Archive for July 20th, 2008

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Austin Logistics got its start about 15 years. And, perhaps the company was ahead of its time. You see, Austin Logistics is a leader in so-called event-based analytics solutions (EBAS).

It’s a mouthful, but it’s also a growth business. Essentially, EBAS analyzes customer interactions so as to boost profitability. And the focus is primarily on the collection of debts.

Well, this week Austin Logistics secured a third round of venture capital (the amount was not disclosed). The investors include Baird Venture Partners, Apex Venture Partners, Total Technology Ventures, and North Hill Ventures.

Moreover, Austin Logistics hired a new CEO, John Carreker III (prior to this, he was an executive vice president and managing director of Carreker Corporation, which was sold to Checkfree in 2007).

Keep in mind that Austin Logistics’ technology can essentially predict — in real-time — the odds of an opportunity or the risk of an interaction (called Decision IQ). For example, in one case the system helped a company reduce charge-offs by $10 million (in a single portfolio). In another situation, there was a $1.8 million cost savings with collections.

No doubt, with the subprime mess and other credit implosions over the past year, there is certainly a big-time need for Austin Logistic’s offerings.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar On the internet Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates MergerBook.com.

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Collections Rule #1, as I heard it many years ago:  The longer the bill is unpaid, the less likely it is that it will be paid.  Here’s dramatic visual proof of that rule in a current Forbes article about collecting money in difficult financial times.

So what do you do to collect money?  Here are some practical tips:

1.  Start at the beginning.  At the beginning of the business relationship, put in writing your expectations of payment and have the customer sign the document.  Doctors include a financial responsibility statement in their new patient forms, and this is the kind of thing I’m talking about.

2.  Reinforce your expectations with every encounter and every communication, particularly with new customers.  Include reminders in every invoice/bill, or put a computer-generated note on every piece of paper that goes back and forth.

3.  Bill frequently.  Don’t wait until the end of the month.  Send out bills every couple of weeks, at most.  (Remember Rule #1).

4.  Plan your collections strategy to increase the level of urgency and insistence with each communication.  And require response.  For example:

  • Communication #1 - Oops!  I’m sure you already sent this payment, but in case you didn’t….
  • Communications #2 - We didn’t receive your payment and wondered if there’s a problem.
  • Communications #3 - We did the work/we provided the product or service, now we need to get paid.
  • Communications #4 - If we don’t receive payment by X date, we’ll submit your account to collections.

5. Offer payment terms to good customers.  This could make the difference between getting some of the money and having the person go bankrupt, leaving you with little or nothing.

6.  Keep in contact.  If the customer comes in or orders frequently, make sure you and your sales people continue to be friendly and pleasant.  If the person drops out of sight (often because they’re embarrassed that they haven’t paid their bills), make sure your messages are received.  Use certified mail, or whatever will get you a signature.

7.  Finally, throughout the process, communicate, communicate, communicate.  The more you communicate and work on getting the customer to communicate, the better your chances of getting paid.

Do you have any other collections tips that have worked for you?

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We’ve written about Kelsey Grammer’s real estate doings before (he’s almost as ambitious a real estate tycoon as Ellen DeGeneres and now the Real Estalker reveals the latest listing from Kelsey and Camille Grammer. This home in the prestigious Holmby Hills are of Los Angeles is one of his ideal yet. The seven-bedroom home is over 10,000 square feet is on almost an acre of desirable land. The Grammers bought the home less than a year ago for $13.7 million. They’ve done up the home in their mix of beige and whimsy, sticking to relatively neutral tones throughout the house but making some vibrantly colorful choices in restroom tiles. The grounds include an expansive pool area and a big lawn.

The home’s other features include a gym (with a fireplace), huge bathrooms, a media room with a built-in bar and a cozy but luxe style that gets much of its charm from the heavy dark beams and plethora of French doors. I’m not much of a fan of the “English Country” style but as wacky as they are, I’m loving the water closet remodels (although I never comprehend the wisdom of having anything upholstered next to the tub. The Grammers have listed this home for $19.9 million.

For more prime properties and lush locations, see Luxury Homes and Mansions.

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Continue reading Kelsey Grammer’s Fantastic Flip, Estate of the Day

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From the LA Times Hot Property:
–Brady Bunch actress Eve Plumb has put her little Malibu beach bungalow on the market for $5.5 million. The cottage has just two bedrooms but the deck, shown above, overlooks the beach. The listing is here.
–David Duchovny and T

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