Managing your debtors

Depending on the type of business that you are running, it may be beneficial to you to set up lines of credit for your customers. Selling on credit can help you to attract more customers to your business, and can encourage a higher volume of sales from each customer, as they do not have to pay for their purchases upfront.

There are, however, several risks related to allowing customers to buy on credit, including encountering unreliable customers who cannot or will not settle their accounts on time or at all. It is necessary, therefore, to have systems in place to properly screen, manage and collect from your debtors, in order to avoid interruptions in your cash flow and possible financial and legal issues in the future.

Establishing a credit policy is the best way to begin when considering setting up credit accounts for your customers. This policy refers to the actions that will be taken by your business to accept applicants for lines of credit, manage their accounts properly, and follow up on outstanding account balances, including taking legal action if necessary.