While the increase of 2.8 points is positive, it represents only a marginal improvement in payment practices across the professional services sector; there are still far too many instances of firms dealing with late payments, a situation for which business owners might use a late payment calculator. The slight uptick suggests gradual progress, but the sector continues to grapple with efficiency issues, potentially leading to cash flow pressures for smaller businesses within the sample group.
One-line summary: In 2023, professional services firms averaged a payment practices score of 72.8, a small increase compared to 70.0 in 2022, according to data from 162 and 159 companies, respectively.
How UK companies' payment practices changed in 2025 — the biggest improvers, the firms slipping, and the strongest new e
The UK agriculture sector is significantly outperforming the UK average for payment practices, suggesting a degree of fi
The year-on-year decline of 0.1 points, while statistically insignificant, suggests a stagnation in payment performance
The UK air travel sector significantly outperforms the national average when it comes to payment practices, achieving a
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