry phones can be locked with a pass code or unlock gesture.
• iPhone and BlackBerry phones on enterprise networks can be wiped, or have applications and data removed remotely.  Alternatively iPhone users can register with Find my iPhone, a free service provided by Apple to help users remotely locate, lock or wipe their phone.

This means that if a mobile phone is lost or stolen access to the Sage app will not be possible.

Put the right company policies in place

Putting the right company policies in place can help you prevent mistakes being made that may put sensitive information at risk. Policies should include:

• Ensuring users set a suitably complicated lock code or unlock gesture on their mobile phone
• Ensuring all mobile phones are signed up to Find by iPhone or a similar enterprise-wide solution to facilitate remote data removal
• Ensuring users enable the sign out on exit security setting within the Sage app, if the company views the data retrieved and displayed to be highly sensitive
• Only providing access to highly sensitive data to those who need it: the access controls in Sage 50 Accounts permit granular access to suit a variety of user roles

So, hopefully that’s given you an insight in to the security behind our mobile app, but also how your business can benefit from working on the go while mitigating any risks.

Alex Reid, Sage Central R&D Team

For further information and to download the Sage app for iPhone and BlackBerry: www.sage.co.uk/sage50mobile

Available on the App Store

Parts of London and other major UK cities have been affected by rioting and criminality. Many businesses were looted, damaged or totally destroyed during the period of violence. Our Sage People Advice team have put together some useful advice to help businesses affected.

As many business owners survey the damage in the aftermath, we’ve broken down the advice you need in terms of paying employees and receiving compensation.

Do I need to pay employees if they can’t return to work?

If your business is open, you’re not obliged to pay an employee if they can’t or won’t come to work due to the violence, unless their contract of employment specifically states that they are entitled to salary under those circumstances.

However, unless there is a contractual clause within your contract to allow deductions from salary, any withheld payments could result in an unlawful deduction from wages claim.

Depending on your employees’ contracts, you can take the following options:

• Advise your employees that any time off work in these circumstances will be unpaid.
• Pay them on a discretionary basis, but only in exceptional cases.
• Ask them to take the time off as paid annual leave.
• Pay them as normal, but ensure that they make up the lost time.

If you can’t open your business due to damage, your employees are still entitled to be paid for that day.

Am I insured against looting?

If you’re in any danger whatsoever, you should never try to protect your building or property. Your business premises insurance should provide cover for fire, looting or any damage caused.

Most commercial insurance policies will cover you for damage to your premises, including the interruption to your business as a result.

Some policies will also cover those businesses which are not damaged, but whose trade will be affected by the aftermath.

Contact your insurer to check what you are covered for and arrange for immediate help if needed.

What if I’m not insured?

The Prime Minister has confirmed that an 1886 law, which allows insurers to pass on some of the cost of riot-related claims to the police, will apply, with the Government ready to make up any funding shortfall.

In addition, under the Riots (Damages) Act, uninsured businesses can seek partial compensation from the police.

The Government will also:

• Set up a £20million support scheme to help businesses get back up and running.
• Enable local authorities to grant business rate relief, by funding at least three-quarters of their costs.
• Defer tax payments for businesses in greatest need.
• Stop liability for council tax and business rates for the most seriously affected businesses.

If it’s likely that your business won’t open for a substantial period of time, and you can call our Adviceline for further advice and guidance.

If you need further advice on this or other HR, Employment Law and Health & Safety advice can find out more about our Sage People Advice service on 0844 8877 999

The Sage People Advice Team

If you’re not from a technical background, attempting to understand “cloud computing” could be both confusing and somewhat daunting. But it needn’t be. Put simply, cloud computing is a way to access products and services securely through an internet connection anywhere in the world.

It has been around for years. Whether you’re accessing Facebook, Amazon, Hotmail, YouTube, Sage CRM OnDemand or Sage One, you’re using cloud computing. You tap in to huge banks of data through some very complex programs, each of which are hosted on various forms of physical hardware, located elsewhere in the world.

The term “cloud computing” incorporates all of the clever networking, languages, programs and environments that allow us to do this. It refers to our ability to link to computer technologies globally through our modest internet connection.

Why the big fuss?

Whilst types of cloud computing have been around for years, the ability to link to these technologies has only recently started to mature. IT investment is expected to focus on this area in the coming years. Where certain technologies were once out of reach for particular businesses, they are now accessible.

Take software, for example. Traditionally, it came on a disc and you loaded it on to your hard drive. In a larger business it was stored on local servers, where the IT department would have needed to buy and install the software, as well as set up and maintain the servers it ran on.

More recently, however, software that we access through our web browser has become more popular. This is known as ‘software as a service’ (SaaS), and is one of three components classified within cloud computing. Sage One and Sage CRM On Demand are examples of software we host and provide using cloud computing.

‘I’ve heard of Saas, but what else is involved with cloud computing?’

I’ve introduced you to the first component of cloud computing, SaaS. There are two more. The second component is ‘platform as a service’ (PaaS). While SaaS allows access to software through a browser, PaaS offers much more than just buying and installing the software. It allows an organisation’s IT department or IT supplier to:

(i)      Source or build and maintain the platform for the users to work from.

(ii)    Customise the software to fit the organisation’s processes.

(iii)  Develop software for its users.

This can be a complex process. PaaS providers allow their customers to build software and make changes to it using a simple internet connection in an environment they have built, support and manage.

The third component is ‘infrastructure as a service’ (IaaS). Data, hardware, servers and networking components require ongoing maintenance. Providers offer to host products in a central location and provide access to them through a secure internet connection. Huge buildings full of hardware exist worldwide, with masses of virtual and real-life security. They are there to ensure that no one can access those servers but the customers using their internet connection thousands of miles away. This service is IaaS.

Cloud computing gives IT buyers access to technologies, without the constraints of large upfront fixed costs, space, power or extensive setup times. As technology continues to improve and develop, the ability to access the best products and services from anywhere in the world is also improving and evolving.

‘Does Sage offer any Cloud applications?’

Yes – we have partnered with a major provider of cloud technologies, Amazon EC2, to host our business relationship software, Sage SalesLogix on the Cloud.

Most hosted software only offers what is known as ‘multi tenant’ software. While this means you can access your own data, the core of the software is still shared by all users of the service, so it can’t really be customised to suit a business’s processes.

We are offering a more extensive application – leasing our customer their own servers (with backup) on which they can host their version of Sage SalesLogix. Sage Business Partners can also access the software remotely and customise it if desired. This can be done from anywhere in the world, using a web browser.

Sage provides hosted relationship management software, services and support through Sage CRM On Demand, ACT and E-Marketing to small and medium sized businesses. You can contact us on 0845 111 99 88 if you would like to find out more.

Chris Coulson and Simon Campbell, Sage SalesLogix Team

As any small business owner will probably already know, bad debts can affect you far more than they affect large businesses. Larger businesses can have a buffer to survive bad debts while small businesses don’t.  When you are working with smaller cash flow funds and juggling income with expenditure, getting sales in and having fewer people within the business, you have to be flexible and cover multi-functional roles.

If you’re self employed, then often you’re the salesperson, marketing team, accounts, customer services and do your day to day job role amongst other things such as reception and administration. Sound familiar?

So, it’s difficult amongst all of those things to keep on top of the money coming in and ensure you get paid from your customers. Being able to easily manage your cash flow is a key benefit of our Sage 50 Accounts, and why is that? Well, it’s vital to the success of your business….no income = no business!

Unless your business runs on a cash basis, where you get the money in for goods/services up front, from my experience your invoicing accounts will probably fall into a few different categories;

• Good payers who pay promptly or on time
• People who pay once reminded, as they’ve misplaced the invoice or need a gentle reminder
• And those that you have to chase, and chase, and chase and eventually get the money in

So, here’s a few of my top tips to help towards making sure you get paid for your goods or services.

1. Always get the invoice in as soon as you can, once you have completed the work to a high quality standard.  This will give customers less of an argument for not paying the invoice for poor workmanship.  If this situation does arise, then handle it in a professional manner, the quicker you sort the problem, the quicker you’ll get paid.
2. Include a remittance advice note which makes admin quicker at their end if paying you by cheque.
3. Always send out a reminder once your terms of payment time is reached eg 30, 60, 90 days or calendar monthly, if this is your chosen debtors agreement
4. Remember, larger companies usually pay monthly, so if you missed the first monthly payment with your invoice going onto their system, you may not get paid until their next monthly payment.
5. If things go on too long, don’t be afraid to pick up the phone, send reminders such as a bad debt letter or statement.  Most accounts software these days includes useful tools to help you remind the customer about their payment.
6. If you’re really struggling ask to speak to the main accounts person. Don’t be pushy, rude or abrupt or you’ll probably ruin your best chances of ever getting paid.
7. Do, be persistent in terms of calling / chasing back when you said, but give them reasonable timescales, no need to call back every single day, for example, if they use the old “the cheque’s in the post routine” give it time to come and then call back to advise of none arrival.
8. If you are a Sage 50 Accounts customer make sure you’re using all the cash flow features like creating and printing invoices, debt chasing letters and  reports advising you of who owes you what and how old the debt is.

Hopefully these tips will do the job for you, but not every time, companies do go out of business and this can come as a bit of a blow to a small business relying on money coming in.  However, if you do your best to get paid on time and chase, then generally this should help your situation.

Melanie Dawson, Small Business Team