Guides & Playbooks
Step-by-step playbooks for running and improving back-office finance operations.
How to prevent late payments before they happen
Most late payments are preventable. Here are the upstream tactics, from clear terms to pre-due reminders, that stop invoices going overdue in the first place.
How to handle delinquent accounts without damaging the relationship
A tiered playbook for delinquent accounts: how to sort them by risk, apply the right pressure to each, and know when to escalate or write off.
How to reduce DSO: a step-by-step playbook
Reducing days sales outstanding comes down to a handful of operational levers. This playbook walks the steps that pull DSO down and keep it there.
Friendly first reminder vs final notice: how to get the tone right
A side-by-side guide to the two ends of the dunning spectrum, with examples of the friendly reminder and the final notice, plus how to escalate and match tone to risk.
How to build a payment reminder email sequence that collects on autopilot
Build a before-due, due-date, and post-due reminder cadence that collects most invoices automatically, with templates, timing, and the metrics that prove it works.
How to handle payment disputes and still collect on time
A payment dispute is a customer's reason for holding an invoice. Here is a step-by-step process to resolve disputes fast, the templates to run it, and how to keep cash moving.
How to chase invoices politely and still get paid fast
Polite persistence collects faster than aggression. Here are the email templates, the right follow-up cadence, and how to escalate courteously when a customer ignores you.
How to collect outstanding invoices faster: a step-by-step guide
A repeatable process for collecting outstanding invoices, from first reminder to escalation, with email and call templates and tips to stop repeat late payers.
How to ask for payment professionally without sounding pushy
Phrasing and ready-to-use templates for asking customers to pay, before and after the due date, that stay firm and polite without burning the relationship.
How to improve your AR collection process in 7 steps
Most AR collection problems are process leaks, not effort problems. This 7-step audit shows where the cycle breaks down and how to fix each gap for good.
How to write a credit policy that prevents bad debt
A credit policy is the written set of rules for who gets terms and how much they can owe. Here is a template, the decision rules behind it, and how to keep it current.
How to apply cash and match payments to invoices faster
Cash application matches incoming payments to open invoices. Here is the process, where it slows teams down, and how to clear partial pays and remittance faster.
How to reduce DSO without hiring more AR staff
You can cut days sales outstanding without adding headcount by automating the repetitive bulk of collections and pointing your people at the accounts that need judgment.
How to negotiate a payment plan with a late-paying customer
A payment plan turns a stuck balance into scheduled cash you can count on. Here is how to structure one, the scripts to propose it, an agreement template, and how to enforce it.
How to deal with non-paying customers: a B2B collections playbook
An escalation ladder for non-paying B2B customers, from reminder to legal action, with scripts for each rung and how to protect cash flow while you collect.
AR aging report: how to read it and act on it
An AR aging report sorts open invoices by how overdue they are. Here is how to read the buckets, turn them into a prioritized worklist, and track the trend.
How to reduce bad debt and protect your bottom line
Most bad debt is preventable. This guide covers the levers that stop invoices going bad, from credit screening to early follow-up to a clear write-off policy.
How to escalate to collections: a decision framework for AR teams
Escalating to collections should follow clear triggers, not gut feel. Here are the thresholds that justify escalation, the internal-versus-agency choice, and a handoff checklist.
How to automate payment reminders without losing the personal touch
Automated reminders scale, but generic ones get ignored. Here is how to automate the cadence while keeping every message personal, and what good automation actually does with replies.
How to build a dunning email sequence that reduces late payments
A dunning email sequence is a scheduled set of reminders that escalate in tone as an invoice ages. Here is how to structure one for B2B AR and the templates for each step.
How to build a collections workflow from scratch
A collections workflow is built from three parts: stages, triggers, and owners. This blueprint shows how to define each one and wire them into a working end-to-end system.
How to set payment terms that get you paid on time
Payment terms set when and how a customer pays. Here is how to pick terms that protect cash flow, communicate them so they stick, and word them on invoices and contracts.
How to collect overdue invoices: templates, timing, and escalation
The full overdue-invoice workflow, with a day-by-day timeline, copy-ready templates for each touch, escalation rules, and when to write off versus keep pursuing.
How to run an effective collections team
Structure, metrics, and cadence for a high-performing AR team. How to assign accounts, coach collectors, and free them from busywork to focus on real conversations.
How to forecast collections and predict your cash flow
A collections forecast predicts how much of your open receivables will land, and when. Here is a method, a template, and how to keep it accurate week to week.