ABOUT COLLECT WISE

Every invoice represents work already done

Collect Wise helps SMEs protect the value of that work with stronger credit control, clearer payment processes and people who know what to do next. We review aged debt, fix the gaps that allow late payment to build and train teams to collect confidently, consistently and professionally.

Debt recovered

£ 0 M+

Years experience

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Organisations supported

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Aged debt reduction in under three months

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WHY WE EXIST

The problem begins earlier than the chasing

Sales agreed. Work completed. Invoice sent. It should be straightforward.

Yet a missing purchase order, incorrect contact, vague payment terms, unresolved query or inconsistent follow-up can leave an invoice drifting for weeks.

These may look like small administrative gaps. Across a sales ledger, they create overdue debt, unpredictable cash flow and uncomfortable customer conversations.

Collect Wise exists to help businesses catch those problems earlier and deal with existing debt properly. We bring structure to the process, clarity to the next action and practical skills to the people responsible for getting paid.

Being paid on time should be a normal part of doing good business.

OUR STORY

Built from seeing good businesses put at risk by late payment

Collect Wise was created after years of seeing strong businesses struggle and, in some cases, fail because money they had already earned wasn’t paid on time.

The problems often began with simple, fixable gaps earlier in the order process: unclear payment terms, missing purchase orders, incorrect contacts, invoices that hadn’t been received or nobody taking ownership of the next action.

Once overdue invoices begin to accumulate, the impact becomes far more serious. Cash flow tightens, financial decisions become harder and senior people are pulled away from running the business to chase payment.

We’ve worked alongside many companies during difficult trading periods when getting paid became critical. Our methods have been tested, refined and improved through real collection work, helping us identify what needs immediate action, what can be resolved quickly and where the wider process needs to change.

We focus first on the actions capable of producing an immediate improvement, then put stronger processes in place to prevent the same problems from building again.

Collect Wise exists to help good businesses protect their cash flow and avoid being placed at risk by money they’re already owed.

Paula Bolton

Founder and lead consultant

Paula brings the perspective of someone who has built and scaled businesses as well as advised them.

As a five-time founder with experience taking companies from start-up through growth and exit, she understands how quickly cash-flow problems can affect the decisions, people and future of an otherwise successful business.

Her experience spans credit control, collections, sales and business operations. This allows her to look beyond an individual unpaid invoice and identify the commercial process that allowed it to become a problem.

One of the businesses built by Paula was named a Business Chameleon finalist at the 2020/21 SME National Business Awards, recognising its ability to adapt through exceptionally difficult trading conditions.

HOW WE APPROACH CREDIT CONTROL

Good credit control is clear, human and consistent

Start before the due date

Confirm the invoice details, payment terms, purchase order and route to payment while there’s still time to correct them.

Make the next action obvious

Every account needs a clear status, an owner and a date for what happens next. “Chase again” isn’t a useful plan.

Be firm and professional

Clear expectations and steady follow-up lead to better conversations than vague reminders followed by sudden frustration.

Build capability inside the business

A process is only useful when the people responsible understand it and can follow it consistently.

TRUSTED IN REAL BUSINESSES

Used by the people responsible for getting invoices paid

Collect Wise has supported more than 500 organisations, including business owners, finance teams, credit controllers, administrators, accountants and bookkeepers. Some come to us with overdue debt already mounting. Others want to prevent the same problems returning. Each engagement is shaped around the ledger, the people and the commercial reality of the business.

Trusted by businesses including

Trusted by professional advisers

WORKING WITH ACCOUNTANTS AND BOOKKEEPERS

A practical place to refer clients who need more than another reminder.

Accountants and bookkeepers are often among the first to see the warning signs: an aged-debtor report growing, debts moving into older columns or a healthy business beginning to feel the pressure of unpaid invoices.

We work with professional advisers who want their clients to have access to clear, practical credit-control support.

You don’t need to diagnose the problem or decide which service is right. Make the introduction and we’ll help the client understand the most appropriate next step.

HOW WE CAN HELP

Start with the payment problem in front of you

For overdue invoices and growing aged debt

Get a prioritised 30-day action plan, a recommended next action for each account and practical templates for chasing, disputes, payment plans and escalation.

Credit control review and setup

For businesses whose existing process is allowing late payment to build. We review what happens from customer setup through to collection, identify the gaps and show you what needs to change.

Credit control training

For anyone responsible for getting invoices paid. Practical training covering what to say, when to call, how to handle common objections and when to escalate.

TALK TO COLLECT WISE

Get clear on what needs to happen next. Whether the immediate problem is overdue debt, a weak process or a team that needs more confidence, we’ll help you identify the right starting point.