Make your money work harder for you in 2026
TBE partnership with Confident Cashflow
We’re all in planning mode at this time of year. Maybe you want to grow your team, update your equipment or build a decent financial buffer, or perhaps you just want to take that holiday you’ve been promising yourself for two years!
Whatever your plans look like, they need money to make them happen. On paper, you may have that money, but it’s tied up in outstanding invoices, and your money can’t work for you if it’s sitting in someone else’s bank account.
I once knew of a business looking for a £300k loan. They had more than that stuck in unpaid invoices, most of it owed by a single client. They didn’t want to chase because the client had become a friend. They were willing to pay interest on borrowed money rather than ask for what was already theirs!
For some businesses, borrowing might be the right option. Growth often requires investment beyond what’s coming through the door, but check your outstanding invoices first before exploring overdrafts, loans, or dipping into savings to fund your goals. Getting paid faster means using your own money, not borrowing money you’ll have to pay back with interest.
The key that unlocks more money in your bank account is consistent activity. Here’s how to make credit control a habit in 2026, not something you avoid until it becomes urgent.
Link invoicing to something you already do – finishing the project, your Monday morning planning routine, or your end of week wrap up. Make it part of an existing habit so you stop putting it off.
Make checking your aged receivables report in your accounting software a weekly habit. When you know what’s owed and how overdue it is, nothing catches you by surprise.
Block time in your diary for credit control. Mix it up each week so you’re not always calling on the same day at the same time.
Don’t hide behind emails. Pick up the phone. Prepare before you call – have the facts ready, know what you’re going to say, and be clear on the outcome you want.
Consider outsourcing so chasing invoices doesn’t take time away from running your business. Handing credit control to someone else frees you up to focus on what you do best.
Make 2026 the year your money works for you, not for someone else.
Nicki Kinton is the founder of Confident Cashflow, providing credit control and credit management support to small businesses across the UK. Email: nicki@confidentcashflow.com Call:07900 834802 Connect with Nicki on LinkedIn.
