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The value of bad debt suffered by small businesses has surged by 127%, according to a report by Bibby Financial Services (BFS).
Businesses have written-off an average of nearly £40,000 in unpaid invoices in the last 12 months, up from an average of £17,500 in the spring.
The proportion suffering from non-payment has risen too, reaching 40%, up from 30% in March.
More than half of SMEs have seen at least one supplier (58%) go bust in recent months, and a similar proportion have experienced the insolvency of at least one customer (56%).
Jonathan Andrew, BFS CEO, said: “This is a supply chain disaster waiting to happen for SMEs, as well as a huge economic leakage. While late payment is a known challenge, bad debt, where unpaid invoices are written-off entirely, is a hidden assassin that can wreak havoc through SME supply chains.
“Measures announced by the Government such as the Fair Payment Code are welcome, but the reality is that it’s not only larger businesses that pay late. Many small businesses do so through necessity or to preserve cashflow to make critical payments, so we really need to be looking at how to inject working capital into supply chains sooner to insulate smaller businesses, as well as reducing payment times.”
He added: “It’s also critical that Government measures draw the distinction between late payment and the lesser understood issue of bad debt due to non-payment or protracted default. This can so often be devastating – not only to the creditor, but to those businesses within their supply chains.”
The study is based on research of 1,000 UK SME owners and decision makers across the manufacturing, construction, wholesale, transport and services sectors.
