£18,000 stress test

When a wellness company calls you incredibly stressed themselves, you know things must be bad. 

The small business in question had delivered a complete wellness program – equipment, workshops, the whole sheboodlle – to a much larger corporation. The total amount owed for this service was a massive £18,000 across four invoices.

Six months passed.

The small business did everything right. Mindful of the payment terms set out, they chased politely right after they lapsed.

But they were met with a wall of silence. Emails were ignored, calls went unanswered, and cortisol levels spiked. Finally, they got hold of someone in accounts who gave them a firm new payment date. Things were definitely looking up until that date came and went, and the £18,000 was still unpaid.

Realising they weren’t dealing with a simple admin error, the wellness company felt totally defeated and was facing real financial hardship. Desperate, they started searching online and found the free support offered by the Office of the Small Business Commissioner (OSBC).

48 hours from zero to zen

When we took on this case, we were firm but fair. We immediately approached the large company, clearly stipulating what was required and highlighting the urgency of the situation. We pointed out the months of relentless, failed chasing by the small firm.

Within 48 hours, following our intervention, the full £18,000 was paid promptly.

This case is a classic example of why my office exists. Don’t let large companies manage you with excuses or get lost in their bureaucracy. When they ignore your pleas and break their own payment commitments, it’s time to stop chasing and start escalating.

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