Late payment times down nearly 10 percent
According to the latest analysis by illion, the average late payment time for an Australian business was 12.6 days during the September quarter, down 9.1 percent from 13.9 days during the prior corresponding period. In addition to reducing the length of time for overdue bills, the data shows more businesses are also settling their invoices on time, demonstrating a broad shift in payment behaviour.
“If a company’s annual report is like the yearly medical check-up, then payment data is like Fitbit data. Timely payments are a crucial sign of business health. They are critical to small businesses running on slim margins, reducing the risk of job cuts and business failures.”
Simon Bligh, illion CEO
“In line with the pickup in business expectations and a more positive tone in other parts of the business sector, the sharp fall in late payments reflects better economic conditions and a clear improvement in cash flows. Business cash flows have also been boosted by higher profits, as seen in illion’s latest Business Expectations survey, which means firms are able to make their payments to suppliers in a timelier manner.”
Stephen Koukoulas illion Economic Adviser
The full report is at this link: https://dnb.com.au/_media/documents/AU%20Late%20Payments%20Q32017%20Full.pdf
