Credit control is important in a business especially for small businesses. This means that every small business should ensure that it collects its outstanding invoices. Some small businesses let their uncollected invoices accumulate which ultimately affects their cash flow and also the performance of the general business. This problem can be attributed to poor credit control and lack of knowledge on the benefits of good credit control procedures in a small business.One of the primary benefits of good credit procedures in a small business is that there will be sufficient funds to ensure that the business runs smoothly. The outstanding uncollected invoices mean that the business has some money which is deemed to be available but cannot be used in the operations of the business. This is especially a major issue in a small business which might not have enough funds to run the various operations without collecting the outstanding invoices as required. This makes it paramount for a business to ensure that it has set down good procedures of credit control so as to ensure the business runs smoothly with sufficient funds available.Having good procedures is also important since it enables the business to know its reliable and trustworthy clients. This is because having good procedures in place will enable the business to explain to its various clients when and how the invoices will be collected. The reliable clients will keep to the payment terms and will ensure that the invoices are ready by the time stipulated by the credit control procedure. Through this the business can identify the clients that keep to their payment terms and therefore it becomes easier to extend credit to such clients since they keep their word.Another major benefit of having a good credit control procedure in place is that the businesses are able to plan properly. This is because a small business with good control procedures will be able to know the money it has and the money to expect. As a result, the business will be able to budget even on the uncollected invoices since the laid down procedure will ensure that the outstanding invoices are collected on time.A business can even get outsourced providers of credit control services who will ensure that all the outstanding invoices are collected on time. Having outsourced providers will give the business time to concentrate on other issues regarding the growth of the business. Furthermore, some outsourced providers even pay for the uncollected invoices and then go ahead to collect the invoices after the stipulated dates. This gives the small business the assurance that funds will be available on time to run the various operations of the business.Good credit control procedures that enhance collection of a businesses outstanding invoices are also beneficial because it allows a business to control credit limits. Small businesses should have a limit of the credit to be extended. This means that these businesses should have a limit of the outstanding invoices. When the outstanding invoices surpass the set limit, the business might not be able to extend credit to other clients.But with good credit control procedures the small businesses will be able to set limits and therefore be able to extend credit to other customers and also to those whose outstanding invoices have been collected. Therefore, it is paramount for a small business to have good credit control procedures in place which will enhance their collection of outstanding invoices.

Hi, my name is Walt. I’m an auctioneer with 25 years of experience in the auction business and licensed in the state of MA. I own Quick Auction Service, a company that specializes in building and running custom auctions, I’m also the webmaster of my own site and have been on eBay for 8 years. Besides eBay, the types of auctions I run most frequently are antiques and on-site estate auctions, although I’ve run everything from business overstock auctions to charity & special event auctions.

I enjoy sharing my knowledge and stories of the auction business. My goal for article is to help folks get the absolute most out of their auction experience.

Whether your fresh out of the package or a seasoned dealer I think I can offer something in this article to help you with your auciton adventures.

There may be as many reasons to attend auctions as there are types of auctions to attend. Maybe you want to attend an auction to buy items for re-sale on eBay, or some other market. Maybe you want to furnish your home with wonderful antiques, or you want to furnish your home as inexpensively without sacrificing quality.Some folks are just looking for a fun night out. With a little perseverance all these things are possible.

There are antiques and estate auctions, auto auctions, overstock auctions, absolute and no reserve auctions, real estate auctions, specialty auctions where only one genre of items are sold, tailgate auctions, live auctions, online auctions, sealed bid auctions, silent auctions, charity and fund raising auctions and many more.

Can you really buy for pennies on the dollar at an auction? You bet! Many times I’ve seen folks buy and re-sell at the same auction on the same night for a good profit, although be advised, this should only be done after the auction is over.

There are a lot of ways to find an auction, but here are some tips on how to find and attend the best ones.

Visit the genre of shops in the area that apply to the type of auction you want to attend. IE: If your looking for a good antique auction to attend, stop in the local antiques shops and ask for what there are for good auctions in the area. Sounds obvious right? But listen to what they don’t say as well as what they do say. Oftentimes when a dealer speaks poorly about an auction he or she attends, it may be likely that they are trying to keep a good thing secret. Think for a moment, why would a dealer keep attending a lousy auction?

Newspaper ads: I personally like to find ads in the classified ad section rather than flashy display ads. Flashy ads are usually indicative of an auction that will be high priced, may have reserves, (a set price on an item), and usually an enormous crowd. While any auction can be profitable to attend, it is usually best to steer clear of the glitzy ones, at least for the beginner.

Here’s the minimum you want to find out before you go. If there is a phone number in the ad, call and ask for the terms of the sale. What forms of payment do they accept? Is it an absolute auction? An absolute auction is one that has no minimum or reserve bids on items. These are the best auctions to attend! Is there a buyers premium? A buyers premium is like a tax that everyone who makes purchases at that auction must pay above the winning bid price. Most auctions these days do charge a buyers premium, 10% is not unreasonable but I feel much more than that is greedy, and the auctioneer that charges over 10% is counting on most bidders not doing the extra math as the bids quicken in pace.

A fair auction will have ample time to inspect the merchandise, usually at least 2 or 3 hours. Find out when inspection starts and make sure to attend! Never attend an auction if you can’t make the inspection, not unless your prepared to gamble. Most auctioneers sell at a rate of about 100 items per hour, which is why they sell “as is”. They simply don’t have the time to give a detailed description of all the items. Since almost all items at auction are sold AS IS, there are sure to be some damaged, refinished, fake and incomplete items at any given auction. Beware of any auctions that offer very little or no inspection time.

Good auctions will usually have 150 to 400 lots. A lot may be one item or a group of items. The exception to this are specialty auctions, auto auctions, real estate auctions etc.

When you attend your first sale, take note of the 1/2 dozen or so dealers that buy the most often. See if you can find out about other area auctions they attend.

When you do find an excellent auction, attend it as often as possible. By frequenting good sales, you help increase the bottom line of that business. It’s difficult for many auctioneers to keep the quality of merchandise consistent, so good attendance certainly helps. And when an auctioneer gets to know you as a buyer, he/she will go out of the way to accommodate you, to keep you coming back.