TradeSmart Online - Atradius ezine

Welcome to our TradeSmart Online ezine section. Each issue covers a range of topics which will not only help keep you updated but also provide some useful advice, information and insight into a number of current market, economic and business issues. Previous issues can be viewed in our ezine archive below.

TradeSmart Online ezine archive

TradeSmart Online - February 2010

Survival of the fittest - improvements in business practices

The global downturn has forced many businesses to improve their business practices so that they can thrive and not just survive. So what are the top five improvements in business practices that Atradius has seen in recent times?

Be Prepared - The Secret to Successful Debt Recovery

You have issued your customer with multiple letters of demand and they still insist on not paying. So what can you do? There are three essential components of successful debt recovery to keep in mind when faced with an unpaid invoice.

A changing environment - underwriting the mining sector during challenging times

Although Australia is emerging from the Global Financial Crisis relatively unscathed, the same can’t be said for many players in the mining sector who were hit by the brute force of the credit crunch via a dramatic fall in prices and dwindling profits. These changes led to a change in the way Atradius approached the underwriting of the mining sector to adapt to the changing market.

The Smarter Way to a Faster Claim

In the current environment of increased risk, with more customer failures and increasing pressures on cash flows, the last thing your company needs is a delay in claim payment causing you to suffer from exactly what your credit insurance policy was designed to protect you from: cash flow problems.

The Future of Trade Credit

Your opportunity to contribute to a forthcoming Atradius white paper.

Through our recent Economic Crisis Survey, published in late 2009, Atradius has already sought to map the effects of the economic downturn on the way that companies do business.

Now, as we see positive signs of recovery in some major markets, we want to focus specifically on how the experience of the downturn will affect the future use of trade credit - i.e. sales made on credit terms.

Our research, which will culminate in a white paper to be published later this year, will look at the subject from the viewpoint of all those involved in trade and our conclusions and recommendations will hopefully aid in ensuring that national and international trade will continue to flourish despite the impact of the recent economic crisis.

To help our research, we would be very grateful if you would consider sharing your experiences and comments with us by answering four short questions. This 'The Future of Trade Credit' survey will take approximately 2 minutes to complete and we truly value the feedback you will provide us with.

Economic Outlook

In the recently published bi-annual global economic outlook report, "An End To Recession?", Atradius looks at economic trends across the globe over the last year and discusses what may be in store in 2010.

Market Monitor

The key to successful international trade is accurate economic information - on markets and trade sectors - with an intelligent view of future trends.

Download the January Market Monitor - as economies around the world bounce back, some risks remain, and so we review the current business environment in Germany, Spain, United Kingdom, Mexico, Turkey and Slovenia.

Country Reports

Atradius Country Reports are designed to support you in trading abroad safely by outlining short, concise facts on a country's economic performance, while providing you with valuable hints and tips to help minimise risk.

Download the latest Country Reports on Malaysia and Slovakia.

Global Collections Review

In its recent Global Collections Review, Atradius assessed business requirements for outsourcing business-to-business collections services. The Review examines the impact of the economic crisis on the use of outsourced collections, and gives insight into the criteria businesses are likely to use to select a debt collection partner and factors likely to discourage them from outsourcing their outstanding debts.