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 as security for borrowing. 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 it means when a UK company's accounts are overdue at Companies House: filing deadlines, penalties, why lateness predicts trouble, and what a supplier should do.
5 min readA customer is in administration or liquidation: what happens to my invoice?
What administration and liquidation mean for unpaid invoices: the payment queue, proof of debt, retention of title, VAT bad debt relief, and whether you must keep supplying.
8 min readEarly warning signs a customer is going to pay late, or not at all
The behavioural and public-record warning signs that a business customer is heading for default, and the practical steps UK suppliers can take 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.
6 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 readTurn the warning signs into email alerts
Kestrel Alert watches these signals across every company on your list, automatically.