Positioning in Small Business Marketing

Alternative Venture Finance: Federal Grants and Loans

by: Dave Lavinsky

While most companies seeking venture capital initially think about angel investors and venture capitalists, a large alternative source of financing is federal grants and loans. The two largest federal grant programs are run by the Small Business Administration (SBA), and by Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs).

An SBA loan, regardless of whether it is a direct loan from the SBA, or, as is more common, a bank loan guaranteed by the SBA, is essentially a bank loan. The benefit of it versus a traditional bank loan is the rate. SBA rates are typically much less than traditional business loan rates.

In most cases, in a guaranteed SBA bank loan, the SBA guarantees 90 percent of the loan will be repaid to the bank. As such, banks are at much less risk than in most other loans, and are a bit more flexible with regards to who they offer these loans. However, the SBA usually requires the founders of the company to personally guarantee the loans, which makes them risky should the venture collapse.

Alternatively, Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs) are privately organized corporations that are licensed and regulated by the SBA. Small or emerging businesses which qualify for assistance from the SBIC program can receive equity capital and/or long-term loans from these companies. Essentially, these companies provide their own capital, which is supplemented by federal funds, to the companies they fund.

Interestingly, U.S. taxpayers benefits from the SBIC program as tax revenues generated from successful SBIC investments have more than covered the cost of the program. Likewise the program has created hundreds of thousands of jobs.

In summary, SBA and SBIC financing are viable alternatives to financing from angel investors and venture capitalists and should be considered in the capital raising process. Similarly to angel and VC financing, companies seeking SBA and SBIC financing need a strong management team and value proposition, and a highly professional and compelling business plan in order to raise the capital they need.

About the author:
GT Business Plans has developed over 200 business plans for clients that have collectively raised over $750 million in financing, launched numerous new product and service lines and gained competitive advantage and market share. GT Business Plans is the sister site of GT Venture Capital

Five Tips to Obtain Credit for Small Businesses

by: Monique Hawkins

As many small business owners know, financing is crucial to the financial health of their enterprise. While some small business owners have the resources to launch their business, most look to the credit market for financial help. Indeed, the banking industry is an important source to gain necessary capital. However, many entrepreneurs may not realize that that applying for commercial credit requires a great deal of preparation. Here are five tips to assist entrepreneurs in improving their chances of getting credit approval.

Tip #1: Decide on the type of commercial loan that is needed. Loan options include short-term loans, intermediate loans, long-term loans, and lines of credit.

Short-term loans are usually for less than a year. They typically provide interim working capital for a business temporarily in need of cash.

Intermediate loans are often used for business set-up, the purchase of new equipment, expansion, or an increase in working capital. This loan can be anywhere from 1-3 years.

Long-term loans are for major capital improvements, acquiring fixed assists, and business start-ups. The loan term is usually from 3-5 years and repayment installments are on a monthly or quarterly basis.

A line of credit gives a small business the ability to borrow money repeatedly, up to the credit limit. The lender will usually perform a review once a year, at which time the borrower is asked to update financial statements.

Tip #2: Make sure all paper work is in order. Applying for commercial loans can be very tedious and requires much more documentation than applying for consumer credit. So, the key is to be prepared. In addition, entrepreneurs who have carefully put together the needed paperwork to include the loan purpose, the amount of money needed and for how long, and a repayment schedule proposal will be viewed more favorably by many lenders.

Tip #3: Develop a well thought out proposal. The proposal should include the loan purpose, the amount of money needed and for how long, and a repayment schedule proposal. Points to include are the business description that tells the nature of the business, product and service, a personal profile, and a business plan that outlines the corporate strategy for the next three to five years. Additional points to add are supporting documentation that supports the information outlined in the proposal, and collateral that will be used to secure the loan. Financial statements, both personal and for the business, are important as well.

Tip #4: Seek advice! It is important for entrepreneurs to talk with someone who has gone through the process of obtaining commercial credit before a lender is approached. This is especially important for the first time buyer. Entrepreneurs can approach mentors, qualified business counselors, business support groups, and the U.S. Small Business Administration. This step will increase the chances of getting a favorable credit decision.

Tip #5: Be prepared to pursue various options. Sometimes, financial institutions will say no. Once again, obtaining credit can be difficult, especially for entrepreneurs who are first-time borrowers. However, since financial institutions have different standards, an inability to meet the standard of one lender does not mean one fails the standards of all. It is highly possible that credit approvals can be gained with another lender. So, it is important to keep seeking until a lender is found.

Obtaining credit is necessary for many small businesses. Knowing what steps to take in this process can greatly increase an approval from a financial institution. Now, put these five tips into practice and be on your way to getting the credit you need for your business venture.

About the author:
Monique Hawkins is the owner of the online music box store; “Monique’s Music Box” located at http://www.my-music-box.com. She enjoys sharing information with business owners that will help them attain success. For additional assistance from one of the most respected markets around today, Jay Abraham, visit: http://www.abrahampublishing.net/app/?af=274476

9 things you must do to maximize your chances of obtaining a small business loan

by: Neil Best

To get approval for your small business loan application, you must be able to meet the lending criteria set down. Some organisations are more risk averse than others, and will therefore have more stringent criteria.

To vastly increase your chances of a successful funding application, you will need to present the following information:

1. The reason for the loan. The lender will be looking for something that fits within the normal range and expertise of your business. The amount may cover a number of items, so you will need to cover each.

2. The amount required, and the repayment term of the small business loan you want. (e.g. $10,000 term 5 years, payable quarterly).

3. Details of how you will repay the amount borrowed. For example, “From the increase in profits of reduced running costs of the Whizzbang Go4It”

4. Details of security you will be able to offer to the lender. This will act as reassurance for the lender. If you’re not prepared to put up some aspect of security, then why should they?

5. You will need to include your business plan which will serve to answer essential questions relating to management capabilities, information about the market you operate in. What kind of business you are in etc.

6. 3 Years financial statements. You will need to present quality financial information from your accounting software, preferably signed off by your accountant or tax advisor.

7. Latest Set of Management accounts. Again produced from your accounting software.

8. Accounts receivables (debtors) and payables (creditors) ageing reports.

9. Principals financial statements. – Particularly required if some form of security is necessary.

If you are a new company, the emphasis is going to be on your business plan , and the security (also called collateral) you or your business can provide against the loan.

You must take the time to practice presenting your case to the bank or lender to iron out any glitches. Practice on your colleagues and family (you never know, they might be so impressed, they’ll invest or lend!). It may help to role play the lender and come up with as many pointy questions as possible. The more time you take the better your chances will be. (But remember, don’t fall into the analysis paralysis trap!)

Good luck!

About the author:
Neil Best is an accountant with over 15 years experience in business finance. This article and other useful business finance information such as making effective business plans and sourcing and applying for business grants can be found at http://www.smallbusinessfinancetips.com/small-business-loans.html

Toll Free Virtual PBX Systems Level the Playing Field for Small Businesses

by: Brandi Cummings

Technology, some people fear it, some resist it, and others embrace it. As a small business owner, it could be the best thing that ever happened to your company. With the technology available today, small businesses are increasingly leveling the playing field between themselves and big companies. With toll free virtual PBX (Private Branch Exchange) telephone systems, small businesses are combining today’s technology with traditional customer service to take their business to the next level.

It used to be that only Fortune 500 companies with thousands of employees and 10- story office buildings could afford and maintain a traditional PBX telephone system. Now, with toll free virtual PBX services, anyone with a telephone can reap the benefits of this powerful communications tool. A virtual PBX has all the advantages of a traditional PBX and more without the hassle, hardware, and expense.

A virtual PBX allows small businesses to:
• Project a professional, more established company image
• Have one unified number for office phone, cell phone, fax, and pager
• Make information available to their customers 24/7
• Automate order taking and pre-qualifying processes
• Have web-based, real time access to their system

Small and home-based businesses are using all of these features of their toll free virtual PBX systems to sound and operate like a Fortune 500 company everyday.

Project a Professional, More Established Company Image
Right or wrong, consumers assume a company with a toll free number is a more established and secure company. When a toll free number is attached to a virtual PBX with an automated attendant, that powerful image is perpetuated. An automated attendant will answer all incoming calls with the same professional and courteous message every time, day or night. Professional greetings can be recorded by the business owner themselves, or even by a voice talent, and customized for the needs of the business. It doesn’t matter if the business is operated out of a home office or the Oval Office. The caller hears a professional greeting each and every time they call.

Unified Voice and Messaging System
With a toll free virtual PBX system, small businesses only need one telephone number. This number can be an office phone, cell phone, fax, and pager all in one. Gone are the days of having to put 3 or 4 different numbers on business cards. Now the virtual PBX toll free number replaces them all. When a call comes in to the toll free number, it can be routed to any local number. It can even be programmed to route to different numbers at different times of the day or even different days of the week. A call never has to be missed again. That kind of flexibility is unheard of with a traditional toll free number or a hardwired PBX. If the call is not answered, or is sent to voicemail, the virtual PBX system can even send out a page to let the user know that there is a message waiting for them. The toll free number also acts as the fax number. When a fax is sent, the system recognizes it as a fax and can store it in the fax mailbox for later retrieval, forward the faxed document to a local fax machine, or even send the fax to an email address as an attachment. The unified messaging feature unchains small business owners from the home or small office and allows them the flexibility to get out and build their business while still being available to their customers.

Powerful Automation
No matter how efficient a small or home-based business is, they simply cannot be available to their customers all the time – unless they have a toll free virtual PBX system. If a caller has questions they want the answers now. If they don’t get those answers when they call, chances are they’ll look some place else. Making sure information is available, even when a live person isn’t, can be the difference between someone becoming a customer or moving on to the competition. A toll free virtual PBX allows the storage of an unlimited amount of information for callers to retrieve 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Menus broken down into what kinds of information a caller might need, make it easy for them to navigate the system and get what they are looking for. Faxes can even be attached so the caller can request an automated fax back. For a business that needs to pre-qualify their callers, or would just like to get some information about them, can take advantage of question and answer voice mailboxes. A set of pre-recorded questions can be asked of the caller and the voice responses then saved in the system and emailed as a sound file. These automated processes not only save time, but they also make sure callers can get the information they need when no one is available.

Web Based System Access
A toll free virtual PBX is just that, virtual. What that means for a small business owner is that one, there is no hardware to maintain or software to buy, and two, that they can access their system from anywhere they can get online. Online system access is one of the most popular features of a virtual PBX system. Web-based system access allows users to check their voice and fax messages over the internet or have the messages delivered directly to an email address. Of course, messages can still be checked from any touch-tone phone, anywhere.

A small business owner has administrative access to check the call logs of all incoming calls to their toll free number and use the call capture feature to not only capture the phone number of the person calling, but also their name and address. It also allows a user to run reports based on different criteria chosen. For example, reports could be run to show when the busiest time of the week is for customer service or if the call volume increased after a specific ad campaign was released. The applications are endless.

With all these powerful features, and most times more, it’s amazing that toll free virtual PBX systems can be found at a reasonable price. Most systems offered are between $9.95 and $29.95 depending on the capabilities and size of the system. Many will offer a varying number of voice mail boxes, features, and minute plans. A good toll free virtual PBX service provider can also customize systems if needed.

Technology is ever changing in today’s fast paced world. Small business owners will either have to embrace it or risk being left behind.

About the author:
B. Cummings is the Director of Marketing for TeleCentrex, a leading provider of toll free virtual pbx services. To see how a virtual pbx service applies to your business visit http://www.freedom800.com

Small Business Debt Collection Letter Writing

by: Joel Walsh

Writing a debt collection letter is one of the most important skills of any small business owner. Do you have what it takes to get the money you’ve earned?

I have a confession: I’m a business writer who’s let clients get away with not paying me–a huge sign of failure of my writing abilities. You see, I never learned one of the most important writing skills for any self-employed person or small business owner: how to write a debt collection letter.

Debt collection letters–an overview

“Debt collection letter” in the singular may be an oxymoron, since unfortunately, one is rarely enough. You should have a series of letters to send to deadbeat clients, each one becoming a little more insistent. Here are some ideas for a five-letter series.

1. Don’t make your first letter look like a collection letter at all. Make it a friendly note. You’re more likely to get money from someone who thinks of you as a partner than a dun.

2. If that first letter doesn’t get a response–and usually it won’t–send another the next week that’s more urgent and directly asks for the money. Express your concern that you have not been able to contact the client. Ask if he or she is all right, and if he or she is having any trouble paying.

3. The next week, if you still have not gotten a response, send a letter referring to the payment terms in the agreement you and the client originally made (you did have some kind of written agreement, even if it was just on the back of your invoice, right?). Mention the effect this nonpayment is having on your cash flow, and that your business’s cash flow is just as important as theirs.

4. Still no response by the next week? State plainly that you are asking for the money for the final time before referring it to collections. Include a copy of the entire agreement between you and the client.

5. If you still have not heard back from the client, and are confident that you do not simply have a problem with their contact information, call a collection agency—in fact, you may have wanted to have gotten a collection agency from step one (more on that below).

More Tips for Successful Debt Collections

Tip: Don’t wait to start asking for your money.

If it’s been a week since the payment deadline passed, it’s been a week too long. Send out that first “reminder” letter today. Don’t hesitate to send these letters as little as a week apart from each other. The longer your bill goes unpaid, the less likely it is you will ever see that money again.

Tip: If you’ve been sending email, try sending paper.

For whatever reason, there are people who take a paper letter more seriously. There’s also the real chance that your emails really are not getting through reliably, or are ending up at the bottom of an overflowing Inbox.

If you do send email, make sure it’s digitally signed. A digital signature proves that you sent the email to the specific recipient. In fact, you might want to make sure all your emails to clients and prospects are digitally signed, to have solid documentation of everything you said, and everything they owe.

Unlike with regular emails, the date, time, “to” and “from” fields can’t be forged, so the email has legal standing, even more than certified mail. While web-based email programs cannot send digitally signed email, there are third-party services that will let you send hundreds of digitally signed emails from a desktop email program for only a few dollars a month.

Tip: Follow up your debt collection letter with a telephone call.

As any collection agency will tell you, telephone calls are useful if your debtor has ignored the collection letters. But with caller ID, Caller Blocking and voice mail - if people don’t want to take your calls it is hard to reach them. This technique could be especially effective in the case of someone with whom you know will answer their own phone.

Of course, your writing skills won’t go to waste: you need to make sure you have scripted what you want to say. You should take the same attitude and touch on the same points as your letter. Whatever you do, don’t let yourself get sidetracked, and don’t be embarrassed. They’re the ones who are putting you out.

Don’t know your deadbeat’s telephone number? Try looking up the “Whois” record of the business’s website, which usually has the owner’s telephone number.

Does all this sound like too much work?

If you’d rather be writing proposals than collection letters, there are small business collection agencies that will take on debts for as little as $20 each. After all, your client had enough sense to go to you rather than doing your specialty themselves. Shouldn’t you have as much sense when it comes to your debt collection letters?

About the author:
Joel Walsh is a regular contributor collection-agency-information.com Read all his articles on small business debt collection: http://collection-agency-information.com[Web publication requirement: use “small business debt collection” as anchor text/visible link text for http://collection-agency-information.com]

Protect Your Business by Performing a Background Check

by: Bruce Zhang

The success of a business endeavor involves a concerted efforts of financing, strategic planning, product design or service positioning, marketing, sales, and customer support. One of most important aspects of doing business is the people you deal with everyday - your employees, your partners and your competitors. Whether you are a small business owner or a human resource manager of a large corporation, you want to make sure that you hire responsible employees, you deal with trustful partners, and you may even want to learn more about your competitors.

It is a routine for corporations to perform background checks on their hiring prospects before they make a hiring decision. Background checks reveal more information than that you gain from resumes or face-to-face interviews. For some jobs, screening is required by federal or state law. Job applicants and current employees may be asked to submit to background checks. The recent emphasis on security has increased that likelihood.

Contractor fraud is at an all time high. Background checks help businesses to verify the identify and license of potential contractors. Contractor complaint search shields the lights on the reputations of the contractors you’re dealing with.

1. What can you get from a background check report?

A background check report aggregates public records from many sources created by government agencies. Besides verifying the identify of an individual, a report usually includes: vehicle registration, credit records, criminal records, education records, court records, medical records, military records, state licensing records, and drug test records.

2. Who Conducts Background Checks?

There are many companies that specialize in employment background checks or pre-employment screening. Those companies range from employment screening companies to online data brokers. While an employment screening company may offer detailed and customized background checks at a premium, you can get instant background check reports from an online background check website at a much lower price. Large corporations often contract out the background checks to an employee screening company. Small business are likely utilize an online data brokers to get fast reports.

Copyright @2005, Bruce Zhang

You have permission to publish this article electronically free of charge, as long as the bylines and links in the body of the article and the bylines are included

About the author:
Bruce Zhang runs an IT and online marketing consulting business, and uses online resources for employee background checks http://www.crimcheck.com/and ( http://www.crimcheck.com/personalreports.htm)background check reports .

Why Is Small Business Health Insurance Worth It?

by: Jeff Schuman

If you’re looking for a guide to how to get health insurance and
what kind of health insurance is best for your small business,
then this is the article for you. Your business qualifies for
small business health insurance if you have anywhere between two
and fifty employees in it. If you are self employed then you’ll
want to look into getting self employed health insurance.

There are many benefits to getting small business health
insurance. A small business health insurance plan will help
spread the financial risk around to everyone and not just
yourself. As this is the case, this generally will bring lower
premiums and more extensive coverage. Along with this, the
health insurance provides medical care for you and all other
employees as well.

With a small business health insurance people often get group
insurance. This too has its advantages on several different
aspects. All contributions from the employers are 100% tax
deductible, and you’ll save on payroll taxes as well. Small
businesses will be eligible for group insurance just as long as
you have two or more full time employees working.

When setting up a group insurance plan for your small business,
all members will be set up with a coverage plan with rates
calculated using the group and individuals. After that it is up
to the separate employees themselves if they wish to add riders
and additional coverage to satisfy their needs. Keep in mind
that not all employees in the small business have to join the
group plan. Just as long as there is no fewer then two
employees in the business that have the group insurance plan,
then you will be fine.

The cost of the group insurance plan varies based on several
different characteristics. Some of these include age, health
status, business and/or residential location and so on. Like
everything in this world it’s not going to be cheap, but it will
be cheaper then having a bunch of separate health insurance
plans.

Most health plans are going to require employees to pay at least
half of the premium cost for covered employees. Some employees
will offer to pay 100% of the cost, white now there is a new
health plan giving employees the option to pay as little as 25%
of the cost. Just know that typically most types of coverage
will cost employees a minimum of $1,600-$2,500 per year per
employee. By clicking on the link below you can begin getting
quotes for your small business health insurance.

http://www.buyerzone.com/benefits/health_insurance/qz_questions_2.jhtml

Just remember that many times medical services are needed
unexpectedly. If you or other employees do not have health
insurance this could be a devastating blow to the wallet. The
cost of a hospital visit, depending on the circumstance, will
many times be much higher then the cost of health insurance.
You want to be able to live life knowing that you’re insured
just in case the unexpected happens. Nothing hurts to at least
look at some quotes and talk it over with other employees, but
you have the power to make the decision.

About the author:
Small business grants and small business resources to help you start and run your own small business. Small business training, information, articles, loans, and more. http://www.sites-plus.com

Accounting Methods – Cash and Accrual

by: Richard A. Chapo

When starting a business, you have to determine the method you are going to use for accounting and paying taxes. The two choices are the cash method and the accrual method.

Cash Method

If you are looking for simplicity, the cash method is probably your best accounting choice. Generally, income and deductions can be claimed when payment is actually received or made. This is best shown with an example.

I open a small business and have to order business cards and stationary. I receive the products and pay the invoice on November 18, 2005. Under the cash method, I can deduct the cost on my 2005 tax return.

Some businesses are restricted from using the cash method. C corporations may only use the cash method if they have less than $5 million in gross revenues for a particular year. Professional Service Corporations can use the cash method without limit, while farming corporations can due so if gross revenues are less than $25 million. Tax shelters are prohibited from using the cash method.

Accrual Method

The Accrual Method of accounting is a bit more complex. Under this method, the focus in on the date the expense is incurred, not paid. Although this may seem a small difference, it can play havoc with your books and piece of mind.

Using our previous example, assume I order business cards and stationary on the December 18, 2005. I receive the products on December 30th, but don’t pay the invoice until January 20, 2006. When can the expense be claimed? It depends on when economic performance occurred.

Generally, economic performance occurs when goods or services are provided to you. In the above example, economic performance would arguably occur when the business cards and stationary were delivered with the invoice on December 30th. Thus, I would be able to deduct the expense for the 2005 tax year.

In Closing

As you can see, the cash method is the easier of the two accounting methods. To determine the best method for your business, speak with a tax professional.

About the author:
Richard Chapo is with Business Tax Recovery - Stop overpaying small business taxes. Read more business tax articles.

Getting a Small Business Loan

by: Dave Ryan

Are you in need of financial resources in order to start or even maintain your small business? Most of us are. The fist step is to take a look at the vast number of commercial loan sources that offer help in this area such as Chase, Citibank, etc. Also, with the Small Business Administration (SBA), you should be able to arrange a connection with one of these banks. This is one of many organizations that specialize in loans to small businesses.

Contrary to the belief that bankers actually look for reasons to turn down prospective clients in need of a loan, they are in the business to lend money. This means that every time a banker is sitting in front of a potential client, they are hoping to make the deal work just as much, if not more than the client wants it to work.

A bank’s primary role in the small business lending area is funding growth. An example of this would be to finance the expansion of small business with a proven track record. Most banks can offer a wide variety of loan packages designed to finance expansion of an already existing small business.

Below are a few examples bank loan packages :

1. Asset Based Financing. Asset Based Financing is a general term describing a transaction whereby a lender accepts collateral and assets of a company in exchange for a loan. Most asset based loans are collateral against other accounts receivable, inventory, or equipment. Accounts receivable is the most favored of the three because it can be converted into cash quickly. Banks will only advance funds on a percentage of receivable or inventory, typically being around 75% of the receivable and 50% inventory.

2. Line of Credit. A line of credit involves the bank’s setting aside designated funds for the business to draw against for the cash it needs. As the line of credit is used, the credit line is reduced and when payments are made the line is replenished. One major advantage of a line of credit is that no interest is accrued unless the funds are actually used.

3. Floor Planning. Floor Planning is another form of asset based lending in which the borrower’s inventory is used as collateral for the loan. Car dealerships are a prime example of a business that often uses floor planning as their primary financial tool.

About the author:
For more great business, marketing and mind power ideas to develope your business visit the Higher-Profits Blog at www.higher-profits.com

Small Business Debt Collection Law Cheat Sheet

by: Joel Walsh

In your small business debt collection laws will eventually become important, as your debt grows and some clients do not pay.

To collect small business debts legally, you must first send a written notice that collections have begun, within five days of first contacting the debtor for collections (for instance, within five days of calling on the telephone). The letter must include dispute instructions.

Small Business Debt Collection Laws Forbidden Practices

* Collect any amount beyond the actual debt, unless you really can do so legally.

* Continue collections on a debt if the debtor has disputed the debt, unless you provide the debtor with written proof.

* Continue contacting the debtor if within 30 days of first contact, the debtor disputes the debt.

* Credit a payment the debtor has made to a non-disputed debt to a debt the debtor has disputed.

* Deposit a post-dated check before the post-date.

Small Business Debt Collections Laws: What You Can’t Say

* Give a false name.

* You are an attorney or government representative, if you are not.

* You have an attorney working for you or that you are going to assign the case to an attorney, if you really do not.

* The debtor has committed a crime, unless you are 100ure they have.

* You work for a credit bureau, if you really do not.

* The debt is more or less money than it actually is.

* You are sending or have sent legal forms when you really did not.

* You are sending or have sent papers that are not legal forms, if they really are legal forms.

* The debtor will be arrested–no one is arrested for nonpayment of debts anymore.

* You will seize, garnish, attach, or sell the debtor’s property or wages, if you do not really intend to or cannot legally do so (and unless the debt is secured with collateral, you probably cannot).

* You will sue or take other legal action, if you do not really intend to, or are not legally able to do so.

Small Business Debt Collection Laws Forbidden Third-Party Disclosures

Never:

* Give any credit-related information that is not 100
ccurate.

* Tell anyone other than the debtor that you are collecting a debt.

* Telephone any number other than the debtor’s more than once.

Small Business Debt Collection Phone Calls

Never:

* Call after 9 pm or before 8 am.

* Forget to give your name and your company’s name.

* Call repeatedly or in a way intended to annoy.

* Make a collect call.

* Make any threats.

* Use profane or obscene language.

* Leave a message that reveals this is a debt collection.

Small Business Debt Collection Mailing

Never send:

* Postcards.

* Envelopes or mailings with any reference to debt collection on the exterior.

* Anything that looks like an official, legal, or government document, if it is not.

Please note this page is not intended to give legal advice and may not be complete or up to date with the most current collection laws changes.

About the author:
Joel Walsh has written more tips on debt collection law: http://www.debt-collection-laws.com/?debt collection law [Publish this article on your website! Requirement: make live link for above URL/web address with link text/anchor text: “debt collection law” OR leave this bracketed message intact.]