Bad debts are often written off as bad luck.

“They went bust.”
“Nothing we could have done.”

But in reality, most bad debts follow a pattern.

Too much credit given at the start.
Invoices not sent promptly.
Weak follow-up.
Excuses accepted.
No escalation when things start to slip.

Individually, none of these feel like big mistakes.

But together, they’re what create bad debt.

The good news?
If bad debts are built this way… they can be prevented.

I’ve broken this down further here if it’s something you’re seeing in your business: