“We’ve seen clients relying on their own credit cards and in turn, delaying their own payments to suppliers because customers haven’t paid when they said they would. The knock-on effect is huge. First of all, make sure you understand your customer’s payment terms - there is evidence of some larger organisations exploiting their supply chain and extending payment terms unfairly. So if you’re an SME taking on a large customer, think carefully as to whether you can afford to fund the payment gap - my advice would be don’t take the business. Dispute any unreasonable payment terms from the very outset if you're unsure, before drawing up the contract. Always, always, get a contract signed or something in writing before you start work, to protect you legally. “Good housekeeping is the obvious. Invoice promptly and accurately and get to know customers’ payment systems and personnel. If this isn’t your strong point, commission someone good to do it for you. It’s vital to the long term success of your business.”