How Businesses Can Stop Wallowing in Bad Debt and Prevent It in the Future

"Become the Squeaky Wheel", a new book just published, explains that getting customers involves more than advertising. Michelle Dunn presents examples of credit procedures and policies to help creditors or business owners collect bad debt and prevent it in the future.

"One of the best things you can do is implementing a credit policy or have each new customer fill out a credit application," says Michelle Dunn. "A credit application will protect you and let your customers know you mean business. Done correctly, it can increase your overall profits now and in the future.

Having a sound credit policy in place helps ensure that you will get paid, as long as it is enforced. Most customers who open accounts for credit expect to fill out something and will not complain, but will realize you are serious and smart about your business.

Customers who have to fill out forms when they set up an account might also take advantage of direct pay options which lowers your receivables immediately and creates more sales for your business.

It may cost you some money to have credit applications and other forms printed, hire someone to run your Credit Department or do credit checks, but it will result in more money for you and your business.

Michelle Dunn has over 17 years experience in credit and debt collection. She is the founder of Never Dunn Publishing, LLC, is a writer, consultant and the Editorial Advisor for Eli Financial Debt Collection Compliance Alert Newsletter. Michelle started M.A.D. Collection Agency and ran is successfully for 7 years. She also owns and runs Credit & Collections.com an online community for credit and business professionals.

She has written 5 books in her Collecting Money Series She is currently writing a book for the Streetwise Series, part of the Adams Media Corporation. In addition to writing and marketing her books, Michelle moderates and runs Credit & Collections.com and was a member of The American Collectors Association for 9 years.

In The News:
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table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gJjCspi__UecFaHrBUnXcCtEmuYgcid=1257673977ei=_ef0SJiWBqTe6AOymPWdDQusg=AFQjCNEWmWqnhR5SYHbZiw60x2r74j-efgCGI wins US$25 million financial bmanagement/b services and hosting b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fThe Canadian Press,nbsp; Va.nbsp;-/font nobr4 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1A) says the US Federal Communications Commission has awarded the company a US$25 million contract to provide financial bmanagement/b software and other b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://in.sys-con.com/node/708826cid=1257673977ei=_ef0SJiWBqTe6AOymPWdDQusg=AFQjCNGClgnQWZ7wE7hczUWVl-4ME-04VACGI Awarded US$25 Million Financial bManagement/b Services and b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrSYS-CON Media/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://triangle.bizjournals.com/triangle/othercities/washington/stories/2008/10/13/daily23.htmlcid=1257673977ei=_ef0SJiWBqTe6AOymPWdDQusg=AFQjCNHiKSW0fYtRo8cNBTIezJjQEqj-DQCGI gets $25M financial bmanagement/b services contract/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrTriangle Business Journal/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.washingtontechnology.com/online/1_1/33717-1.htmlcid=1257673977ei=_ef0SJiWBqTe6AOymPWdDQusg=AFQjCNF82JItyltX_2bl1L15aoBNrJyYuQCGI to upgrade FCC financial systems/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrWashington Technology/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/business/story.html%3Fid%3D9f114eca-93c6-4eea-a37f-45d728a2f06acid=1257673977ei=_ef0SJiWBqTe6AOymPWdDQusg=AFQjCNGnL_q837PUIf10IfN6mtO6-aDuFwnobrThe Gazette (Montreal)/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1257673977hl=ennobrall 21 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/ementum-wins-23m-prime-contract/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B675262D5-8EED-4045-B3AA-D8D8BBADFC16%257D%26dist%3Dhpprcid=1257716692ei=_ef0SJiWBqTe6AOymPWdDQusg=AFQjCNFqlwhwSNfEBivR4Bx0ViEZXetkhgeMentum Wins $23M Prime Contract to Provide Identity bManagement/b b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr3 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1This contract expands the company#39;s strategic identity bmanagement/b support for the agency and includes services for program bmanagement/b, b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/odyssey-systems-achieves-iso-90012000/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257BBFEA187B-4AD8-4D07-9D74-A15CA01B0CA9%257D%26dist%3Dhpprcid=1257723895ei=_ef0SJiWBqTe6AOymPWdDQusg=AFQjCNGAdtVfrP7J54KjoVqlGmhRdSDLHQOdyssey Systems Achieves ISO 9001:2000 Certification for Quality b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr3 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1quot;Odyssey Systems#39; ISO 9001:2000 certification is a great achievement, and BSI bManagement/b Systems is proud to have been there every step of the way,quot; said b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/management-commitment-new-business-book/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B7385907A-7CB8-4121-95DC-CC94F403150D%257D%26dist%3Dhpprcid=1257677571ei=_ef0SJiWBqTe6AOymPWdDQusg=AFQjCNE6GVhruAVonAm3kujT6XPTpSO7CA#39;bManagement/b by Commitment#39;: New Business Book Hails the Best and b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr5 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1SAN MARCOS, Calif., Oct 14, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- David N. Chalk shares his bmanagement/b secrets gleaned from years of experience in quot;bManagement/b by b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/supply-chain-consultants-co-sponsors-aberdeen/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257BC5575132-FFE7-4559-BB39-CDB5F50B6D30%257D%26dist%3Dhpprcid=1257707982ei=_ef0SJiWBqTe6AOymPWdDQusg=AFQjCNE1MLk-tNu9W6bkQdGzmnDJEXftWwSupply Chain Consultants Co-Sponsors Aberdeen Study on Demand b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr4 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The study, titled quot;Demand bManagement/b in Process Industries: Strategies for Being Demand Driven in a Globalized Economyquot; is co-sponsored by Supply Chain b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/galleria-address-retailersupplier-collaboration-category/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257BC4384B20-0A01-459F-A492-FB6B3ADA3F1C%257D%26dist%3Dhpprcid=1257646800ei=_ef0SJiWBqTe6AOymPWdDQusg=AFQjCNF3Bip960FIz8SK1PUknMAlaRih4gGalleria to Address Retailer/Supplier Collaboration at Category b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr7 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1b.../b and supplier collaboration at the annual Category bManagement/b Association Conference in Atlanta on Wednesday, October 29, at 11:30 am Eastern Time. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.itworld.com/software/56074/aspera-introduces-first-license-centric-software-asset-management-tool-us-marketcid=1257726585ei=_ef0SJiWBqTe6AOymPWdDQusg=AFQjCNHDL-4Q6gn1lkCcXset2glKe9wW_wAspera Introduces First License-centric Software Asset bManagement/b b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fITworld.com,nbsp;MAnbsp;-/font nobr3 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1by Kacey Weinberg, Marketing Manager at Aspera GmbH Aspera GmbH (www.aspera.com), the market pioneer in catalog based software asset bmanagement/b (SAM), b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://advice.cio.com/kweinberg/software_asset_management_how_do_catalog_based_tools_workcid=1257726585ei=_ef0SJiWBqTe6AOymPWdDQusg=AFQjCNGsILp9OKbTmpuDNB8KaaH-9azCFASoftware Asset bManagement/b – How Do Catalog Based Tools Work?/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrCIO/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1257726585hl=ennobrall 2 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table
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