You Hire Help for Everything Else. Why Not Past-Due Invoices?
We hire people to clean our houses.Mow our lawns.Deliver dinner when the week gets away from us. Not because we can’t do those things.Because our time is better spent elsewhere. Past-due A/R works the same way. Important. Repetitive. And usually the first thing that falls off when your team is stretched thin and someone has […]
The REAL Reason Your Company Has Too Many Overdue Invoices
Making collection calls sounds simple. So simple, in fact, that most companies don’t give it much thought. Reactive rather than proactive. And that’s where things start to break down. Simple → No Process Because it seems simple, collections often get treated like a loose task instead of an actual function. It gets handed off […]
Why $1 Million in A/R Rarely Means $1 Million in Cash During Liquidation
In our previous posts, we discussed two important realities of a business wind-down. First, liquidation doesn’t collect itself. Accounts receivable still require active management, and we highlighted four common missteps companies make when A/R is left unmanaged during a liquidation. Second, preparation matters. In our article on the pre-liquidation checklist, we outlined three critical steps […]
Will I Offend a Good Customer By Calling Them About a Past Due Invoice?
An invoice is 30 days past due. Someone notices. Someone else says, “They’re a really good customer.” And the follow-up gets pushed to next week. Not because payment isn’t expected. But because no one wants to risk the relationship. The hesitation usually isn’t about the customer. It’s about the conversation. Money is a loaded topic […]
The Pre-Liquidation A/R Checklist: Three Critical Steps to Take Before a Pending Wind-Down
If liquidation is 30–90 days away, your A/R recovery outcome is already being shaped. Not during the filing. Not during asset disposition. Not during final reporting. It’s being shaped now, in the operational details often overlooked. By the time liquidation formally begins, recoverable value has often already eroded. What This Checklist Protects If no action […]
Interim CFOs: Why Accounts Receivable Is the Fastest 90-Day Win for Improving Cash Flow
Interim CFOs are brought in to stabilize, clarify, and move organizations forward, often times while facing compressed timelines and real cash pressure. Amid competing priorities, a common challenge they inherit is misaligned accounts receivable processes that are creating daily operational drag. Past-due invoices, inconsistent follow-up, unclear ownership, and teams stretched thin all contribute to delayed […]
What’s the most effective way to collect on a past-due invoice?
One of the questions I get asked often is: “What’s the most effective way to collect on a past-due invoice?” My answer is always the same. Pick up the phone. It sounds simple, maybe even old-fashioned, but after spending years in accounts receivable, especially in high-pressure situations like liquidations and wind-downs, I’ve learned this: results […]
Liquidation Doesn’t Collect Itself: Managing Accounts Receivable During a Business Liquidation
When a business enters liquidation, there’s a common (and costly) misconception: accounts receivable will simply collect itself once operations stop. In reality, liquidation creates uncertainty — and uncertainty stalls payment. At The Collection Department, we’re often brought in at the moment when lenders, private equity partners, or advisors realize something critical has been overlooked: without […]
What To Do When You Know You Will Be Late Paying an Invoice
Cash flow problems can happen to any business. Losing a key customer, shifts in the marketplace, seasonality, or even the loss of a top salesperson can all throw things off balance. When that happens, tough decisions follow — including which bills get paid on time and which ones have to stretch. Over the years, I’ve […]