How Collect Works
Don't Let Customers Strangle Your Cash Flow
You made the sale. You delivered the value. But your cash is locked in unpaid invoices while you struggle to pay suppliers, staff, and bills. This isn't a sales problem—it's a collections problem.
Most SMEs don't fail because of lack of sales. They fail because customers don't pay on time, credit decisions are made emotionally, and business owners have no visibility over what's really happening in their debtor book.
FinGenie Collect solves this.
It's the same disciplined, professional credit management framework used by corporate credit departments—but adapted for SME realities. With Collect, you get structure, visibility, and control over the money you're owed.
THE REAL PROBLEM: IT'S NOT JUST LATE PAYMENTS
Why Good Businesses Run Out of Cash
You can be profitable on paper and still run out of money. Here's why:
The Typical SME Credit Nightmare:
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❌ No formal credit policy—every decision is ad-hoc
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❌ Credit limits set randomly or not at all
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❌ No proper customer onboarding or risk assessment
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❌ Collections done sporadically when cash gets tight
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❌ Emotional decision-making: "They promised to pay next week..."
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❌ No visibility over who owes what or how overdue things really are
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❌ No process for escalating problem accounts
The result? Your working capital is locked in other people's pockets. You're essentially funding your customers' businesses while yours struggles for cash.
This is cash flow strangulation—and it kills businesses.
WHAT COLLECT ACTUALLY DOES
Complete, Structured Credit Management
FinGenie Collect is a full compliance and control system that ensures:
Every customer is onboarded correctly
Every credit decision is justified and documented
Every overdue account is actioned according to a clear, step-by-step process
Nothing is left to chance, emotion, or memory
Once implemented, Collect provides end-to-end protection:
From customer onboarding → Risk assessment → Credit limit setting → Monthly collections → Ongoing management review
This structure dramatically reduces cash flow risk and removes the inconsistent, emotional decision-making that leads to losses and write-offs.
THE COLLECT COMPLIANCE & CONTROL FRAMEWORK
What You Get: 8 Core Components
THE 4 CRITICAL METRICS YOU'LL TRACK
Operational Statistics That Keep You in Control
Collect gives you the four metrics every SME must track to responsibly manage debtors:
1. Days Sales Outstanding (DSO)
Shows how long customers actually take to pay.
Why it matters: Lower DSO = faster cash flow. This single metric tells you if your collections are improving or deteriorating.
Target: Industry-dependent, but you want this number going DOWN over time.
3. Invoicing vs Payments Tracking
Simple but powerful measure highlighting early warning signs of cash stress.
Why it matters: If invoicing consistently exceeds payments, your debtor book is growing—and so is your cash problem.
Target: Payments should roughly match invoicing. Growing gap = danger.
2. Collection Target % Achieved
Shows how much you targeted to collect vs. what actually came in.
Why it matters: You can't manage what you don't measure. This shows if your collection efforts are working.
Target: 95%+ means you're in control. Below 85% means serious problems.
4. Defaulting Percentage
Shows the proportion of your book falling behind—your key risk indicator.
Why it matters: This is your early warning system. Rising default % means trouble is brewing.
Target: Under 5% is healthy. Over 10% means urgent action needed.
THE COLLECT DASHBOARD
Visual Monitoring That Makes Sense
You receive our FinGenie Collect Dashboard—a visual monitoring tool that shows:
✓ Trends over time (are things improving?) ✓ Risk levels (who needs attention?) ✓ Overdue analysis (how bad is it?) ✓ Key performance indicators (the 4 critical metrics)
It's simple to use, highly informative, and becomes your early-warning radar.
No more spreadsheets. No more guesswork. Just clear visibility.
MONTHLY CONSULTING: YOU'RE NEVER ALONE
2 Hours of Professional Support Every Month
Your Collect subscription includes 2 hours of professional monthly consulting. This is what turns Collect from a system into a real advantage.
What happens each month:
Week 1: Review & Analysis
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We review your debtor book together
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Analyze the 4 key metrics
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Identify concerning trends
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Highlight high-risk accounts
Week 2-3: Action Planning
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Discuss specific problem accounts
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Plan collection strategies
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Adjust processes if needed
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Answer your questions
Week 4: Implementation Support
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Help implement improvements
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Review outcomes
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Plan next month's focus
You never feel alone. Every month we guide actions, highlight concerns, and help you improve. This ongoing support is what makes Collect work in the real world.
WHO COLLECT IS PERFECT FOR
Businesses That:
✓ Offer credit terms to customers (30, 60, 90 days) ✓ Are tired of chasing payments ✓ Have cash flow problems despite being profitable ✓ Make credit decisions inconsistently ✓ Don't have visibility over their debtor book ✓ Want professional collection processes ✓ Need to reduce Days Sales Outstanding ✓ Want to prevent bad debts, not just react to them
Business Owners Who:
✓ Are frustrated by late-paying customers ✓ Don't have time for collections but know it's critical ✓ Want structure and discipline in credit management ✓ Need monthly support and guidance ✓ Want to professionalize their business
WHAT'S INCLUDED WITH COLLECT
Available Only in FinGenie Complete
Collect is not sold standalone—it's part of the FinGenie Complete package because credit management works best when integrated with cash flow planning (Flow) and business health scoring (Score).
FinGenie Complete includes:
• ✓ Flow - Cash flow forecasting and scenario planning
• ✓ Collect - Complete credit management system
• ✓ Score - Annual business health assessment
• ✓ 2 hours monthly consulting (focused on collections)
• ✓ Collect Dashboard - Visual monitoring tool
• ✓ Implementation support - We set everything up with you
Pricing:
• R3,000/year (annual license)
• R2,000/month (ongoing subscription with consulting)
• 12-month commitment
HOW COLLECT IMPLEMENTATION WORKS
From Chaos to Control in 30 Days
Week 1: Assessment & Setup
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Review your current credit processes (or lack thereof)
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Assess your existing debtor book
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Set up your Collect Dashboard
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Customize templates to your business
Week 2: Policy & Process Implementation
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Finalize your credit policy
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Set up customer contracts and terms
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Establish credit limits for existing customers
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Train you on the collection procedure
Week 3: First Collection Cycle
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Run first proper collection process
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Apply the procedures systematically
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Monitor results
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Adjust as needed
Week 4: Review & Refine
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First monthly review meeting
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Analyze the 4 key metrics
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Identify what's working
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Plan ongoing improvements
After 30 days: You have a functioning, professional credit management system—and ongoing monthly support to keep improving.
REAL BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION
Case Example: From 87 Days to 62 Days DSO
The Business: Service company, R8M annual revenue, 40+ credit customers
The Problem:
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No formal credit policy
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Credit limits set randomly
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Collections done "when we remember"
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DSO at 87 days (industry average: 60)
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Cash always tight despite profitability
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The Collect Process:
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Implemented full credit policy and procedures
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Set rational credit limits for all customers
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Began systematic collection cycle
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Monthly consulting to stay disciplined
The Results (6 months):
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DSO reduced from 87 to 62 days
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Cash flow improved by approximately R1.2M
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Default percentage dropped from 12% to 4%
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Owner now spends 2 hours per month on collections (vs. 10+ hours of stress)
The Owner's Words: "Before Collect, collections were emotional and exhausting. We'd get tough when desperate, then soft when they promised. Now we have a system—it's professional, consistent, and it works. Our cash flow completely changed."
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
A: Credit management works best when integrated with cash flow planning (Flow) and business health monitoring (Score). The Complete package ensures you have the full toolkit for financial control.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Stop Funding Your Customers' Businesses
Every day your cash is locked in unpaid invoices is a day you can't invest in growth, can't pay suppliers promptly, can't take advantage of opportunities.
You're not a bank. Stop acting like one.
Collect gives you:
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Professional credit management structure
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Clear visibility over your debtor book
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Systematic collection processes
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Monthly expert support
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The 4 metrics that matter
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Control over your working capital
This isn't just about collections. It's about protecting your cash flow and your business.