Another String to the Bow!

Funny how things go isn't it? There I was trying to turn around the fortunes of a small and struggling hotel (at the request of their accountant) when I suddenly found myself being invited to become an associate of a company specialising in debt management! But logical when you think about it. Personal and business finances very often get tangled up together in small businesses and if someone is weighed down with the stresses and strains of unsecured borrowing that has got out of hand they really are not going to be able to focus on their work or their business. However professional and organised people are in their business environment, the thought of dealing with their own financial problems is often just too much to contemplate. CAB isn't hands on by and large - they will advise but they don't have the resources to actually physically deal with the problem on behalf of inquirers. So what am I doing for people with my debt management hat on? Quite simply, taking the problem away from them!

I will review income and expenditure and prioritise what has to be paid.
I will then negotiate with creditors on behalf of the Client to get affordable repayments put in place and (usually) interest and charges frozen.
It is worth noting that a third party will get a far lower offer of repayment accepted than an individual will for themself - often well below half the original amount.
I then provide on-going support to people. Why would they need it? Because debts get sold on and people will suddenly find themselves being pursued for money by someone they have probably never heard of. Any correspondence is passed to me to deal with for them. It may be that their circumstances change and they are able to make a reduced offer to clear the debt. Again, third party negotiating is far more successful.

Debt is a dirty word - people don't like to admit that they have a problem but the fact is that one in three people has got a problem. Often the people you least expect. Professional people, managers, the people you would least expect to have a problem. But once the problem is addressed, the relief is huge and people are able to focus their attention back on their work, their business, their families - all the things that get neglected when overwhelming problems place unbearable pressure on people. Best of all, the difficult bits, the negotiating, the correspondence - are handled for them. All they do is make one payment by direct debit and the individual disbursements are also handled for them on their behalf.

If you want more information or you know someone who is struggling, email me at info@thesouthwestbusinessdoctor.co.uk I have also produced an audio CD which explains fully what is involved and how it all works. And, perhaps more importantly, puts people's mind at rest - debt isn't a dirty word - it is the fallout of recession. I should point out that in handling this issue I am working as an associate of a company which is fully licensed. Lots of companies are licensed to handle debt management but few operate at quite this level.

The longer people take to decide to take action, the worse the problem gets. So take the first step! Sooner rather than later!