美國商業資訊報導（Business Wire，BW）（2021/5/12）
調查發現，大多數美國小企業的付款期限為 30 天，但許多企業的付款期限已遠遠超過到期日，四分之一 (25%) 的企業不得不在付款到期日後等待 20-30 天。近一半 (47%) 表示，COVID-19疫情使大公司的延遲付款情況變得更糟。令人擔憂的是，30% 的受訪者認為延遲付款已影響到他們維持公司營運的能力。
Melio 的調查顯示，由於延遲付款，小企業已經或考慮推遲招聘 (40%)、推遲採購庫存 (39%) 或削減員工工作時間 (36%)。如果支付速度更快，64% 的企業將投資於發展業務，或者更快地償還貸款和信貸額度 (58%)。Melio 的首席執行官兼聯合創始人 Matan Bar 說：
“如果您是一家能更快付款的大公司的財務長，請做正確的事情並按時向小企業付款。這些小型企業的成功是美國經濟強勁復甦的關鍵。”
“If you’re the CFO of a large company that is in a position to pay quicker, do the right thing and pay small businesses on time. The success of these smaller businesses is key to the strong recovery of the U.S. economy”
受 Melio 委託，YouGov 調查測試了小企業在延遲付款方面的經歷、其影響以及對此問題的態度。結果表明，延遲付款是小企業的一個長期困境，影響了他們維持穩定現金流、提供就業和為未來投資的能力。
Matan Bar 補充道：＂…大型企業的延遲付款是一個基本上可以避免的問題。大多數付款期限為 30 天，因此當調查顯示超過 30 天延遲付款 20 天時，這意味著小企業等待多達 50 天才能收到付款。
While supplier credit is important to smooth out cash flow volatility in the wholesale market, late payments by large businesses are a mostly avoidable problem. Most payment terms are 30 days, so when a survey shows late payment of 20 days beyond those 30, that means a small business is waiting as much as 50 days to get paid
調查方法：YouGov 在 2021/ 3/ 26至 2021/4/7 期間為 Melio 填寫的在線問卷。由 1,002 家美國 B2B 小企業完成。主要發現：
- 55% 的小企業認為他們的客戶故意拖延付款
- 50% 的人表示逾期付款導致巨額利息
- 59% 的人表示他們有逾期付款的直接經驗
- 44% 表示逾期付款是影響其業務的挑戰
- 47% 的人表示由於 COVID-19，延遲付款變得更糟
原文摘錄：
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–A majority of U.S. small business owners say they have direct experience with late payments from their larger corporate, public sector, and non profit clients, and half believe those delays are “deliberate” (55%) and should incur significant interest (50%), a new survey by Melio and YouGov shows.
While the survey found that most U.S. small businesses have net 30 payment terms, a majority experience late payments well past the due date, with a quarter (25%) having to wait between 20-30 days past the payment due date. Just under half (47%) say late payments by large firms have gotten worse due to COVID-19. Worryingly, 30% believe that late payments are affecting their ability to keep their business open.
Late payments have a disproportionate impact on small businesses, leaving the backbone of the U.S. economy saddled with past-due invoices. Comprising some 31.7 million firms, small businesses account for 44% of U.S. economic activity (some $9.7 trillion) and 99.9% of all U.S. businesses. According to the 2021 US Small Business Credit Survey by Federal Reserve Banks, most small businesses (78%) reported declines in revenues and 46% reduced their workforce during 2020. Late payments are making this situation worse and preventing a strong re-opening.
Melio’s survey reveals that due to late payments small businesses have or have considered delaying hiring (40%), delayed purchasing inventory (39%), or cutting employees hours (36%). If they were paid more quickly, 64% of businesses would invest in growing their businesses, or pay back loans and lines of credit more quickly (58%).
