Nicki Kinton is sharing with us what's happening in June for her and her business Confident Cashflow

It’s Midsummer’s Day and people over the UK are enjoying the longest day of the year! We’re talking to small business owners about their plans for June.

Up today is Nicki Kinton who is the owner, Confident Cashflow. Nicki is based in Swindon and helps businesses get paid on time.

JUNE is the first month of Summer. What will you be doing this summer in your business? 
June marks the start of my 7th year in business and I am preparing to launch my free credit management health check quiz. By answering a few simple questions a business can get a feel for how well they’re managing their cash flow and where there may be opportunities to make some improvements.

June 1 to 7 this year was Volunteers Week. Do you volunteer at all? 
I currently don’t volunteer, unless you count being Chair of Marlborough Concert Orchestra (which is a registered charity). As a musician, I am often involved in concerts where we are raising money for local charities and last year, I celebrated Confident Cashflow turning five with a charity auction, raising money for Swindon Must Trust and Parkinson’s UK. 

Are there any key themes in your sector which are relevant to summer? What tips or advice can you give as the summer is upon us? 
We’re heading into the summer holiday season, which always adds pressure on payment terms, with delays in the payment cycle caused by absence. Talk to your customers to find out when key people are away and establish what their plans are for ensuring that they can still make payments on time.

If you’re going to be on holiday when you would normally be sending your invoices, make sure you do your invoicing before you go. You can extend the due date to the date you would normally want to get paid, but it’s harder to expect customers to accept shorter terms because you send the invoice late.

June 30 is Social Media Day. What does social media mean to you and your business?
Social media can be a bit of a rabbit warren (which I frequently fall down!), and I know I don’t make the most of it. I spend more time on LinkedIn than on any other platform. It’s an opportunity for me to share knowledge and connect with like-minded people. I do think it can bring out the best and the worst in people though so it needs to be treated with care. It’s also too easy to get comparisonitis; you have to remember that you’re only seeing what others want you to see.

Would you like to provide us with a summer ‘guide’ of some kind?
I walk Bella, my Labrador/Malinois cross at Shaw Forest Park all year round, but this time of year it is lush and full of life. On a walk recently with a friend we spent 2.5 hours finding more than 15 varieties of wildflowers! It’s a little oasis in the middle of suburbia. https://www.swindon.gov.uk/info/20077/parks_and_open_spaces/489/shaw_forest_park

A wonderful little place to eat is Fay’s Bistro (https://faysbistro.co.uk/)  in Calne. The food is delicious and as a bonus, on a sunny day you can sit outside by the river and watch the world, and the ducklings, go by. 

A couple of events we like to go to over the summer are Swindon Cheese & Chilli Festival (https://cheeseandchillifestival.com/locations/swindon/) and the Wiltshire Game & Country Fair (https://www.livingheritagecountryshows.com/wiltshire-game-country/). Both are packed with lots of local artisan food, drink and arts and crafts producers.

Finally, a great music event to go to is the Fulltone Festival in Devizes over the Bank Holiday weekend. Having been a performer and a visitor at the festival I can guarantee you’ll have a wonderful time. (https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/devizes/the-green/fulltone-festival-2023-at-devizes-weekend-tickets/2023-08-26/13:00/t-eaavqzp)

For more information visit www.confidentcashflow.com