CAPE TOWN - Entrepreneur, Scott Cundill has co-founded and sponsored an online platform, The Gentle Reminders, where businesses will be rewarded for paying their accounts on time.
Notably, the platform will also include a 'watch-list' for bad payers.
The website which officially launches on September 11, allows members to pre-register on the current site.
The site allows small businesses to access legal advice by beating the expense and time constraints related to going to Court.
Additional resources offered include template letters, designed for consumers who approach the legal system.
These letters are sent by the club who acts as an objective and concerned third party.
The site enables both the customer and supplier to discuss the invoice in an amicable manner, using a confidential chat room.
“If listed on the website as a bad payer, there will always be the opportunity to remedy the situation. We will investigate how to amicably bring disputes to the negotiating table. Our ultimate objective is to encourage businesses to maintain their reputation and prosper", says Cundill.
Cundill asserts that the club must remain a free service as it serves for the good of the business community.
However, a fee will be incurred in the instance where the club needs to formally intervene.
The initiative was first tested by Cundill's LinkedIn connections.
Nearly 500 businesses and bookkeepers from over 15 different countries signed up in more less two weeks, notes Cundill.
The majority of these businesses were from South Africa.