Coronavirus and business: How to limit the damage of the crisis?

Many economic sectors are at a standstill and only strong and agile companies will be able to emerge from this crisis. How to replenish your cash flow during the coronavirus? All state support measures and other sources of funding.

SAFEGUARDING CASH FLOW, A REINFORCED IMPERATIVE IN TIMES OF CRISIS

The health crisis is rapidly turning into an economic and financial crisis and French companies are putting themselves in order of battle to replenish their cash when it is still available. Whatever their sector of activity or size, they are organized to :

• Requesting partial or technical unemployment,
• Close their factories,
• Reduce or cancel dividend payments for 2020,
• Benefit from a deferral of social and tax charges,
• Have a bank loan rescheduling.

However, the state aid are not the only tools available to managers to save their company.

Other sources of funding exist:

• BPI France’s Rebond loan and Atout loan are part of the specific business support measures deployed by the public investment bank to help SMEs overcome the exceptional difficulties linked to the consequences of the epidemic.
• The professional bank overdraft or authorized overdraft allows a company to continue to live in case of a negative cash balance. Theoverdraft authorization granted by the bank is valid for a period of between 1 and 12 months. The amount and maximum term will be fixed in advance as will the interest.
• Factoring consists of obtaining early and rapid financing. Some players such as Finexkap commit to transmitting funds in less than 48 hours. It is a flexible method of guaranteeing against non-payment. But it is also a process that only concerns commercial receivables.
• Bank discounting allows a company to transfer some of its receivables to its bank, which will advance the amount in exchange for a discount rate.
• Debt collection remains an effective solution for recovering cash quickly at a lower cost and without formalities. Signing purchase orders and contracts is good, get paid on time is better for your cash flow. This remains a legitimate action. If they don’t have the capacity to manage debt collection internally due to lack of time, lack of adapted tools, or because they don’t have qualified teams, companies can easily outsource it by calling on debt collection companies.

SOCIETYS COLLECTION COMPANY: RÔLE AND DEFINITION IN TIMES OF CRISIS

Collection companies are still an essential part of customer relations, and this is even more true in times of crisis.

Just as businesses will need economic support measures, they will need collection actions to get paid.

When unpaid invoices increase and late payments become commonplace, debt collection agencies help overstretched businesses cope and maintain an acceptable level of cash flow.

Collection companies can also grant payment installments for the most distressed debtors to help them meet their commitments without overwhelming them. Thus, the actions of collection professionals, for those who follow the code of ethics of the ANCR (the leading French union of debt collection professionals) and who are concerned about preserving the image of their clients with debtors, implement scenarios adapted to each situation.

In short, collection companies always function as economic and social facilitators, and this is even more true in these troubled and uncertain times. Since March 16th, the daily life of these professionals in the management of unpaid bills is to to make commercial relations more fluid, to negotiate and find solutions so that everyone gets through the crisis without too much damage: that suppliers are paid quickly to preserve their employees and their jobs, and that debtors get through it without too much penalty so that they can bounce back faster and stronger.

CASH MANAGEMENT AT THE END OF A CRISIS

The next day, each company will have to take stock of the flaws in its cash management. What good practices have not been implemented? Why? How could the problem have been handled?

The companies that will come out on top will be those that are resilient and take advantage of this coronavirus crisis. They will challenge their organization and sometimes make profound changes in the management of their receiv ables and the collection of their outstanding payments.

If we do not yet know which players will perish and which will emerge from this economic slump, one thing is certain: the credit management has a bright future ahead of it!

If you wish to be accompanied in the management of your cash flow and your unpaid bills, contact us without further delay!