Late payment, explained by people who recover it.
What the law gives you, what to send and when, what recovery actually costs, and what to do when a customer's status on the register changes. Written for finance managers and owners, not lawyers.
A step-by-step credit control sequence for UK businesses: what to send seven days before due, on the due date, and at 3, 7, 14 and 21 days late, and when to hand over.
How to calculate statutory interest at base rate plus 8% and fixed compensation of £40, £70 or £100 per invoice under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, with a worked example.
What a letter before action must say for a company debtor under the Practice Direction on Pre-Action Conduct, and for a sole trader under the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims, including response periods.
What to do when a debtor company enters liquidation or administration, how to lodge a proof of debt, how to object to a strike-off, and what is realistically recoverable.
What debt collection agencies charge UK businesses: commission rates by debt age, no-win-no-fee, what the statutory sums cover, and the questions to ask before instructing anyone.
The credit control routine a small business can actually keep: terms on the invoice, the pre-due reminder, a weekly ledger review, and the three triggers for handing a debt over.
A plain-English guide to the Commercial Payments Bill 2026: mandatory statutory interest, the 60-day cap on payment terms, reporting duties for large businesses, and what it means for suppliers.