Let your cash flow.
Small Business Debt Collection Agency
You don't need a credit control team to get paid. Place one overdue invoice or a whole ledger and we chase it for you, from the first call to legal action if it comes to that. You pay 10% of what we recover and nothing if we don't, there is no minimum spend or contract, and work starts within 24 hours.
STA recovers your debts effortlessly to give you:
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SME debt recovery
Small business debt recovery, done for you.
No collection, no commission SME & small business debt recovery and credit control with STA International.
Being owed money as a small business or SME is even more of a pressing issue than if you’re a big business owner. With less cash flow and reserves to rely on, receiving money on time can be the difference between being able to pay the bills or not.
That’s why having a good small business debt collection agency on your side is so important; we understand the needs of your business and always work in your best interest to recover your funds as quickly and efficiently as possible. With the interest we collect from the debtor, it means in many cases we can offer our small business debt recovery completely cost-neutral to you.
We let our track record since 1955 speak for themselves – with an in-house tracing department, average recovery time of 3–4 weeks, weekly BACS remittances, 24/7 transparent online reporting and accreditations with governing bodies, you can trust we’ll go above and beyond other debt collection companies for small businesses.
For small businesses
Built for small balances and small teams.
Debt collection for a small business should be simple to start and cheap to try. This is how we keep it that way.
There is no minimum spend and no contract term. You pay commission only on what we recover.
For a single debt the minimum is £500. Place one overdue invoice or many; lower-value debts are accepted when you place them in bulk.
The calls, emails and letters come from our team, so you do not have to chase a customer yourself or take time away from running the business.
Outsourced credit control starts at £500 a month on a fixed fee, for the short, medium or long term.
Statutory interest and fixed compensation are added to the debtor's balance, so in many cases our commission is paid by the debtor.
The process
How our Small Business Debt Collection Works
The process for commercial debt collection differs for every small business or SME, which is why we understand your specific situation before starting. Once we do, we get started with our collection process, carefully developed since 1955.
Place your debts & debtor checks
The first step is to submit your debts. You can do this via our ‘Your Debts Online’ (YDO) portal. This can be completed through a form, or uploaded in bulk via CSV/Excel. Our team of professionals then gets to work – first doing initial checks of your debtors to assess their financial strength, and then developing a collaborative (not combative) approach to maximise recovery rates.
Professional contact strategy
The next step our experienced collectors take is to contact your debtors. We reach out with a clear message, informed by the details of your case; reminding them of their obligation and working to secure payment in full (including statutory interest and Late Payment Act charges). Our collectors are trained to stop or query non-payment explanations at this stage.
30 day review and next step advice
Our team will continue to negotiate with the debtors, updating the YDO portal with updates on progress and notes from your collector along the way. We handle all concerns and queries throughout; only reverting to you if necessary. In cases where payment remains outstanding, we’ll activate a 30-day review with you where we can discuss potential further action, including the possibility of a legal debt recovery route.
Weekly funds remittance
In small business debt recovery cases where we secure payments, your funds will be remitted to you via BACS on a weekly basis. You can use your personal online portal to track this, where you’ll also be able to find downloadable reports, invoices, statements and more.
Legal escalation
In some cases, pre-legal attempts to recover your small business debt may not be possible. In situations where collection isn’t possible, STA Legal (opens in a new tab), our sister firm of solicitors, can seamlessly handle all further action necessary. This could include a Letter Before Action (LBA), filing a court claim, securing a County Court Judgement, all the way to supporting enforcement of recovery.
Credit control
Small Business Credit Control
We can also handle credit control for small businesses, creating custom solutions on a case-by-case basis to ensure we meet your exact needs. Using outsourced credit control is often a more cost effective, scalable way to handle your accounts receivable. We can take care of everything from confirming receipt of invoices, credit application processing, continual monitoring and more.
a month, on a fixed fee, so there are no surprise charges.
Our small business credit control services operate on a fixed monthly fee, starting at just £500 per month, to make sure it’s accessible to businesses and SMEs of all sizes – perfect for the short, medium or long term.
Outsourced credit controlGet paid today, contact STA
Get in touch today to see how we can help recover your overdue invoices
Results
Proven Success
We take the same personal approach whether we’re handling debt recovery for small business accounts, SMEs or FTSE100 companies. There’s a reason we’re a leading debt collection agency for small business owners in the UK; with £20m recovered in debts over the last 12 months, you can trust us to collect your owed money in the most efficient way possible – without hurting your business relationships in the process.
What our clients say
“We only had one case available and STA treated this with a level of service I would expect if I was a major customer. I would recommend their services whatever value of debt you are dealing with.”
Lisa Wheal — “I would recommend their services”
“I have used the services of STA International for a number of outstanding accounts and they have always collected the payments. Their approach is very professional and they keep you informed throughout the process. If there are any problems they liaise with you and negotiate with the debtor on your behalf. A first rate service that I would recommend to anyone.”
David — “First rate professional service”
“I have found STA extremely professional and supportive in supporting us with our business needs. They have easy to communicate features via their portal and their collection rates are great. Whilst debt collection is never a nice thing to have to address, they make this as stress free of a process as possible.”
Aaron R — “Professional and supportive”
“This is our first experience of using a debt recovery agency. We were pleasantly surprised by how simple and effective STA made the whole process, saving an enormous amount of time and energy for our Finance Manager to redirect to more productive activities. Thank you.”
Tom R — “Simple and effective”
Your Debts Online
24/7 Online Portal
We don’t treat small business debt recovery cases any differently to our biggest. You’ll have 24/7 access to our YDO online portal, helping you to stay up to date with everything that’s going on in your case. Our YDO portal is an industry leading solution that saves time and gives you full transparency from your dedicated point of contact and specialist collector. It’s easy to place new debts, track progress on existing debts, respond to requests for your instruction and access statements and reports.
See our Your Debts Online User Guide for more informationaccess to your cases, reports and statements.
Companies owe money, but people pay bills.
We take a very different approach than some other debt collection agencies for small businesses. Preserving business relationships, customer goodwill and gentle education through working with your debtors results in a much higher rate of recovery than aggressive strategies. Not only that, but we’ve proven that it helps to protect your reputation and educates your clients to pay on time in the future.
No Collection, No Commission
Pricing & member benefits
Our ‘no collection, no commission’ approach means that our small business debt collection is cost-neutral for you in most cases. Read more information about our commission structure below. We automatically add our commission charge to your debtor’s invoice(s), along with interest. When your debtor pays the costs and interest, we remit it in full and invoice you for our commission, leaving you with your principal sum and the interest. Conversely, if your debtor fails to pay the costs and interest, we invoice you for our commission.
- For multiple debts, and single debts over £50,000, a lower rate of commission applies.
- Minimum case value is £500 for a single debt. Lower values are accepted when placed in bulk.
- We add statutory interest (8% over the base rate) and fixed compensation of £40, £70 or £100 to your debtor’s balance.
Our commission
Of sums recovered. No collection, no commission.
Get startedLegal action is charged separately and agreed in writing first.
Overseas agents (only with your consent): typically 20–25%.
For UK business debts, our commission and late payment interest can usually be claimed from the debtor.
Unlock Better Rates
Member benefits
We are proud to partner a growing number of credit insurance underwriters who have appointed STA to offer their policyholders worldwide debt collection services.
Learn moreCheck to see if you’re eligible to our preferential rates of commission.
Get paid today, contact STA
Get in touch today to see how we can help recover your overdue invoices
Small Business Debt Recovery FAQs
If you still have questions about our debt collection for small businesses, we might have answered your query in our frequently asked questions below. If not, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team of friendly experts!
What does "No Collection, No Commission" mean?
If we don't recover anything, you pay nothing. No placement fees, no upfront costs, no hourly billing: our commission is a percentage of what we bring in, so our incentive matches yours from day one. If you decide to take a case to court, STA Legal agrees its costs with you in writing before anything is issued.
Will chasing payment damage my relationship with the customer?
It shouldn't. We contact your customer as your representative, firmly and professionally, and we follow the Credit Services Association Code of Practice. Tell us if you want to keep trading with them and we'll adjust our approach. Most cases settle without a cross word, and you're kept informed at every stage. Our guide to recovering debts without alienating customers covers the approach in more detail.
Is there a minimum debt value?
There's no minimum spend or contract term. The online quote takes claims from £500; for smaller debts, call us and we'll tell you straight whether recovery makes sense. A single unpaid invoice is worth placing: you only pay commission if we recover, and on UK business debts statutory interest and compensation are added to the debtor's balance, which often covers our fee. Several small debts can be placed together.
How old can a debt be?
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland you generally have six years from when payment fell due to start court action. In Scotland most commercial debts prescribe after five years, which extinguishes the debt altogether. A written acknowledgement or part payment before then restarts the clock. The older a debt gets, the fewer the options, so place it early and we'll tell you honestly whether it's worth pursuing.
How do small businesses collect debt?
Small businesses can recover debt by checking and ensuring important information on invoices is correct, sending regular reminders to debtors and maintaining open communication with them. If this is unsuccessful, a debt collection agency can often recover more. Some collection agencies, such as STA International, can also help you explore legal escalation routes.
What is small business debt collection?
Small business debt recovery can be summed up by the process of recovering payment owed to a company, the majority of which are owed by other businesses. This typically involves pre-legal methods including communication and education, but can also include legal escalation and recovering statutory interest and compensation on top of the original amount.
Many companies choose to use a small business debt collection agency in order to save time and maximise recovery through professional processes.
What do the terms 'FCA authorised | ISO 27001 & 9001 | CSA & ECA members' mean?
These terms show we’re independently regulated and accredited by multiple industry standard bodies:
FCA authorised – we follow strict rules on fairness and transparency. (Proof of FCA authorisation (opens in a new tab))
ISO 27001 & 9001 – we’re certified in international standards for data security and quality management. (Proof of ISO 27001 & 9001 certification (opens in a new tab))
CSA – we’re a member of the Credit Services Association, the sole UK national trade body for debt collection. (Proof of CSA membership since 1995 (opens in a new tab))
ECA – we’re the only UK member of the European Collectors Association (Proof of ECA membership (opens in a new tab)). Last year we collected in 154 countries.
How long does recovery take?
Three to four weeks on average. Every case is different, so yours may be quicker or take longer.
Guides
Guides for small businesses
The Essential Cash Flow Guide for SMEs
Poor cash flow management can be fatal for a business of any size. Our guide covers forecasting, the common cash flow killers, and a step-by-step route to getting paid.
Read the guide7 tips for avoiding late payments
Late payment is a common challenge, but the right process reduces how often it happens, and shortens the delay when it does.
Read the guideLate Payment Interest Calculator
Work out the statutory interest and fixed compensation you can claim on an overdue B2B invoice.
Use the calculator5 signs it's time to use a debt collection agency
Running a business isn't always smooth sailing, especially when it comes to keeping your cash flow positive. Unpaid invoices are usually the first symptom.
Read the guideReady to Recover Your Small Business Debts?
The sooner you start the small business debt collection process, the better the chances for recovery. Either get a hassle-free online quote or get in touch with our friendly professionals to see how we can help.