Book excerpt: The credit crisis, high fuel costs, job losses, bankruptcies, foreclosures and the failing economy are all contributing to factories closing, job loss and business owners going out of business because they can’t get paid. Learn how to take specific steps and use positive action to streamline and maximize your credit management policies. This book, Credit and Collections: A Business Perspective, is for businesses that have past due customers and need help collecting from them. It is for businesses who want to check their customer’s credit to limit credit risk and avoid bad debt. Things that have worked in the past are no longer working; everybody’s credit has changed, everyone’s job situation has changed, people have lost their homes due to the economy or weather and the flow of our business cash has taken a hit. Credit and Collections: A Business Perspective will help anyone who has customers that owe them money and will give them specific steps and actions they can take to make effective collection calls that work. This book will show you how to check a customer’s credit and determine their credit worthiness before you extend credit to someone who may not be able to pay you. With this book you can protect your business and your bottom line by protecting your most important asset, your cash flow.