How to Drastically Reduce Unpaid Bills and Collections

 Are you an Entrepreneur - or a Bill Collector?

Sometimes you will find yourself at crossroads while trying to figure out how to get some of your customers to actually pay you for products received, services rendered or time billed. Chasing down payments can become a major distraction - one that can cost you a small fortune in time, and profits that could've been earned with another client or customer...

So what's the answer?

Well, it's multifaceted, but let's first of all address the main potential issues:

1. Is your price structure conveyed clearly, and in an "up-front" manner? Many entrepreneurs are actually a little uncomfortable when it comes to discussing the price with potential clients. However, it is essential that your customers clearly understand the full price of your product or service. It's usually best to be up-front about this, while letting the perceived value of your offer take care of itself. Remember that your clients/customers are more concerned with the results than they are the "cost" of your offer.

2. Are you targeting - and "attracting" - your ideal customer? This may be clearly evident if your customers seem to be consistently causing hassles in your business. Evaluate your marketing locations and consider the audience. Additionally, you may be better off raising the price of your offer so as to position the offer more towards a more serious or "responsible" customer group.

3. Are you offering convenient and flexible payment methods? Perhaps most importantly - are you making it possible for customers to "borrow" from their credit card - instead of your business?

So - why not actively step down as "Creditor" and let VISA or MasterCard step up to the plate instead? It's time to take control of your business, once again...

Here's why accepting credit cards - in addition to the above - will simplify your "collections" at every level, enabling you to re-focus on driving your business and making money - instead of chasing after it...

- No more waiting for checks to clear (funds are transferred to your bank account within a matter of hours, not days).

- Unlike checks, credit payments don't "bounce"

- More cash flow for your business operations overall

- Make it easy for clients to pay their bill all at once or up-front

- Charge clients as a deposit before proceedings of actual work, giving you a pre-budget to start your business initiatives

- Eliminate "price-dropping" due to the hassles of collecting payments, and, out of frustration (or desperation), settling for "whatever they have at the moment"

These are just a few of the reasons for incorporating the acceptance of credit cards for your business in general.

If your clients are short on cash, due to which your bills are unpaid, then offer them to pay their balance by accepting credit card payments. Collections of unpaid bills from clients can be a nightmare; in the process, it will also destroy your business relationship for the long term.

It makes more sense not only from a business perspective but also from a relationship management point of view. After all, as a business owner, you should be managing your business and not chasing clients like a money cop!

Additionally, clients who have been feeling uncomfortable due to unpaid bills might actually be thrilled to hear that your company accepts credit card payments - for the simple reason that they might not have had the cash, and therefore avoided contact in an attempt to "save face". This would give them an option to settle up, where previously, there wouldn't have been an opportunity to do so.

Make things easy for your customers - and make things easier for you. Use your merchant account to reduce your "receivables" by simply offering the option for your customers to pay with their credit card. It's that simple, folks, and this simple change in your business could save you a fortune, and save you some serious hassles along the way...

My guess is that you went into business for yourself in order to create your dream lifestyle. So if your business has turned into more of a nightmare than a "dream", then save this article in your browser's bookmark folder, or print it out.

And if nothing else, remember that every unpaid bill is money lost - worse yet - stolen. So why not prevent all of this to begin with by simply passing on this burden to your customer's credit card company?


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