新冠肺炎疫情引起的封城政策讓世界經(jīng)濟戛然而止。面對這一局勢,客戶用扣留款項的方式節(jié)約現(xiàn)金,導致未付款賬單數(shù)量激增至前所未有的水平,希望回收欠款的歐洲各大企業(yè)則因此而苦不堪言。
自3月11日世界衛(wèi)生組織宣布新冠疫情爆發(fā)以來,各國逾期10天以上未支付賬單數(shù)量增幅為:法國56%, 西班牙52%,意大利則達到了驚人的82%,英國和荷蘭約為25%,比利時44%。
若從目前逾期10天或以上的賬單總數(shù)來看,情況甚至更為嚴峻。整個歐洲大陸飆升了70%,其中英國增幅最大,未付賬單數(shù)量幾乎增加了一倍,法國緊隨其后,增幅達到了87%。
上述數(shù)據(jù)由Sidetrade于4月22日發(fā)布,這是一家總部在法國的軟件公司,致力于幫助企業(yè)接洽客戶、管理資金以及收集賬單。該公司查看了約2,850萬份企業(yè)對企業(yè)的賬單數(shù)據(jù),總計超過500億歐元(540億美元),涉及約400萬家公司。公司開發(fā)了一套追蹤系統(tǒng),用于跟蹤六個歐洲國家的賬單支付情況數(shù)據(jù)。
Sidetrade的首席技術官馬克·謝爾登表示,未付款賬單突增可謂是“前所未有”,不能簡單與以往的經(jīng)濟衰退相提并論。
企業(yè)出于自身利益考慮,為了節(jié)省現(xiàn)金而延遲或扣留付款。對收到的貨物或提供的服務延期付款,只是將痛苦轉(zhuǎn)嫁給了供貨商和服務商。加上封鎖期間幾乎沒有獲得新業(yè)務,收款問題對許多企業(yè)來說無疑是雙重打擊。
現(xiàn)金流不穩(wěn)定會對整個經(jīng)濟帶來多米諾骨牌效應,小公司往往最先倒閉。企業(yè)財務網(wǎng)絡的一份報告指出:截至5月,英國高達五分之一的小型企業(yè)瀕臨倒閉,這些企業(yè)亟需政府救助金來規(guī)避這個厄運。企業(yè)財務網(wǎng)絡是一家為中小企業(yè)提供會計服務和咨詢服務的公司。
即便在平時,小公司也很難從大公司那里收回款項,大公司經(jīng)常利用自身市場影響力來索取優(yōu)惠。謝爾登說:“企業(yè)對企業(yè)(B2B)付款一直是中小企業(yè)的痛點,而疫情危機更是讓這一形勢急轉(zhuǎn)直下。”
他說,許多公司不得不嘗試在收取款項的方法上進行“創(chuàng)新”,比如提供更多折扣來促進按時付款。
謝爾登說,旨在成功收回款項的其他策略包括改變公司追查未付款賬單的方法,以及采用公司能夠接受的其他支付渠道。例如,當大多數(shù)職員在家辦公時,用郵件和其他數(shù)字方式溝通會比打電話更有成效,將服務轉(zhuǎn)換為訂閱模式也有望提升支付的可靠性。(財富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:Feb
新冠肺炎疫情引起的封城政策讓世界經(jīng)濟戛然而止。面對這一局勢,客戶用扣留款項的方式節(jié)約現(xiàn)金,導致未付款賬單數(shù)量激增至前所未有的水平,希望回收欠款的歐洲各大企業(yè)則因此而苦不堪言。
自3月11日世界衛(wèi)生組織宣布新冠疫情爆發(fā)以來,各國逾期10天以上未支付賬單數(shù)量增幅為:法國56%, 西班牙52%,意大利則達到了驚人的82%,英國和荷蘭約為25%,比利時44%。
若從目前逾期10天或以上的賬單總數(shù)來看,情況甚至更為嚴峻。整個歐洲大陸飆升了70%,其中英國增幅最大,未付賬單數(shù)量幾乎增加了一倍,法國緊隨其后,增幅達到了87%。
上述數(shù)據(jù)由Sidetrade于4月22日發(fā)布,這是一家總部在法國的軟件公司,致力于幫助企業(yè)接洽客戶、管理資金以及收集賬單。該公司查看了約2,850萬份企業(yè)對企業(yè)的賬單數(shù)據(jù),總計超過500億歐元(540億美元),涉及約400萬家公司。公司開發(fā)了一套追蹤系統(tǒng),用于跟蹤六個歐洲國家的賬單支付情況數(shù)據(jù)。
Sidetrade的首席技術官馬克·謝爾登表示,未付款賬單突增可謂是“前所未有”,不能簡單與以往的經(jīng)濟衰退相提并論。
企業(yè)出于自身利益考慮,為了節(jié)省現(xiàn)金而延遲或扣留付款。對收到的貨物或提供的服務延期付款,只是將痛苦轉(zhuǎn)嫁給了供貨商和服務商。加上封鎖期間幾乎沒有獲得新業(yè)務,收款問題對許多企業(yè)來說無疑是雙重打擊。
現(xiàn)金流不穩(wěn)定會對整個經(jīng)濟帶來多米諾骨牌效應,小公司往往最先倒閉。企業(yè)財務網(wǎng)絡的一份報告指出:截至5月,英國高達五分之一的小型企業(yè)瀕臨倒閉,這些企業(yè)亟需政府救助金來規(guī)避這個厄運。企業(yè)財務網(wǎng)絡是一家為中小企業(yè)提供會計服務和咨詢服務的公司。
即便在平時,小公司也很難從大公司那里收回款項,大公司經(jīng)常利用自身市場影響力來索取優(yōu)惠。謝爾登說:“企業(yè)對企業(yè)(B2B)付款一直是中小企業(yè)的痛點,而疫情危機更是讓這一形勢急轉(zhuǎn)直下?!?/p>
他說,許多公司不得不嘗試在收取款項的方法上進行“創(chuàng)新”,比如提供更多折扣來促進按時付款。
謝爾登說,旨在成功收回款項的其他策略包括改變公司追查未付款賬單的方法,以及采用公司能夠接受的其他支付渠道。例如,當大多數(shù)職員在家辦公時,用郵件和其他數(shù)字方式溝通會比打電話更有成效,將服務轉(zhuǎn)換為訂閱模式也有望提升支付的可靠性。(財富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:Feb
Businesses throughout Europe are struggling to collect an unprecedented mountain of unpaid invoices as customers withhold payments in order to conserve cash in the face of coronavirus-related lockdowns that have sent the world economy into a sudden deep freeze.
The amount of money that is more than 10 days overdue has grown 56% in France, 52% in Spain, and a whopping 82% in Italy since the World Health Organization declared a pandemic on March 11. The U.K. and the Netherlands have each seen about a 25% increase, while Belgium has seen a 44% spike.
The picture is even more grim when looking at the total number of invoices that are now 10 days or more past due. That figure has soared 70% across the continent, with the largest increase—a near doubling of the number of unpaid bills—happening in the U.K., followed closely by France, which has seen an 87% increase in late payments.
That's according to data released on April 22 by Sidetrade, a Paris-based software company that helps businesses with customer engagement, cash management, and invoice collection. The firm looked at data for some 28.5 million business-to-business invoices, adding up to more than 50 billion euros ($54 billion) and involving about 4 million companies. It has created a tracker to follow invoice payment data for the six European countries.
Mark Sheldon, Sidetrade's chief technology officer, said the sudden leap in unpaid invoices is "unprecedented" and can't be easily compared to other previous recessions.
Businesses are acting in their own interests to conserve cash by delaying or withholding payments. But by not making payments in a timely manner for products already received or services rendered, these companies are simply passing pain on to their suppliers and other vendors. Combined with the fact that little new business is being generated during the lockdown, the invoice collection problems present a double whammy for many businesses.
Spluttering cash flow can have a domino effect throughout the economy, with smaller companies often the first to collapse. In the U.K., as many as one out of every five small businesses were in danger of failing by May and were struggling to access emergency cash from the government in time to stave off that fate, according to a report from the Corporate Finance Network, a trade body for accounting firms and consultants who service small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs).
Even in normal times, smaller businesses often have trouble collecting invoices from larger corporations, as the bigger company often uses its market power to extract concessions from the smaller firm. "B2B payment has always been a pain point from SMEs, and it is being made significantly worse by this crisis," Sheldon said.
He said that many companies are having to be "innovative" about the way they try to collect payments. More have begun offering discounts to encourage on-time payment, for instance.
Other tactics to successfully collect payment can include changing the methods a company uses to pursue unpaid invoices, Sheldon said, as well as altering the payment channels it will accept. For instance, email and other digital forms of communication are likely to be more effective than phone calls when most employees are working from home, and switching to a subscription model for services may result in more reliable payment.