credit: Now I Can Say What I Really Think

After thirty years in credit and collection, I retired late last year and now I have the opportunity to say to other credit professionals the things that I could not say before. For example, I believe that the key to success is surrounding yourself with the best people you can find. You might be saying to yourself: That is hardly a revelation. You would be right, but the corollaries to this piece of advice include:

  • Terminate anyone who is not a team player, who is not enthusiastic, who is not doing the job or who will not do the job the way you want it done.
  • If keeping your best employee means promoting them over someone else with more time on the job, then do it. There will be consequences – but this the price you are going to have to pay if you are going to be a leader instead of a manager.
  • Never lower your standards simply to fill a position. Keep the job open until the right candidate presents himself or herself and ignore pressure from your employer to settle for someone that does not meet your minimum qualifications.

Another tip is to make sure there are individual goals as well as department-wide targets. In my experience, most employers are big on individual goals, but tend to assign the departmental goals only to the credit manager. You can be more successful by establishing both individual and team goals. These team goals should mirror the goals assigned to you. Expect resistance to the idea of team goals. It is likely that one or more of your subordinates is going to tell you they cannot control what happens in the department and that it is unfair for them to be evaluated based on how other employees perform. I suggest you tell them that this process is just as fair or unfair to them as it is to you, and that the only way that you can guarantee teamwork is to establish team goals.

If you want something done right, delegate it to the person with the right attitude – and not necessarily to the employee with the best credentials. Assign work to individuals interested in making a positive impression on you and on senior management. It might sound manipulative, but it is not. The person given the assignment has the opportunity to receive the recognition they want. An additional benefit involves the fact that you will be delegating the task to someone who is enthusiastic rather than someone who is resentful.

Stay positive, even if it requires that you avoid a co-worker who is not. Everywhere I have worked, there was always at least one person who did not want to be there. These people always seem to have something negative to say about the company and its plans – or about a coworker or management. These people seem to energy from the people around them, and the only way to avoid the energy drain is to avoid these people. You also risk being labeled a malcontent if you hang around with a malcontent.

In hindsight, I realize I made a number of mistakes along the way that hindered my advancement. For example, I did understand that there is no such thing as an optional company holiday party, picnic or similar event. Not only should credit professionals plan to attend; they should not leave early because their absence being noticed and noted by subordinates and superiors.

Existence Industrial Fabrics Company in America

The importance of woven fabric increased constantly. Starting from the traditional use primarily in applications clothing, woven fabric today is a key ingredient for the structural, electronic, telecommunications, medical, aerospace and other fields of technical application.

One of the producers who are active in woven fabric industry in America today is Stern & Stern, Inc.. Beginning in 1889, and currently has cooperated with Dupont de Nemours & Company. Cooperative effort has produced a novel design and finishing techniques weave that allows for replacing silk nylon and neoprene allowed to replace natural rubber in almost every industrial application.

Some flagship product is produced. Little attention was paid to quality has been demonstrated by konsumen2 them, that’s right, no one has been entrusted to them. Some of these products include Nomex, Nylon, and Teflon fabric. Another plus is very worthy of respect is that they always have 100% on-time. In its development to date the Company has been able to produce and sell woven fabrics industry worldwide.

Prioritising Your Debts

Whether you’re seeking out an organised debt management plan or you’re trying to resolve your debt problems alone, one of the most important things to do is to prioritise your debts. If you have debts from multiple creditors, deciding which ones are the highest priority can be difficult.

Here are the highest priority debts you should look to clear as soon as possible.

Mortgage or Rent Arrears

The simple fact of the matter is that if you fail to pay your rent or mortgage, you could lose your home. With mortgage arrears, you could even face legal action and the lender you take possession of your home. With mortgage arrears, your landlord could evict you, leaving you without a home and still owing the money. As soon as you find yourself in any difficulty meaning you cannot afford your mortgage or rent, you should contact your lender or landlord as soon as possible and explain the situation fully. Treat this as a high priority payment.

Tax, National Insurance and VAT

Failing to pay tax could lead to bankruptcy and potentially even criminal proceedings against you. This is certainly a high priority debt.

Council Tax

Again, this is a debt that should be considered high priority, as failure to pay could result in legal action against you. Hire Purchase Agreements on Essential Items. While hire purchase payments against non-essential items should be considered low priority, essential items that require a monthly payment should be high priority. Examples include a car that you use for getting to work. Any item where losing it will inhibit your ability to go to work or to live is an essential item.

Gas and Electricity

Gas and electricity companies have the right to cut the supply to your home if you fail to pay and as such this is again a high priority bill. Of course you should pay your water bill as well – though water cannot be cut off and as such should be treated as a lower priority debt.

At What Cost Credit Handed Out?

In this economic climate, many of us are faced with debts, far greater than we’ve ever experienced. The total UK personal debt currently stands at around the £1.5bn mark. The average household debt is approximately £16,500 (excluding mortgages) and it is estimated that 346,000 loan accounts are in arrears. However, even with these grim figures, credit companies are still more than happy to offer credit to anyone, it would seem.

Most of us will recognise the situation all too well; you’re weighed down with the day’s shopping and just about to pay for your goods at the till. Just before you hand over the cash, the cashier offers you a discount on all of your purchases if you sign up for a store card. “It’ll only take a second”. How could you possibly resist such an offer?

However this offer may sound at the time, you should always be wary; unless you are extremely careful with your money, store cards can come back and sting you in the future. In the UK, store cards have an APR of anything up to a staggering 30%. Many store cards offer an interest free period, usually between 30-55 days. In this time you should aim to clear your balance and reap the full benefit of the discount you made when signing up. If there is a balance on your card after this period, be prepared for the interest to stack up.

With credit being offered left, right and centre, it is easy for debt to spiral out of control. What is being sold as a ‘convenience’ could actually end up putting you firmly in the red. If you do take a store card, or any other credit card for that matter, make it your priority to make payments on time to avoid substantial late payment charges. Also, refrain from making the minimum payments. Pay as much as you can each month to clear the balance as quickly as possible.