Guides for trade creditors
Plain-English guides to the public-record warning signs: what they mean and what to do about them. Written for UK businesses that get paid after the work is done.
How to check if a UK company is in financial trouble (for free)
Free ways to check the financial health of a UK company using Companies House and The Gazette: what to look for, and the limits of a one-off check.
6 min readWhat does a charge on Companies House mean?
A charge on Companies House means a company has pledged assets to a lender. What fixed and floating charges and debentures mean for suppliers owed money.
6 min readOverdue accounts at Companies House: how worried should you be?
What overdue accounts at Companies House mean: filing deadlines, penalties, why late filing predicts trouble, and what a supplier should do about it.
5 min readA customer is in administration or liquidation: what happens to my invoice?
What administration and liquidation mean for your unpaid invoices: the payment queue, proof of debt, retention of title and VAT bad debt relief.
8 min readEarly warning signs a customer is going to pay late, or not at all
The behavioural and public-record signs that a business customer is heading for default, and what UK suppliers can do before it's too late.
7 min readWhat is a phoenix company, and what can you do about one?
How phoenix companies work, when they're legal, the warning signs before a debtor phoenixes, and the practical steps UK suppliers can take before and after.
7 min readFree company credit check: what you can (and can't) learn
How to credit check a UK company for free using Companies House, The Gazette and the CCJ register: what each source shows, and what paid reports actually add.
6 min readHow to find out if a company has a winding-up petition
How to check for a winding-up petition against a UK company: Gazette adverts, the central registry, why banks freeze accounts, and what suppliers should do.
5 min readCCJs against a company: how to check and what they mean
How to check CCJs against a UK company on the official judgment register, what a judgment really signals about a customer, and the limits of a CCJ search.
5 min readCan a company in receivership or administration still send invoices, and do you have to pay?
Yes, a company in receivership, administration or liquidation can still invoice you, and you usually still have to pay. Who to pay, and how set-off helps.
8 min readA customer has a winding-up petition: what happens next and what to do
A customer has a winding-up petition. What happens next: frozen bank accounts, payments that can be clawed back, the hearing, and how to protect your invoice.
9 min readWhat "Active: proposal to strike off" means when a customer shows it on Companies House
What "Active: proposal to strike off" means on Companies House, how long a creditor has to object, and how to get an email when a customer is listed.
8 min readRecent UK insolvencies
A page for each company that has recently gone under, built from the notice published in The Gazette and the statement of affairs filed at Companies House. If one of them is your customer, the creditor figures are the same ones their liquidator is working from.
Turn the warning signs into email alerts
Kestrel Alert watches these signals across every company on your list, automatically.