Keeping on top of credit control is a vital part of any business; it lets you know that you’re being paid on time for the jobs you’re doing and helps your cash flow perform at its best. There are several credit control tips and tricks you could apply to your processes that’ll make invoicing run smoothly.

 

Here at The Isobar, we’ve developed our own credit control software, enabling you to get your head back into business, without stressing about late payments. Take a look at our ideas here to set up a credit control process without any hiccups.

 

The Importance of Credit Control

When you give credit to a customer or client for your products or services, you’ll more often than not need to be paid when the end of the month comes around, and that’s where credit control comes in. A credit control process is the strategy that’s implemented by a business to keep on top of the invoices that need to be paid by customers and clients. 

 

As is the nature of business, many customers will not pay their invoices until they are reminded to, so it’s important that your credit control process includes reminders sent out on the exact day invoices are due, if not even a few days before. Having good credit control will not only reduce the debts owed to your business, but will improve cash flow too, meaning there’ll be no need to pay interest on your overdrafts and your business will be less likely to go into debt itself.

 

Invoicing Insights

When implementing a credit control process, it’s important to think about how you’ll be chasing invoices from the get-go. To begin with, make sure you assess the risk of your existing and any new customers from day one. You could even consider researching your customers’ credit management to decide whether they’re even safe to do business with. This nips any potential problems in the bud, before they even have chance to blossom into something bigger.

 

It’s sensible to set out a clear credit control process for your business so your accounts team know exactly what they should be doing and when. This makes for a streamlined credit control operation that’ll keep your customers in line and in the know about when they’ll be required to pay.

 

When invoices need to be sent, make sure they’re on their way quickly and ensure that every one is accurate. An error-ridden invoice will not be paid and you may not even be made aware that there’s a mistake, so if you want to be paid on time, make sure your invoices are correct. Also ensure to address them to the relevant person to get the right eyes on your invoice swiftly.

 

Keep your terms and conditions as clear as day so there can be no misunderstanding when your customer or client receives your invoice. You should also make clear the steps that will be taken if an invoice is paid late, such as any additional charges. You could even consider encouraging early payment with small discounts if the invoice is paid before it’s due.

 

One of the most important aspects of credit control is maintaining a positive working relationship with all of your customers and clients. The nature of credit control means that sometimes uncomfortable conversations need to take place, so having a good relationship will make those phone calls that bit easier and even more effective.

 

 

When Late Payments Come Knocking

As part of your credit control process, there needs to be a plan in place when the due date passes by without a payment. When you’re waiting for late payments to come in, keep checking the business bank account so you can be made aware as soon as the payment does come in, so you’re not chasing an invoice that has actually been received.

 

In the terms and conditions of your credit control process, you may have mentioned that a late payment will incur additional charges. This could be late payment interest or compensation charges.

 

To keep on top of credit control, firstly, remind customers of the payment schedule when they place their order, so they are aware when they should have paid by. As soon as the invoice becomes overdue, send reminder letters, texts or emails out so your customer or client is aware that their invoice is now late and they may soon be subject to additional charges. Send subsequent emails, texts or letters every week from this date to encourage payment. Following these concise steps should mean that there’ll be no need to take further action, and you can continue running your business smoothly.

 

When you want a helping hand, Sage 50 helps you to manage your credit control and your outstanding debtors by enabling you to view transaction histories, so you can see when they last paid you. You can also record contacts for both customers and suppliers, so you know who you need to call when an invoice becomes overdue. Customer credit control from Sage 50 also allows you to make payments, dispute items, handle bad debts and even write off invoices if and when you need to.

 

Over at The Isobar, our experienced and savvy team of developers have created a credit control software specifically to support your business through the ins and outs of invoicing. Our software integrates with Sage, which automatically follows up your invoices via email, SMS or post, saving you heaps of time to realign your focus back to your business growth. Come and have a seat at The Isobar to switch over to a system which will keep your credit control running smoothly.

Data security is of the utmost importance in any business these days. No matter the shape or the size of your business, data is the lifeblood of any company, and keeping data security tight has never been so essential.

Having the right data security not only prevents the loss of any data through unauthorised access, but also protects sensitive data from corruption. Keeping on top of data security means your business can maintain your good reputation, safe in the knowledge that both your data and your customer’s data is being kept under lock and key.

Data security includes all manner of things, such as data encryption, tokenization and specific practices that ensure the protection of data across all applications and platforms used by the individual business. We’ve put together some data security measures that your business can undertake in order to keep up to scratch with keeping your data private.

 

What Technology Can Do

 

When it comes to data security, the first thing to do is to rely on the Cloud to store your data and schedule regular back-ups. To keep on top of data security, you should do a complete back-upevery week, but also back-up some of your files every single night before you leave work. Having the right data security protocols in place will mean that you can recover your data if the storage is damaged in any way.

Firewalls are amazing data security tools; working in the background to monitor and control the network traffic. These clever data security tricks can restrict access to certain files, preventing the spread of any malware that does manage to get onto the system.

Antivirus and anti-malware protection is also essential when it comes to your business’s security. These are the last defences should an attack make its way through to your network, tripping it up at the final hurdle and keeping your data away from harm.

You should also update all of your programs and software regularly, ensuring you can maintain their safety. By keeping on top of any updates, you can steer clear of any issues or holes in security that programmers have managed to fix, keeping you one step ahead of unwanted attacks.

Make sure you remember to secure your devices too. Laptops and mobile phones in particular are at risk, simply due to how portable they are, and how easily they can be lost or stolen. You can tighten your data security on your devices by encrypting them so that without the correct password, none of the data contained there can be read. You can even enable remote wiping so that, so that in case of loss or theft, all data can be wiped remotely from the device, just in time to keep it from prying eyes.

 

What You Can Do

 

With all the best technology in the world, there are still several steps you and your team can take to improve security in your workplace. Firstly, make sure you use strong passwords for all access needs and applications. Upper and lower-case letters, alongside numbers and symbols make for the strongest passwords, particularly when the password is 8-12 characters long. The important thing to teach your team is not to use any personal data as their passwords, such as names or birthdays. To remain on top of data security, change passwords every 90 days, and when it comes to access, make sure each user has their own username and password; never share passwords as this makes it easier for hackers or malware to figure out your data security measures and get past them.

This next part is simple; keep an eye on your data. You can even install data-leakage prevention software that looks out for suspicious patterns that might indicate a data breach. Monitoring your data security means that you can know the minute it looks like someone or something is trying to hack into your system.

When keeping track of your data safety, it’s also important to remember physical security. You could consider controlling access to certain buildings, rooms or cabinets within your office where data, computers, media or hardcopy materials are kept, so you can keep access to an absolute minimum.

One of the most important details of data security is to educate yourself and your team. Encourage safe online use and make sure everyone understands how important and sensitive your company’s data is. Ensure everyone in your workplace understands suspicious emails, warning them never to click on links from email addresses they don’t know, as it could spread malware onto their system. Keeping in the know around your online security means your business will run smoothly, and your data will be kept safe and sound.

 

What We Can Do

 

Here at The Isobar, every single piece of work is backed-up off-site with Microsoft Azure. This ensures complete disaster proofing, and comes as standard with all of our packages, so you can rest easy knowing your important files and applications aren’t going anywhere. Every one of our servers boasts dual-layer configured firewalls as well as strict active directory account policies, essentially ensuring that only the people you want to access your data can do so. All software updates are carried out by us, right here at The Isobar, so there’s no need to hang about if you need to make sure that your data security is on top form.

If you want to amp your data security up a gear, don’t delay. Come into The Isobar and our team will guide you through secure data policies that mean when you begin Sage Hosting with us, you can enjoy enhancing your operations knowing that your sensitive data and important applications aren’t going anywhere.

Does your team need some Sage training to start using it to enhance your operations? Here at The Isobar, we’ll tailor your Sage training to you and your business, meaning you only get effective and memorable teaching. If you’re eager to know the basics before heading to Sage training, we’ve put together a few pointers here to get you started.

 

Getting Started

Getting started with enjoying the benefits of Sage is efficient and simple. Once you’ve purchased Sage, the software will become instantly available for you to download. Then, all you need to do is complete the registration and activation, and you’ll be ready to get started with Sage training.

 

You can import your business data from Microsoft Excel straight away, so getting started is easy. The next stages of learning all the ins and outs to streamline your working and get the most from Sage will all be part of your Sage training.

 

What Can Sage do for You?

When you come along to your Sage training, you’ll learn all sorts of ways that Sage can help your business. To get ahead of the game and start the ball rolling with your Sage training, it’s useful to get to grips with some of the things you can do with Sage up your sleeve.

 

When you start using Sage, it could be handy to use the built-in to-do lists to help you keep track of your routine bookkeeping duties. To-do lists can also remind you to follow up on memos, make payments, record payments and manage cash flow.

 

If you want to find out more about your customers, Sage can help you here too. Using the Customer Sales summary, you can find out which customer has purchased the most from your company and whose sales were the most profitable.

 

Tightening up on Security

As you’ll know, even before you begin your Sage training, data security is of the utmost importance. But, do you know how sturdy your security really is? Sage training with The Isobar will ensure you know how to make your security tight, and before you dive into Sage training, it’s useful to know the basics of how to make sure your data doesn’t go AWOL.

 

Schedule regular backups at least once a day. To do this, simply select File in the main toolbar, followed by Schedule Backup. Once the Sage Accounts Backup Manager window opens, you can check the current status of your backups, choose how regularly you’d like the backup to take place and select the location of the backup file.

 

Make the most of File Maintenance, again under File in the main toolbar, to keep a close eye on your data. Simply by clicking Check Data, Sage will analyse for any data problems and alert you to them.

 

It goes without saying that passwords are so important when it comes to data security. Stay ahead of the game before your Sage training by using the Access Rights feature to set individual passwords and rights for each Sage user within your company.

 

 

Shortcuts

As you develop with your Sage training, you’ll likely find that you use these shortcuts more and more, so it’ll be useful to know them before you get started with Sage training.

 

F1: Brings up the help sheet to give you some pointers on whatever you’re working on at the moment.

F2: Opens the Sage calculator when you’re caught short and you need to quickly check that an invoice adds up correctly.

F3: Opens up the Edit Item Line Window to show the information relating to that particular item on the invoice or order.

F4: Opens a Quick Reference list for the cell you’re working on, such as a calculator for a numerical field or a calendar for a date field.

F5: Opens a currency converter in a monetary field and a spell checker in a text field to make sure all your typing and maths are correct.

F6: Copies the information from the cell above into the current cell you’re working on, for instance when you’re entering a batch of invoices.

F7: Inserts a line above the one you’re working on if you remember something else you need to add in.

F8: Deletes the line you’re working on if you decide you don’t need it after all.

F9: Calculates the net amount of an invoice and the VAT element if you only have the gross amount.

 

Your Sage Training

When you step into The Isobar for your Sage training, you can expect to learn the ins and outs of Sage that are going to be the most useful for your business and your operations. Our Sage training team use your existing systems and documents to tailor your training to you. Before taking on Sage training with your team, we will explore every inch of your industry and your business so that we can make our Sage training all the more valuable for supporting your growth.

 

Whether you’ve had any Sage training before or if you’re completely new to Sage, our Sage training classes will steer your team in the right direction. Come in and take a seat at The Isobar for Sage training classes that are bespoke to your business.

More and more businesses are opting to use the Cloud, and with good reason too. The Cloud offers a cocktail of benefits that can all improve your operations and boost your business growth.

 

If you’ve been umming and ahhing about switching over to the Cloud, now is the time to start reaping all the benefits of this Internet-based solution.

 

Keep Your Hands on Your Capital

Although there’s often an initial cost when starting out with the Cloud, after that, you’ll start seeing savings straight away. With the Cloud in place, you don’t need your own hardware for storage, as all your data is hosted on our servers. Plus, with a cloud-based infrastructure in place, you can wave goodbye to the cost of the new machines and everything that comes with them, such as setup and configuration.

 

Scale Up Instantly

When your business makes the jump to the Cloud, you’ll be able to increase your resources as you need to. So there’s no need to worry. If you need a bigger and better server, there and then, you can have the resources available to you almost as soon as the decision is made.

 

This increased agility allows for cost-effective resourcing, so you only spend when you need to, and you can up your resources at the drop of a hat. Here at The Isobar, we’ll always keep you in the loop when we think you could do with a few additional resources, so you’ll never be caught out by not having enough or by sudden increased hosting costs.

 

Wave Goodbye to Downtime

Cloud computing is designed to be predictable and consistent, boasting uptime, all the time. When the Cloud comes into play, your data is hosted on virtual machines and can be moved and migrated within the cluster of servers, meaning downtime issues are avoided.

 

Cloud computing will protect you against all sorts of problems, from hard disk failure to an entire server meltdown, meaning you can sit back knowing your applications will be available whenever you need them.

 

Speedy Performance

The Cloud kits out your business with high-performance servers which incorporate technology such as powerful Central Processing Units and super-fast Solid State Hard Drives, so you can get access to your data in the blink of an eye.

 

Steadfast Security

When you make the decision to start using the Cloud for your business, you can have the peace of mind that your data and your applications are protected from hacking, infection and data theft. Our Cloud servers use robust firewall technology that boasts intrusion prevention systems as well as in-flow virus protection to keep your files safely away from harm’s grasp.

 

Take a look at our website to see just how seriously we take security. Our servers are armed with dual-layer configured firewalls and strict active directory account policies, so the only one getting to your data is you.

 

 

Flexibility in the Workplace

Thanks to its Internet-based nature, the Cloud enables your team members to access files both in and out of the workplace. This can provide your business with all kinds of benefits, not least the amount of office space you require. With employees being able to work from home, their flexibility means you could consider introducing hot-desking for when they do need to come into the office. This flexible working will make for a happier team, as their home lives and work lives can work harmoniously together.

 

This style of working also means that your employees can quickly and securely share files; paving the way for a more collaborative workplace. This can not only up your productivity, but also increase morale in the workplace and provide more effective outcomes for your customers as well as your team. Plus, as your employees can access their files on any device, they can tend to their customers’ needs on-the-go, so you’ll soon find that you have happier customers as well as happier staff.

 

These are just some examples of the way that the Cloud can elevate your business to the next level. Other benefits such as being more environmentally friendly and reducing the risk of loss of data come as part and parcel of the Cloud, which will see your business put in an even better light.

 

If you’re convinced that the Cloud is what your business needs to stay ahead of the curve and ahead of your competitors, then take a trip to The Isobar to get talking to our team. Your business will be connected to the Cloud before you know it. We’ll make the process of transferring to the Cloud as seamless as possible, so you can start reaping the rewards from the word go.