How Bookkeepers Are Helping Small Businesses Beat the Late-Payment Challenge
At BookCheck Ltd, we know cash flow is the lifeblood of any small business. That’s why we’re excited by recent findings from the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB), which highlight just how powerful the role of bookkeepers can be when it comes to tackling late payments. According to the ICB, 80% of bookkeepers report they’ve proactively reduced debtor days and improved cash flow for their clients.
Here’s a closer look at how bookkeepers are making a real difference — and what that means for businesses like yours.
Why Late Payments Are Such a Big Deal
Late payments are more than just an annoyance — they can seriously undermine a business’s stability. When invoices hang overdue, small businesses may struggle to pay staff, cover VAT, or manage recurring costs. The Small Business Commissioner, Emma Jones, has repeatedly emphasised how the late-payment issue contributes to business stress and even closures.
The Bookkeeper Difference: What’s Working
According to the ICB survey, here are the key strategies bookkeepers are using to turn around payment delays:
- Daily transaction monitoring: Bookkeepers don’t just record what’s happened — they stay on top of the numbers in real time, spotting issues early.
- Error correction: Mistakes in invoices or accounting systems can delay payment. Bookkeepers catch these and fix them before they become a problem.
- Direct debtor engagement: Some bookkeepers take a very hands-on role chasing payments, liaising directly with debtors so their clients don’t have to.
- Clear payment terms + reminders: They help set up unambiguous payment terms, then follow up with personalised reminders to make sure those terms are met
- Cloud accounting systems: By using cloud-based accounting tools, bookkeepers help their clients maintain transparency and control — and make it easier to track who owes what, and when
- Proactive financial habits: Beyond chasing invoices, good bookkeepers also help instil long-term habits that prevent cash flow issues from arising in the first place
Real-World Impact: Stories That Prove It
Some of the survey’s case studies are particularly compelling:
- Suzanne Jack (SISU Bookkeeping): She reduced her client’s debtor days from 55 to 23 by being persistent and conscientious in follow-ups. Bookkeepers
- Sylvia Bourhill (Another Answer): For a client who felt uncomfortable chasing money, she adopted a “bad cop” but always remained professional — and secured immediate payment
- Sue Raison (Abacus Antics): She chased down over £20,000 of outstanding invoices by digging into the sales ledger and identifying the right contacts — even earning a bouquet of flowers in gratitude
These are not just bookkeeping tasks — they’re cash-flow rescue missions.
Why This Matters for You, as a Business Owner
If you’re running a small business, here’s why having a proactive bookkeeper could be a game changer:
- Reduced stress — You don’t have to chase your clients yourself
- Better cash flow — Faster payments mean you can pay your team, reinvest, or simply breathe easier
- Preventative financial health — It’s not just about solving problems; bookkeepers help prevent them
- Professional representation — Sometimes getting paid means having someone confident, consistent, and polite pushing on your behalf
A Word From the ICB
Ami Copeland, CEO of ICB, sums it up well:
“Bookkeepers are the invisible force behind small business resilience … If an invoice is overdue, that’s your money — bookkeepers help you collect it quickly and respectfully, so you can stay calm, stay paid, and stay in business.” Bookkeepers
Even Emma Jones, the Small Business Commissioner, praised bookkeepers at the ICB Summit, noting the economic impact of late payments (estimated at £11 billion) and warning that 38 businesses a day close due to cash flow problems. Small Business Commissioner+1
What BookCheck Ltd Can Do for You
At BookCheck Ltd, we believe in proactive bookkeeping — not just logging the numbers, but actively helping you get paid on time. Here’s how we can help:
- Setup automated reminders for your clients
- Monitor your aged receivables weekly
- Act on overdue invoices on your behalf
- Help you design clear payment-terms policies
- Provide you with insights from your cash flow data
Waiting to help your business
In the face of a growing late-payment problem, bookkeepers aren’t just back-office helpers — they’re frontline defenders of your business’s health. By combining day-to-day vigilance with disciplined follow-up and smart processes, they help turn a critical risk (late payments) into a competitive advantage (steady cash flow).
If you’re struggling with unpaid invoices or just want to feel more secure about your cash flow, we’d love to chat about how BookCheck Ltd could help.