Without a clear credit control process in place, managing payments can quickly become overwhelming. Invoices may be issued late and follow-ups can be inconsistent making cash flow harder to predict. For businesses without dedicated credit control staff or structured procedures, this adds extra pressure. Companies of all sizes often face the same problem where keeping on top of payments takes time and attention away from the day-to-day running of the business.
Why Businesses Are Rethinking In-House Credit Control
Many business owners will recognise the signs. Internal teams are stretched, processes are inconsistent and too much time is spent managing credit control instead of focusing on growth. Expanding your in-house team might seem like the next logical step but it’s not always the most practical.
At the same time, recruitment is becoming tougher. Finance professionals are more selective about what they expect from employers while hiring is taking longer and becoming more expensive. According to Accountancy Age, nearly 45% of finance and accounting employees expect a pay rise and one in five are willing to leave if they don’t get one. This creates added pressure for businesses trying to find and retain experienced credit control staff, particularly when support is needed at short notice.
For individual business owners and sole traders, the challenge is even greater. StartYourBusinessMag.com reported that Nearly 90% of UK businesses experience payment delays. With limited time and resources, many are juggling multiple responsibilities and often lack the in-house expertise to manage recruitment or pursue overdue accounts effectively.
As a result, many businesses simply write off debt. More than half of SMEs have written off late payments to avoid the time and cost of chasing them. A further 52% say they forfeit late payments up to ten times a year, according to GoCardless. These figures highlight how widespread the issue has become and suggest many businesses benefit from additional support.
Outsourced credit control provides a simple and effective solution, offering access to experienced professionals who specialise in timely invoice reminders and improving internal credit processes. With the right support in place, teams stay focused on their core responsibilities while cash flow becomes easier to manage.
A Smarter Way to Support Your Business
When your business is under pressure, adding extra responsibilities can stretch them further. Missed follow-ups and longer turnaround times begin to impact both cash flow and team efficiency. One of our clients experienced this while attempting to recover payments across 15 separate cases. Despite their efforts, limited capacity and competing priorities led to delays and frustration. After several months with little progress, they brought us in for support. Acting as an extension of their team, we recovered over £13,000 within three months which helped stabilise cash flow and allowed their team to return focus to core responsibilities while a dedicated expert handled the overdue accounts.
A Clearer Comparison: In-House vs Outsourced Support
If you're still deciding whether to expand your internal team or outsource to a debt collection agency, this comparison can help clarify the difference. It highlights where outsourced support delivers advantages without the time and commitments that come with hiring in-house.
More Time, Less Pressure, Better Control
Outsourcing credit control is about giving your business room to manage priorities more efficiently. Payments are recovered faster with reduced strain on your internal team, all without disrupting your day-to-day operations.
Redwood Collections works as an extension of your business, managing accounts in a way that protects client relationships and supports your cash flow. This kind of flexible, expert support gives you and your team the capacity to focus on long-term business goals.
To find out more, call us on 020 8080 2888 or submit an online contact form here.
