Business debt consolidation can well be defined as debt relief services meant for sole proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations when they fall upon some monetary turbulences. Debt consolidation companies which provide business debt consolidation loan or services to such particular debt-ridden organizations keep in mind various factors about their debt conditions and financial goals and purposes.
The process of business debt consolidation involves assessing the entire worth, assets and liabilities of a company against outstanding bills followed by careful consideration of all options and obligations by the company which ultimately leads to the solution. Further explained, sometimes it may be possible to negotiate for a reduction of certain aspects of business debt. However, in the times when negotiation for reduction of outstanding bills is not possible business debt consolidation is often the answer. The decision to use the business debt consolidation should not be taken lightly because on combining the wrong debts together to make just one repayment you could end up paying more interest instead of less. So it is advisable not to make any rash decisions regarding repayment and consolidation. Consider yourself fair warned about this matter. Usually, it requires very careful calculation of the outstanding balances of all your business debt. Consolidation of these obligations should be handled by a professional debt consolidation counselor or a financial advisor of some kind.
Moreover, they can give you advice and then refer you to the right lending institutions that will provide necessary refinancing assistance. Preferably one should take legal and efficient professional advice and suggestions regarding budgeting and credit as the advisor would be able to tell you whether a business debt consolidation will be a good idea or not to tackle your business debts. However, before deciding upon this, other prior avenues should first be explored and considered. One of the main ones that may prevent you from even having to consolidate would be the negotiation of repayment and negotiation for reduction or relief of some bills. However, in some worst case scenarios a businessman is left with no other debt relief options than filing for bankruptcy or to finding some other ways to prevent judgments or lawsuits.
So it is always advisable to go for a professional legal advice from a debt consolidation counselor or a financial advisor who would provide all pros and cons of the given situation before deciding upon any particular action or decision. Remember that dealing with business debts is much more complicated than dealing with personal debts as the former includes cash and capital in much larger size which contains stakeholders’ and shareholders’ interests as well.
Seven Steps to Hassle-Free Business Debt Recovery Management
Every business outfit in Singapore has its standard terms and conditions for credit. This document is similar to a sales contract but includes provisions for when the buyer fails to pay his or her business debts. In essence, there are seven ways that businesses can strengthen their terms and conditions for a smoother business debt recovery process.
Apparently, Identify the Parties Involved in a Business Transaction
When giving credit to a customer, you should state whether it’s a partnership or a sole proprietorship. Get the real names of the persons who entered into the partnership agreement or the full name of the sole proprietor. Find out if the business or company exists by searching for its Singapore Company Number.
Seek Guarantee of Payment When the Customer is a Company
To be sure that your business client pays, do some investigative research into the company’s solvency. A company whose history shows a continual struggle to stay afloat will not be a good debtor to you. Nevertheless, if the company looks stable, you’ll still have to ask its owners or Board of Directors to provide you with a signed guarantee. In case the payments get delayed, the guarantors are responsible for paying the dues during the business debt collection process. Also, check for other valuable assets that the company or its guarantor probably owns; lands or other business outfits can serve as collateral in case the company defaults on its financial obligations to you.
Let Your Outstanding Receivables Earn Interest for Your Own Good
Accruing a yearly interest on unpaid debts is part of a good debt collection policy. If it were kept in your bank account, then you’d have earned the same amount of interest on it. As other people are using it, you’ll have to calculate at most 10 to 15 percent interest per annum over the principal amount owed to you. That seems like a reasonable rate for overdue accounts.
Define Who Retains the Title Over the Existing Goods
If you’re a supplier of goods to your business client, then you should stipulate an arrangement on who owns the goods during the time when the customer hasn’t paid the amount due in full. As the supplier, you should be able to claim ownership of the remaining inventory in case your customer suddenly declares bankruptcy.
Include a Provision to Stop Supplying Products or Services to the Customer
Simply calling a halt to providing raw materials, manufactured goods, or commercial services to a non-paying customer may cause too much trouble, not only to your client but also to their individual customers. The public outrage is enough reason to tread carefully over this section. It is especially true for suppliers to restaurants and grocery stores where ongoing arrangements must be fulfilled in keep the consumers happy. The best thing that suppliers and merchants can do, in this case, is to agree on a specific period and course of action. Let’s say, your customer’s failure to pay up the full amount within two weeks after the debt’s due date shall result to a reduction of supplies by half in the first week and a complete stop to all supplies on the second week. This way, you gradually pull out the plug to the flow of goods while giving your customer enough time to pay what is due.
Recover Legal Costs from Suing Your Errant Debtors
Most commercial debt collection agencies, like Debt Collector Singapore, assure their clients that they’ll do everything they can not let the situation get out of hand and bring the debtors to justice. However, it’s unavoidable that you may have to sue one or two of your errant debtors to recover your investments. It means you’ll be spending more on lawyer’s fees and filing those cases. Include a stipulation that the customers found guilty of defaulting on their financial obligations must also pay for your legal expenses.
Specify the Jurisdiction of Your Claims Against a Non-Paying Customer
This last section is most useful for business that operates online and deals with customers from all over the world. Specify that whatever legal action you decide to take shall commence in the courts of your preferred territory.
These seven steps must be implemented before your company even starts doing business with clients. Make sure you already established strong measures in your debt collection management policies. These measures may include hiring a third-party agency, such as Debt Collector Singapore, to recover bad debts for you. It saves you time and energy in collecting old unpaid debts and lets you focus on current ones.