PICB’s Credit Tip – Who’s Your Valentine By Andrea Schlack, President PICB Have you been victimized by a customer who suddenly sold its company while still owing you money? Were you left bereft, a profitless victim without recourse? PICB’s Valentines Wish to You William Shakespeare wrote “A rose by any other name would smell as…

Have you ever wandered around in the darkness, in a new house, or a new place, looking for the bathroom, only to stub your toe on some object that you didn’t see coming? This is what it feels like for companies that have not taken the time to create a strong credit and collection policy.…

Printer Recovers $50,000.00 When PICB Bites Crime! Two years ago, a debtor conspired to use the bankruptcy code as a means to swindle his Printer out of substantial money, but Printing Industry Credit Bureau’s guard dogs stopped their plot by taking a bite out of their bone-headed plans. The Con The Debtor paid all the…

PICB Pricks Puffed-Up Excuses & Deflates Dumb Disputes Recently, a member sought the assistance of PICB to recover money owed from a customer who’s dispute reeked of flatulent falseness. Shortly after PICB made a demand for payment, the Customer made his own demand. He wanted the Printer’s insurance information so he could file a multi-million…

Crawly Critters and Credit Creeps: As Kafka stated in Metamorphosis, no matter the adversity cockroaches will always survive, therefore should you ever believe a won battle wins the war, you are wrong, the roaches will always survive. When it comes to things that scurry in dark places and at night, your best hope is to…

The Profitability of the Ho-Hum and Hum-Drum of Credit Practices Have you ever looked at your receivables and asked ‘Why bother’, stressing that your efforts are wasted? REMEMBER   The majority of customers do pay timely – some may need extra prodding to get the money – and there will always be a small percentage…

DID YOU KNOW: That Sherlock Holmes, Dick Tracy, & Scooby Doo did not solve crimes and capture criminals because they had super-hero powers. Their superior crime solving skills came from INTELLECT, INTUITION, and INSTINCT, the three ‘I’s of successful sleuthing; AND Did you know that business people who employ these same skills suffer fewer losses…

CREDIT CREEPS

DON’T LET YOUR PROFITS GO UP IN SMOKE The marijuana market is growing with legalization. Let’s revisit our article about doing business with dispensary shops. What do you do to get paid?  By Benjamin Kelly Lovejoy & Kelly PS – Seattle, WA Washington State’s legalization of marijuana in November 2012 opened up a slew of possibilities…

Crawly Critters and Credit Creeps: As Kafka stated in Metamorphosis, no matter the adversity cockroaches will always survive, therefore should you ever believe a won battle wins the war, you are wrong, the roaches will always survive. When it comes to things that scurry in dark places and at night, your best hope is to…

CREDIT CREEPS Do Credit Creeps Erect Walls To Keep You From Your Money? PICB Is a Brick Breaker Tumbling Brick Makers There was a local Credit Creep who built a wall to prevent a Printer from being paid — He failed, and he is now just another pile of muddy rubble, crumbled at the base…

Did you know: that Ebeneezer Scrooge had been sorely and wrongfully maligned by those around him as a grumpy, mean, miser when in-fact he became an unpleasant person as a direct consequence of his customers repeated non-payment of invoices which ultimately caused him severe financial distress? He was forced to chase each and every shilling just so he could buy the…

Puny Primitive Disputes,  A Pre-hysterical tale! By Andrea Schlack   Way, Way back at the dawn of time, Bob, a starving caveman, was primordial ooze and bones and in dire need of food.  Not being the typical aggressive Neanderthal he never really mastered the art of hunting, and farming was not yet invented so he…

Happy Thanksgiving

We Collect From Dead PeopleAttachment of the Business Snatchers! What is fear but reality manifested in the brain’s cortex as an explosion of hyper-intense feelings and emotions? Much like humor makes you laugh, fear makes you scream! Happy HalloweenThis should make you scream Imagine, one day being given your expiration date! While we all know…

NO PAPER A Cash Flow Crisis in the MakingPRINTERS – BE WARNED! The paper shortage is already wreaking havoc on our industry. The diminished capacity to produce paper caused by a pulp shortage amongst other issues is not anticipated to be solved easily, nor quickly! It will cause project creep along with escalating prices, leading…

DON’T GO CRAZY, GET PAID G Granting credit properly is a process of assessing a customer’s viability and ability to pay its debts timely before terms are provided. E Establishing good standards and practices to identify risky slow and no-pay customers maximize a company’s potential growth. T Taking the time and effort at the beginning of…

Have you ever been lost because you chose not to read a map, or try to assemble something only to start again when it was discovered pieces did not fit because the instructions were ignored? The very same principals apply to Credit granting… When your customer is given your credit application with instructions to complete…

To Err is Human – To Forgive Divine – but to Profit is Really Really Smart…. We are all human and prone to err, and this very human trait is what separates us from predictable, boring robots. If we never faltered, never had to re-think, re-do, re-purpose, remove, re-tool, or re-tune, there would be zero…

DEBTORS WHACKED— SMACKED SCHLACK'ED

Debtors Whacked—Smacked Schlack’Ed The majority of companies in the United States are structured as pass-through businesses and are categorized under as sole-proprietor, partnerships, limited liability companies, and S corporations, for federal income tax purposes. This means these entities are not subject to income tax to avoid double taxation. Rather the profits are passed directly through…

FISHY TALES The Night Before Last By Andrea Schlack, President T’was the night before last, and all was in good cheer finally rid of the profit-sucking vermin we all have to fear. Those creepy cowards that scurry and scamper cheating and stealing, they hinder and hamper, with theft and deception, causing profits to slump, they…

FISHY TALES SHUSH!  DON’T LET THE DEBTORS KNOW THEY ARE ABOUT TO BE SCHLACKED! By Andrea Schlack, President If Necessity is the Mother of Invention, and Determination is the Daddy, Then Printing Industry Credit Bureau is the Single Parent that Does It All. I became the first female bill collector hired by a major agency…

FISHY TALES PICB’S PRIME DIRECTIVE: GET PRINTERS PAID!!!!! ngeH Huch latlh DopDaq qIb. yIghoSDo’ ‘oH boS. (Klingon Translation to English: Your money was sent to the other side of the galaxy. Good luck collecting it.) From an Orvillian Galaxy far away, a conniving Klingon tried stealing money from the pockets of an Earthling Printer. The…

FISHY TALES One of the scariest books I ever read as a kid was Stephen King’s IT. Why I was allowed to read such a scary book at the age of 12 is debatable, but even now, almost 30 years later, that book still gives me chills. I am reminded of the book since a…

FISHY TALES Have you ever wandered around in the darkness, in a new house, or a new place, looking for the bathroom, only to stub your toe on some object that you didn’t see coming? This is what it feels like for companies that have not taken the time to create a strong credit and…

July’s Challenge: What Would You Do? PICB presents ANDREALITY BITES: FISHY TALES Are We All Only Bricks In The Wall? Hardened credit criminals will construct obstacles to prevent a creditor from getting their money back, and how these situations are handled will determine how impenetrable the Con’s wall may become. Be a Brick Breaker not…

FISHY TALES June’s Challenge: What Would You Do? Did the music skip or is the Record Broken?   Records skip and repeat because of flaws such as cracks or scratches, but sometimes it isn’t the record at all. Sometimes it’s the needle or the player itself that needs to be replaced. When problems arise solutions…

May’s Challenge: What Would You Do?   Typically, PICB will tell a tale of woe to make a point or to explain a principal, but this month we are going to challenge our readers with the everyday question credit managers, business owners, and financial folks face…… the dreaded: “Should we?” When does risk become too…

April’s Challenge: What Would You Do?   Six decades ago, an advertising expert and a printer created the million dollar concept of selling brand loyalty, via coupons compiled in a book, that provided savings for an entire year. These books were sold to the public from local schools, charities, and places of worship by a dedicated…

BEHIND THE SCENES – THE REAL FISHY TALE Recently a Printer did business with well-known local company, thinking this customer was his proverbial ‘Golden Goose’. The Printer believing the illusion allowed this customer a disproportionate line of credit that exceeded $250K+, and because this customer always made small payments mingled with promises for more ‘soon’,…

FISHY TALES PRIZE RULES -2017 There are no scales or hooks necessary, and you do not need fins or even an ability to swim to win. Who is eligible? — Anyone and everyone except employees of Professional Credit Management Associates, Inc. dba Printing Industry Credit Bureau and Checkitco Company (PICB), along with their children and/or…

WHY CHOOSE US AS YOUR DEDICATED CREDIT & COLLECTION PARTNER? Printing Industry Credit Bureau (PICB) and its’ sister company, CheckitCo have over 40 years experience as a dependable, effective, cost-efficient, and reputable agency dedicated to taking the hassle and stress out of credit & collection. We Know The Printing Industry – We’ve successfully provided dedicated…

FISHY TALES PRIZE RULES -2017 There are no scales or hooks necessary, and you do not need fins or even an ability to swim to win. Who is eligible? — Anyone and everyone except employees of Professional Credit Management Associates, Inc. dba Printing Industry Credit Bureau and Checkitco Company (PICB), along with their children and/or…

Indiana Jones & the Credit Trilogy Part 3 The Last C.R.U.S.A.D.E. By Robbie Burch   Dr. Henry Jones: “Archaeology is the search for fact…not the truth. If it’s truth you’re looking for, Dr. Tyree’s philosophy class is right down the hall.”  Sometimes managing debt and coming out unscathed can feel like Indiana Jones and his father…

Contract/ Non-Contract Applicable Rates of Interest for Credit  Each state has their own statutory rates of interest creditors may charge depending upon the circumstances. Alabama 8% in writing; 6% otherwise Alaska 10.5% in writing Arizona 10% per year; any amount if agreed & contracted Arkansas 5% California 7% non contract, not to exceed 12% with…

Indiana Jones & the Credit Trilogy Part 2 The Temple of D.O.O.M. By Robbie Burch Willie: “You’re gonna get killed chasing your damn fortune and glory!” Indiana Jones: “Maybe, but not today.”   In Part 1 of our Credit Trilogy  we discussed the A.R.C. The Assembling of Credit Information, reviewing the information that has been assembled,…

Credit Revenge is a …  Oh, How Sweet Revenge Can Be  By Andrea  Schlack I want to thank our North Carolina Law firm, Bernhardt and Strawser who has taken ‘turn-around is fair game’ and ‘infringement’ to an entirely new level that will long benefit the Printing Industry! Recently a printer extended a large line for credit…

Indiana Jones & the Credit Trilogy Part 1 Raiders of the Lost A.R.C. By Robbie Burch “I’m going after a kind of incredible historical significance, you’re talking about the boogie man. Besides, you know what a cautious fellow I am.” — Indiana Jones  Any business, regardless of size or type, is an adventure, and like any…

Handling problem accounts is never a pleasurable task for any organization. After spending time chasing an unscrupulous client, it is even more frustrating to turn the account over to a collection agency that is unresponsive.   We were very happy when we learned about Printing Industry Credit Bureau through PIA. We have developed a strong working…

RISK ASSESSMENT: GET PAID! Look up the history of printing and Wikipedia will tell you: “The history of printing goes back to the duplication of images by means of stamps in very early times. The use of round seals for rolling an impression into clay tablets goes back to early Mesopotamian civilization before 3000 BCE, where…

Owning and running a small business comes with a unique set of challenges, especially when dealing with credit issues. Thankfully, our company has been able to turn to Andrea Schlack and Printing Industry Credit Bureau for virtually all credit decisions over the past 20 years. When faced with a formidable credit question, the first thing…

THE CRUDE REALITY –Silent But Deadly (S.B.D.) Bad Debt & Bankruptcy By Bobbie Burch Just since the beginning of 2016 there have been 29 U.S. Oil & Gas companies that have filed for bankruptcy, and 64 total since the start of 2015, costing creditors billions. While whole scale industry collapses have been increasing over the…

Original Artwork by Marc. Art, Inc. [email protected]

The Deception of Perception By Andrea Schlack & Robbie Burch WARNING: Objects in mirror are closer than they appear, or in ‘credit speak’ don’t allow perception deception to turn your company’s profit into road kill. Over the years we at PICB have provided Printers with the nasty truth about Cons, explaining how they use motive,…

DEBTORS SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS! By Andrea Schlack & Robbie Burch My Mama used to tell me that the truth is a straight line, once spoken it need not be remembered – but a lie is like a circle; it is never ending and can never be forgotten or you risk being exposed as a…

DON’T LET YOUR PROFITS GO UP IN SMOKE By Benjamin Kelly Lovejoy & Kelly PS Seattle, WA Washington State’s legalization of marijuana in November 2012 opened up a slew of possibilities for businesses and entrepreneurs, both experienced and budding. Overnight, there was need and opportunity for pot-related businesses from retailers to suppliers to growers. Many…

JUST BECAUSE… YOU’RE NOT PARANOID…  THEY ARE WATCHING YOU By Rick Cruz Fraudulent companies masquerading as legitimate businesses have never been a unique or novel concept. Whether it be the charlatans of the 15th century or the Enron’s of the 90’s, there has been no shortage of illegitimate gains through deception. Even our nation’s most…

URGENT NEWS Mail Fraud Investigation   For several years one or more individuals in Canada have been contacting printing companies in the U.S. requesting their services in printing mailings that are sent to US consumers. Once the print job is complete and the mailings are sent, the suspect/s mail the victim printing company a check that…

PROTECT YOURSELF! C A N A D I A N   S C A M    A L E R T ! CONdemned The Canadian Crime ring plaguing printers was thwarted again this past Good Friday thanks to PICB’s efforts to keep Printers protected from these profit sucking criminals! On Good Friday at approximately 4…

YOUR MONEY – YOUR RULESRule 5 – Dealing with Delinquencies By Andrea Schlack & Robbie Burch Over the past many months we have discussed practices for building profit with good credit granting policies, but what about the collection process? You have followed the rules, you performed due diligence, the risk assessment was positive and terms were…

REALITY BITES: Where’s My Payment?   By Andrea Schlack and Bobbie Burch   Your company worked arduously convincing a customer to use your company as a vendor for goods and services: They finally agreed, providing you with a completed credit application/agreement which was then thoroughly reviewed, and the customer was deemed creditworthy, thus a credit…

CONNECT THE By Andrea Schlack & Robbie Burch  The job is done and delivered – Your company expects payment – but instead of seeing green, you are now seeing red because the customer has claimed defects and damages, disputing what is due you. Sadly YOU now have to determine ‘what to do?’ Always remember to…

The Seven Deadly Sins of Credit Management By Robbie Burch     LUST: Whenever a customer walks in and requests a line of credit there is an immediate rush to okay the order. The ability to make money and make a profit cannot overcome the due diligence process necessary to evaluate a potential customer before a…

The Twelve Steps To An Effective Credit Policy By Robbie Burch and Andrea Schlack Granting credit is like opening a Christmas present, you never know what you’ll get till it’s unwrapped! So, in the spirit of the holiday season,  we here at PICB would like to share with all our clients and Members of The Printing…

YEA OR NAY?   Granting Credit is not rocket science, it is the art of determining Risks vs. Reward by using common sense to determine who should be trusted with credit and who should pay cash. I liken it to gambling: Would anyone ever go into a casino blindfolded, carrying a wallet full of exposed…

AFTER ALICE: A PRINTERS EXPERIENCE IN WONDERLAND   WHAT is this place? This is where Mr. Jinx told me to meet him when he gave me this key. He promised the Queen would finally pay. “You’ll see, with me as your friend not only will you have no further problems with payment, but I will…

PRINTERS AND PIA MEMBERS BE WARNED! THE BAD GUYS ARE BACK AGAIN…. We have been alerted by an East Coast Member that they were recently victimized by the old Canadian mail scam and we wish to warn all to be very careful that you are not similarly victimized. THE EASY FIX —– Check the customer’s address and…

I Want A Cheeseburger in Paradise, please? In the Buffet that is life are you a Jimmy or a Warren? By Robbie Burch & Andrea Schlack Money is lost or found depending upon how credit lines are granted to customers, and PICB has been the Printer’s stalwart partner by providing services, tools, and ideas on…

TOTAL PRINTING SYSTEMS  RECOMMENDATION  TPS Enterprises Inc. dba Total Printing Systems (TPS) has been using Printing Industry Credit Bureau (PICB) services for over eight (8) years. The PICB crew is an amazing crew to work with. They are always watching out for their clients. Andrea and her staff are relentless and will exhaust all possible…

Hocus Pocus – Keep Your Credit Profits in Focus By Robbie Burch All the little creepy crawlers come out at midnight to scheme, plot, and plan how to con, deceive, and steal Printer’s profits. Those who are delusional to this potential risk, thinking they can profit anyway, end up suffering the consequences of the illusion…

Stewie… A Credit Manager? By R.C. Burch Securing payment from slow-paying or non-paying customers is difficult enough of a task on its’ own, but that is not all a Credit Manager does DAILY. Many times it seems like managing a credit department is a thankless, never ending process of deciphering the good from the bad,…

Officer Liability for Failure to Disclose Agency By Elliott M. Portman Do you know who your customer is? Are you sure? Often a Seller of goods or services is unsure who to pursue legally if payment is not made on their bill.  The situation is common, especially when there is no formal Credit Application taken prior…

Credit Tips   By Lee Tilly A well-informed salesperson who is kept ‘in the know’ improves cash flow because they can then up-sell the good payer, ask for cash from a slow-payer, and chase the deadbeats away! Provide them with the average number of days their customer took previously in paying an invoice so they can adjust…

Zombie: Rise Of The Credit Dread I sit in my grandfather’s old printing factory reflecting upon the how and wherefores’ of what got me to this desolate place of now lost dreams. I desperately yearn for those days of prosperity when all was right, but I ignored the changes that were happening right before my…

Water, Water Everywhere, but Can I have a Drink?   By Andrea Schlack Many jokingly say that the only things in life one can count upon is death and taxes, but in business, there is a third equal and undeniable reality—–Bad Debt! Losses to non-paying customers WILL happen! No matter the circumstances, whether if a…

Why PICB? Gerald W. Gaul Recommendation  April 15, 2015 Andrea Schlack Printing Industry Credit Bureau 5250 Grand Avenue Gurnee, IL 60031 To Whom in May Concern: Andrea has always been very helpful in assisting us with difficult situations that can occur while running a printing and graphics business. Her knowledge and assistance in regards to…

Does Captain American Make Chopped Liver of Chicken Little? By Robbie Burch In business, as in life, it is commonly believed that in situational circumstances one is better off being proactive rather than reactive, therefore who would be a better credit manager, Captain America or Chicken Little? Does anticipation or reaction have better credit consequences?…

Which Credit Strategy Improves Profit Potentials? By Andrea Schlack Gaius Julius Caesar Led a coup, crowned himself emperor, and made an Empire from a small unstable country that had been mired in political intrigues, poverty, and dissention. He fomented instability into a cause against a common foe thus uniting the Citizens of Rome to build…