{"id":6373,"date":"2021-10-01T08:48:31","date_gmt":"2021-10-01T12:48:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/?p=6373"},"modified":"2026-02-12T04:35:54","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T09:35:54","slug":"business-intelligence-get-paid-improve-cash-flow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/business-intelligence-get-paid-improve-cash-flow\/","title":{"rendered":"How to use business intelligence to get paid and improve cash flow"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMoney Matters<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHow to use business intelligence to get paid and improve cash flow\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t

\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\tMathew Love<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

For small and growing businesses, there are few tasks more important than ensuring you\u2019re paid on time and managing your cash flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s face it, your startup capital, or the money you currently have in the bank, is not enough to fund the day-to-day expenses of your business indefinitely.  You need to be able to plan for cash coming in and going out as accurately as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without doing so, you place yourself at risk of manning a sinking ship\u2014as the decisions you make aren\u2019t based on accurate financial data. It\u2019s likely that you\u2019ll end up spending more cash than you\u2019re earning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many ways business intelligence can help guide you towards better and smarter business decisions, ensuring you get paid in a timely manner, and ultimately safeguarding your cash flow. Here are a few that stand out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Know exactly who owes you cash and how much<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Keeping track of who owes you cash and how much they owe you can be hard, especially when you\u2019re focused on grinding out sales or services to keep your business going. However, without following up on customers and their unpaid or partly paid invoices, your business can quickly run into financial difficulties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, according to a study<\/a> conducted by Sage, 13% of all payments to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the US are late. This leads to more than 30% of US SMBs experiencing a negative impact on company investment, as well as their ability to pay their suppliers and provide their staff with an annual bonus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With business intelligence, you\u2019re able to get a quick overview of your debtors and easily identify who you need to contact so you can get the cash that\u2019s owed to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Boss your finances with Sage 50cloud<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Enjoy less admin, more automation, simplified payroll, and get paid faster with Sage 50cloud.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTake a test drive today!<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\"woman\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Better yet, great business intelligence solutions will empower you to instantly dig into the details behind who owes you cash and discover what they owe you for, who you need to contact to get that cash and, most importantly, how long it\u2019s been outstanding. This could potentially save you up to 15 days a year in chasing late payments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get visibility into when that cash is due<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While insight into who owes you cash and how much certainly helps, the true power of business intelligence<\/a>, when chasing payments, lies in its ability to present you with information on due and overdue invoices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Access to this information in a visual and easy-to-understand format is vital when you\u2019re following up on payments, as it equips you with the knowledge and insight you need to approach your customers and ask them to pay up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Late payments<\/a> are truly the small business killers of the economy, so don\u2019t let your business fall victim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you notice a certain customer is often late with their payments<\/a>, reach out and attempt to come to an agreement with them. Communication based on accurate information always yields better results than confrontation based on speculation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, keeping your finger on the pulse of your company\u2019s cash in-flow is much better than wondering when the next \u201cping\u201d from your bank is going to hit your mobile device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Identify how much cash you owe your creditors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Getting paid on time is one of the top priorities in any business. However, it\u2019s called cash flow for a reason.  Ensuring you pay your creditors<\/a> is also an important aspect of your company\u2019s success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like business intelligence gives you a quick overview of who owes you cash and how much, it can also provide insights into who you owe cash to and the amount.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is especially important to consider when planning for the month or period ahead because you need to ensure that what you\u2019re expecting to be paid is enough to cover what you\u2019re expecting to pay out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being able to quickly and easily identify exactly how much is owed to your creditors and which creditors are owed this cash empowers you with the knowledge to make smarter business decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Know when you have to pay your creditors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So, you now know who you owe cash to and how much, but do you know when<\/a> you need to pay that cash?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Businesses often run into cash flow problems when they don\u2019t have visibility into this information because they end up paying the wrong creditors at the wrong time. For example, you may think a payment is due for stock at the end of the month and so you quickly scrape together cash (you may even take out a loan) to get it paid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, this payment may only be due at the end of the following month, and so you could have delayed the payment and planned ahead to ensure you turn whatever stock you have left into cash to easily cover the payment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Insight into when you have to pay your creditors is priceless because it can also empower you to further bolster your cash flow by renegotiating terms, if necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Renegotiate credit terms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes cash flow will be tight no matter how hard you work in following up with payments owed to your business and ensuring you pay the right creditors at the right time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, with the accurate insight provided by business intelligence<\/a>, you\u2019re empowered to contact your creditors and attempt to renegotiate your credit terms, if needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most creditors will be open to hearing you out, especially if you\u2019ve been sticking to your current terms and communicating with them often. This is because creditors would rather be paid regularly than not at all, and this also ensures your relationship with them remains in good standing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Renegotiating these terms over a slightly longer period will help free up your cash flow if your business is going through a rough patch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By using business intelligence to regularly keep track of the cash that you\u2019re owed and the cash you owe your creditors, you empower yourself to take control of your company\u2019s cash flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You give your business a much greater chance of being successful because you have accurate information at your fingertips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With this information, you can make smart decisions about the cash that\u2019s coming into your business and the cash that\u2019s going out. You\u2019ll know exactly how much will be in your bank account at the end of the month and how much of it you have available to spend\u2014minimizing your risk and helping to avoid any nasty surprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Boss your finances with Sage 50cloud<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Enjoy less admin, more automation, simplified payroll, and get paid faster with Sage 50cloud.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTake a test drive today!<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\"woman\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Say goodbye to unpaid invoices<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Download our\u00a0 guide for 7 tips to get your invoices paid faster.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDownload Now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Subscribe to our Sage Advice Newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Get our latest business advice delivered directly to your inbox.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSubscribe<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Working\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For small and growing businesses, there are few tasks more important than ensuring you\u2019re paid on time and managing your cash flow. Let\u2019s face it, your startup capital, or the money you currently have in the bank, is not enough to fund the day-to-day expenses of your business indefinitely.  You need to be able to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":145,"featured_media":9090,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[399,299,152,155],"business_type":[40],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[96,97],"imagine_tag":[215],"coauthors":[661],"class_list":["post-6373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-money-matters","tag-business-continuity","tag-cash-flow","tag-starting-a-business","tag-staying-competitive","business_type-small-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-us","author_name":"Mathew Love","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1136194984.jpg","imagine_tags":{"215":"HR and Payroll"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice US","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6373","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/145"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6373"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6373\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/9090"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6373"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6373"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6373"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=6373"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=6373"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=6373"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=6373"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=6373"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=6373"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=6373"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}