Minimise Debt, Maximise Cash with Top Service

About Minimise Debt, Maximise Cash with Top Service

Minimise Debt, Maximise Cash with Top Service is the must-listen podcast for credit management professionals in the construction industry. Hosted by Emma Reilly, the 2025 Credit Professional of the Year, this show dives deep into the real-world challenges of credit control and cash flow in construction — where margins are tight, timelines are critical, and debt can derail progress fast. Subscribe now and take the guesswork out of credit management — it’s time to minimise debt and maximise cash with confidence.

Publisher

Top Service Limited

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

16 Jun 2025

Latest episode

12 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

67 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   12 Oct 2026

   How to Deal with Construction customers Insolvency

   In this episode of Minimise Debt, Maximise Cash, host Emma Reilly (CEO of Top Service) shares an extract from a joint webinar with the CICM. Moderated by Philip King (Non-Executive Director), the conversation features Simon Howell from Tarmac. Simon provides an insider's look into how construction insolvency trends are currently playing out, how credit managers can spot early warning signs, and the current state of the credit insurance market. Key Takeaways & Discussion Highlights Customer Insolvency Landscape: Navigating Ongoing Disruptions: Construction businesses have faced a sequence of major hurdles over recent years, from the aftermath of COVID-19 to energy price spikes following the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Predictable Insolvencies: Despite cash flow pressures across the sector, many recent insolvencies have not come completely "out of the blue." Instead, businesses displaying long-standing financial strains are showing visible warning signs that credit teams can spot and act upon early. Smarter Risk Spotting: Credit professionals have become increasingly adept at identifying early indicators of distress and taking proactive measures before a debt becomes unrecoverable. Credit Insurance & Market Cover Trends: Excess of Loss Policies: Tarmac utilizes an "excess of loss" insurance structure with non-cancellable limits. This approach allows them to manage a significant portion of the risk internally while securing consistent, reliable cover. Market Normalisation: Across the broader market, credit insurance availability has largely normalised rather than seeing sudden, widespread withdrawals of cover. A Competitive Market: The credit insurance sector remains highly competitive, with insurers continuing to focus on providing valued services alongside cover. Webinar Announcement To sign up for the next webinar, please visit: 👉 https://www.cicm.com/cicmevents.html (https://www.cicm.com/cicmevents.html) Connect with Us Have questions about managing credit risk or navigating construction insolvencies? Reach out on LinkedIn: Emma Reilly: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmareillytopservice/) Search for Emma Reilly Top Service on LinkedIn. Subscribe to Minimise Debt, Maximise Cash on your favourite podcast platform so you never miss an episode!

2. 

   5 Oct 2026

   Construction Credit Update with Emma Reilly - Oct 2026

   In this September update, Emma Reilly shares how Top Service members are navigating current industry challenges, recovering aged accounts, and protecting their cash flow. What's in this episode: Record Debt Recovery: Why August wasn't a slow month for Top Service members, and how clear consequences for non-payment drive results. £1M Fraud Prevention Milestone: How construction-specific trading data helped prevent nearly £1 million in direct fraud losses over the past 12 months. Team & Member Celebrations: Recognizing team achievements and new CICM accreditations. Preparing for Q4: Key steps to review your credit management strategy before heading into the final quarter. Connect with Us: LinkedIn: Search Emma Reilly Top Service to connect and share your feedback. Subscribe: Hit subscribe on Spotify or your favourite podcast platform so you never miss an update!

3. 

   28 Sept 2026

   Navigating Market Uncertainty & Economic Pressures in Construction Credit

   In this episode of Minimise Debt, Maximise Cash, host Emma Reilly (CEO of Top Service) introduces an extract from a webinar hosted jointly with the CICM. Moderated by Philip King (Non-Executive Director), the panel features Simon Howell (Tarmac), Rosie Payne (Saint-Gobain), Chelsea Ware (Travis Perkins), and Sue Chapple (Chartered Institute of Credit Management). Together, they explore the evolving market challenges facing credit managers in the construction industry, including geopolitical instability, rising energy costs, unpredictable customer cash flow, and fixed-price contract risks. Key Takeaways & Discussion Highlights Market Uncertainty & Rapidly Moving Variables: Unpredictability as the Only Certainty: Simon Howell highlights that geopolitical events and global issues are creating fast-moving impacts on energy and material inputs, making forecasting and assessing customer financial health far more difficult than in the past. Outdated Financial Data: Traditional methods, such as relying on a customer's annual set of accounts, are no longer sufficient because circumstances change much faster than reporting periods allow. Cost Pressures & Energy Surcharges: Manufacturing Cost Spikes: Rosie Payne points out that energy costs have severely impacted manufacturing processes. Passing Costs vs. Customer Pressure: To cope with rising manufacturing expenses, businesses have had to introduce energy surcharges. However, this creates a delicate balancing act to avoid over-pressuring customers who are already struggling financially. Tightening Cash Flow & Unpredictable Payments: Cash Tightening Across the Sector: Simon notes a widespread trend of delayed payments as customers seek to conserve cash in response to economic pressures. Declining Market Sentiment: Overall sentiment across key sub-sectors, such as housing and house building, remains low, increasing risks across supply chains. Fixed-Price Contracts & Retentions: Fixed-Price Contract Risks: Chelsea Ware calls attention to the resurgence of older fixed-price contracts. Subcontractors and suppliers locked into fixed rates are hit hard by unexpected price increases from suppliers, resulting in severely squeezed margins and cash flow issues. Retentions & Detail Scrutiny: Retentions continue to create financial strains long after project completion. Credit teams are having to delve into far deeper detail regarding client retention agreements than was previously necessary. Webinar Announcement To sign up for the next webinar, please visit: 👉 https://www.cicm.com/cicmevents.html (https://www.cicm.com/cicmevents.html) Connect with Us Have questions about managing credit risk or handling market uncertainty in construction? Reach out on LinkedIn: Emma Reilly: Search for Emma Reilly Top Service on LinkedIn. Subscribe to Minimise Debt, Maximise Cash on your favourite podcast platform so you never miss an episode!

Who has been a guest on Minimise Debt, Maximise Cash with Top Service

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Stella Reilly
• Rosey Fitzsimmons
• Laura Browne
• Lauren Woolley
• Phil King FCICM

Podcast Authority Score: 19 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

37

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0

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Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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