Using the Internet to Help Your Small Business Debt Collection
When it comes to small business debt collection, you are not alone. In addition to having the 30 plus years of collection experience on your side by those of us here at Clients A.R.M., there are other things that you can do to help you recover the money that is owed to you. In today’s post, we are going to fill you in on some of the ways you can use the Internet if you plan to do your own collections.
Get Educated
One of the best things that the Internet has brought to all of us is the ability to find out close to anything that we need to know with a little bit of research. The first thing you need to use the Internet to do is to get educated about small business debt collection. You need to understand the process of debt collection and learn about any jurisdictional laws (pertaining to debt or telecommunications) that may affect your attempts. Check out our guide to small business debt collection by clicking here. You should also learn about current best practices for collections.
Secretary of State Website
One of the best and most under-utilized tools in small business debt collections is the Secretary of State website for the state in which your client’s business is located or incorporated. Why would you want to do this? Well, if your client is more than a DBA, they will be registered with the state. Most Secretary of State websites have a search area. You can find out the last registered address, phone number, and sometimes even an email address for the registered agent of the business in question. It may or may not be the same person that used your services. Try contacting that individual to find out about why you haven’t been paid.
Check Facebook
Yes, Clients A.R.M. is advocating that you get on Facebook during work hours. This is for research purposes. First, look to see if the business has a fan page or even a private account (which was the norm before fan pages became possible). Message that account. You may not get a response right away.
You can also look to see if you can find your contact person’s Facebook page. Sometimes those pages are not totally private. People leave their personal contact information exposed or their friends list or family members can easily be seen. The purpose behind this is to gather more contact information. You can also look up local laws about contacting any perceived family members. Remember, you cannot call to harass. You are simply calling (once) to try and get contact information for the business owner so that you can get paid.
Use LinkedIn
LinkedIn is another great tool for small business collections. Many people leave their contact information public. This is another way to try and find a different email address or phone number.
Let Clients A.R.M. Help
Small business debt collection can take up a lot of your time as a business owner. If you want to save time and up to 40% of what it usually costs to keep your collections in-house, contact us today. Find out how our free process review can help you get the money that you’re rightfully owed. We will walk you through our process and help you determine if first party or third party collections is best for your business. Don’t forget to ask how our free financial tool, Hello Finance Manager, can help your clients pay in full and avoid collections.
