Business for Scotland Late Payment Survey Question Title * 1. Please tick the box that best describes you, your company, or organisation. Individual Micro business (up to 9 staff) Small business (10 to 49 staff) Medium business (50 to 250 staff) Large business (over 250 staff) Charity or social enterprise Business representative organisation/trade body Trade union or staff association Central Government Local Government Other (please specify) OK Question Title * 2. Please tick the box that best describes the principal activity of your organisation. Accommodation, food and drink services Administrative and support service Agriculture, forestry and fishing Arts, entertainment and recreation Construction Electricity, gas, or water supplier Finance and insurance activities Human health and social work activities Information and communication Manufacturing Mining and quarrying Professional, scientific and technical activities Real estate activities Retail Transportation and storage Other (please specify) OK Question Title * 3. Please tick the box that best describes where in Scotland your organisation operates North East Highlands Islands Central Belt Borders South West Other (please specify) OK Question Title * 4. What percentage of payments from businesses and organisations that you supply to tend to be late? 0% Up to 25% 26-50% 51-75% 76-99% 100% OK Question Title * 5. How has your experience of late payments from customers changed over the past 3 years? Increased Decreased No change OK Question Title * 6. How often do you experience invoices that are never paid? Never Rarely Often Very Often OK Question Title * 7. On average, what is the typical payment term you demand of businesses you supply to? Partial or full payment in advance Payment in full on delivery Payment within 10 days Payment within 11-30 days Payment within 31-60 days Payment within 61-90 days Payment after 90 days Other (please specify) OK Question Title * 8. How has the length of the payment terms you offer your customers changed over the past 3 years? Increased Decreased No change OK Question Title * 9. Have long payment periods impacted your investment plans for growth? If so, how? Yes No Please expand briefly on your answer OK Question Title * 10. If all your invoices were paid on time and your cashflow wasn’t a problem, how much additional growth do you think you would be able to add to your turnover in the following year? No change Up to 5% additional growth 5-10% additional growth 10-15% additional growth 15-20% additional growth More than 20% additional growth OK Question Title * 11. What do you think are the reasons for late payment? Select all that apply. Complex invoicing procedures / poor admin on your behalf Complex invoicing procedures / poor admin on customers behalf Deliberate attempt by customers to improve their cashflow Imbalance of power between businesses Other (please specify) OK Question Title * 12. Which of the following businesses were more likely to pay you late or withhold payment altogether? Micro businesses (0-9 employees and turnover under £2m) Small companies (10-49 employees and turnover under £10m) Medium sized companies (50-249 employees and turnover under £50m) Larger companies (250+ employees and turnover under £250m) Large PLC businesses (with turnover over £250m, e.g. supermarkets, major construction firms, etc.) Public sector organisations Charitable / not for profit bodies Other (please specify) OK Question Title * 13. How have long payment periods affected you? Select all that have applied to you in the past three years. We pay our own suppliers late We struggle to pay our staff on time We struggle to pay business bills like energy, business rates and rent We have to rely on invoice financing We have to rely on our bank overdraft We have to take out loans to cover shortfalls We have been unable to invest in new equipment/and or staff Our staff have had to reduce their salaries Other (please specify) OK Question Title * 14. Has late payment ever resulted in the following for your business? Select all that have applied to you in the past three years. It has been a threat to your survival You have had to downscale your business activities and operations You have had to lay off staff as a result of being unable to pay them None of the above Other (please specify) OK Question Title * 15. Do you use technology to manage the payment process? How has it helped? Yes No Please expand briefly on your answer OK Question Title * 16. What are the main barriers for your business in using technology to enhance the payments process? What could be done to encourage greater take up by SMEs? OK Question Title * 17. Are additional measures needed to give confidence in the Prompt Payment Code as a statement of good practice? Yes No I am not aware of the terms of the Prompt Payment Code OK Question Title * 18. Do you think that newly introduced measures, namely the Small Business Commissioner and payment practices reporting, will affect the culture of payment practices? Yes No I am not aware of the Small Business Commissioner’s role OK Question Title * 19. Are you aware of the finance options available to help manage long payment periods? Have you faced any barriers to accessing appropriate finance? Yes No Please expand briefly on your answer OK Question Title * 20. What, if any, action do you take when you are paid late? Select all that have applied to you in the past three years. I do nothing/wait to be paid I contact the business who is late in paying I calculate statutory interest and debt costs and re-invoice the late paying business I contact my trade/sector body I contact the Small Business Commissioner Other (please specify) OK Question Title * 21. Do you feel able to negotiate and/or challenge payment terms? Yes No Please expand briefly on your answer OK Question Title * 22. Do you research the payment performance of a business before entering into an agreement with them? If yes, please detail how you research this. If no, please explain why. Yes No Please expand briefly on your answer OK Question Title * 23. What other measures may be effective in addressing lengthy payment terms? OK DONE
