When you're running a business, making sure your customers pay their bills on time can be very difficult and a huge drain on resources; especially if you only have a handful of staff or are a sole operator. Unfortunately, many small businesses are forced to close their doors within 12 months of starting up, and non-payment of customer accounts plays a large part in forcing a business to close.

Non-payment is a serious issue for businesses of any size. Late or non-payment of debts can cause serious cash-flow problems, resulting in your business facing many problems of it's own - from unhappy staff to not being able to maintain supply-and-demand for other customers you may have. However, if you're experiencing problems with getting paid then there are several steps you can take to ensure your debt recovery doesn't impact too heavily on your business.

Trying to contact a customer or client about an unpaid bill can be difficult. Most contact is done either by phone or mail, and there is always the uncertainty about a letter being lost in the post, or a telephone message not being passed on, although in some cases it could be that the person you are trying to reach is simply avoiding you. However, contacting the customer is very important as there could be a genuine reason why the customer hasn't settled their bill, and you should always try to attempt to discuss the situation and reach an agreement. These could range from allowing the customer to restructure their repayments to writing off part of the outstanding balance.

Sometimes, however, it is necessary to consider legal proceedings against a customer in order to collect an outstanding debt. Taking legal action to reclaim an outstanding debt should be a last resort, and often the threat of legal action is enough to make your customers settle up. For some businesses, however, it can be difficult finding out exactly how to go about commencing legal action against a debtor. As a result, many outstanding debts find themselves passed to specialised debt recovery companies.

In the UK, there are many debt recovery companies available who can help reclaim outstanding debts, and these companies have the time, expertise and resources required to pursue customers who have outstanding debts. If you decide that legal action is necessary to reclaim an outstanding debt, companies such as Capquest offer solutions that can help reclaim your money.

One solution is to commission the debt recovery company to recover the debt on your behalf. For a fee - normally around 10% - the company will act on your behalf to work with the customer in order to find a mutually suitable solution for both you and the customer. Alternatively, many debt recovery companies will purchase the debt from you. In return, they will process the debt as their own and allow you to draw loans against the money owed to your business. This method is commonly used by businesses to improve cash-flow, but is also a useful method of reducing administration overheads.

It's important to be sure that if you employ the services of a debt recovery company, such as Capquest, then be sure that they are members of an accredited body. Most debt recovery agencies are members of the Credit Services Association, who are the only National Association in the UK for companies that are active in relation to unpaid credit accounts, debt recovery agencies, tracing agencies and allied professional services.