Shaundra Belle on LinkedIn: #gladtobehere #roadtodiamond (2024)

Commodities getting you down?Price fluctuation and a fickle customer base can have company management biting their nails wondering if growth is a good thing when the market can change overnight. We work with a family-owned scrap recycling business that buys and processes ferrous and nonferrous metals. The company partners with us to mitigate fluctuating commodity prices and expand its customer base. We help evaluate potential customers' creditworthiness and work to protect our client's credit asset, making informed decisions.Don't let uncertainty give your credit managers a headache on whether or not to approve a client or keep you up at night wondering if they made the right decision. Ask me how...

Are you making friends with your bad debt losses?How much did you claim in bad debt losses for 2023?Sure, sometimes this is a strategic tax move. But most of the time, businesses are crossing their fingers that their total bad debt losses can work out in their favor. What if there was a business expense that you could still use to your tax benefit while also avoiding bad debt losses?So, I'm curious... did you claim bad debt losses for 2023?

Calling all commercial lenders... Is your underwriting department restricting how much A/R they'll take into consideration for ABLs? How is this affecting your ability to get your clients the money they need to grow?I'm hearing more and more restrictions around concentration and cross aging, and this can easily lead to frustrated clients. Frustrated clients lead to clients looking for a new banking relationship. Have you explored trade credit relationships to support your clients so that you can lend them more? Let's chat...

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Just because you're big, doesn't mean you're effective.Many large companies operate with a substantial credit management and accounting team - but even they need support. One of the largest distributors of resin in North America and a major manufacturer of recycled scrap, partnered with Allianz Trade for credit management and financial information services to mitigate credit and trade risk. Allianz Trade offers financial intelligence, market analysis, and trade credit protection, providing the client with the certainty to make quick sales in a low-margin industry. Despite the pandemic's impact on data insight, Allianz Trade's offerings have helped the distributor make impactful and informed decisions.How do you back up your credit management decisions in uncertain times?

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Another bankruptcy hitting Indiana businesses this morning. In a question to credit managers last week, I asked how much loss was "a lot" in a bankruptcy. The answers ranged from $10k - $250k+Loss is different and unique for every business, but experiencing a bankruptcy and fighting for your money is a headache no matter what the amount of loss is. So I'm curious, have you ever experienced a client naming you in their bankruptcy filing? Do you have a process in place to get your money back?#bankruptcy #tradecredit #creditmanagement

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Halfway through the month... are you trending to hit your sales goals?Sales managers and sales reps:How's your month shaping up? ...or is it already over?Good sales people are anticipating to hit quota every month. Great sales people probably already have their month in the bag... unless there's operational hiccups. We've all been there. You sell a deal, think you submit all required information, and it gets hung up in operations because they need to do more research on the customer. Operations isn't technically "wrong" but they're holding your sales people back - and your sales projections are held back right along with them. 51% of sales people turnover because of compensation.32% of those turnover because they don't believe the operational side of the business is built to support the sales side. And everyone is losing money because of it. If you're selling on terms, is your team getting answers to your sales people quickly? Or is it taking several days or even weeks to get an answer back to approve a deal? Guess what - if your standard trade credit approval process takes two weeks, then your month is already over today. And your sales people are probably looking for another gig. Let's chat about how we can take weeks down to days or even hours of time to say YES to a new client and making everyone more money.

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When it rains, it pours...CFOs and Finance Managers, take note! S&P has reported that corporate defaults due to high borrowing costs are at their highest rate since the 2008 global financial crisis. With a lift in companies already defaulting in 2024 and more likely to come, it's crucial to protect your business from non-payment events that could put you in jeopardy. As more companies rely on bank lines to pay suppliers during tight cash flow periods, it's important to have full and regular disclosure of financial information. Unfortunately, this isn't common for most suppliers. So how are you protecting your money?Luckily, tools and information exist that can protect you even if your customers are unable to pay due to cash flow issues or bankruptcy. Don't let what you don't know hurt your business. Having access to these tools could be the difference between success and failure. #paymentterms #financing #tradecredit

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Think you're doing everything you can to bring on new customers? Think again. If you haven't evaluated your credit management system in recent years, you may be missing out on sales opportunities and exposing yourself to bigger risks that could impact your business's future. Credit teams need world-class data and analytics to take on customers quickly and safely, while also preventing disruption to cash flow due to slow pay and bankruptcy. Have you reviewed your B2B credit process recently? Ask yourself these questions:- Are you bringing on new customers quickly to avoid delaying sales and stay ahead of the competition?- Are you setting appropriate limits that allow you to sell as much as possible without taking on too much risk and minimizing bad debt?If you're not sure of the answers, it's time to take action. Don't let an ineffective credit system put your business's future at risk. Reach out to me if you're ready to accelerate sales and leave the debt prevention business behind.

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Is it a total eclipse of the heart? Today is the day for the eclipse and Indy may be on the map of totality, but are your clients giving you strategic blind spots?Bonnie Tyler wrote "Total Eclipse of the Heart" about getting caught up in your emotions and not being able to let go, even when it's best for you to end the relationship. We see this in business all of the time. You get close with your clients and build strong relationships with them. You are so positive these are good relationships and trust them to an extent that it's easy to get lost in the emotions and forget it's a business relationship instead of a personal one. There are tools to help you better gauge your relationships with your clients and appropriately manage expectations for success. Have you ever had a relationship go sour?

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