TESTIMONIALS
"I am able to get cash discounts with my suppliers because I have the cash available."
“I started out on my own 20 years ago. I live in a farming community and my customers rely upon hay, grain and cattle sales to get their money. When they got their money I got mine, but it wasn’t always timely so I always struggled with cash flow. I was busy but I didn’t have the money in the bank, the work was billed and the customers’ tractors were running in the field and the trucks were running down the road but I wasn’t getting paid.
Working with Astra Business Solutions frees up my cash flow so I can profitably run my business. I’m able to get cash discounts with my suppliers because I have the cash available. I also like the people that I work with there. My account manager is Tonya and she is fabulous to work with. She’s a straight shooter, if there are any issues with my accounts she will notify me and go through them all with me. She is very professional.
If somebody calls me and asks why I use Astra Business Solutions, I would tell them that my accounts are large volume and high dollar that deal with a lot of parts. They minimize my problems with cash flow so I am able to function and keep moving because my cash flow is freed up. I can use it to purchase parts and I can continue to do the big jobs. Sure there is a service fee, but it is worth it, it keeps my cash flow going.”
Wayne Schwartz, Schwartz Auto Service
Jetmore, Kansas
"I have the money in the bank and cash is always king."
“I started with Astra Business Solutions because I wanted to lighten up the load (of handling the accounts receivable internally); I didn’t have a full time dedicated employee for that and I didn’t really have time to do it myself. And there are three reasons that I continue to do business with them, the first reason is our account managers, Tonya, calling and working with our customers; she stays on top of our accounts and makes sure that we are collecting on our accounts. Tonya and the other account managers go beyond the call of duty. Second, it saves me a lot of time at the end of the month when statements are sent out. I don’t have to worry about taking a whole day out of my schedule to run statements. Last, and probably the most important reason that I like to work with Astra Business Solutions is because of cash flow. I have the money in the bank and cash is always king. It takes both profit and cash flow to be successful. It allows us to take on big projects that are going to be a sizeable amount of dollars and will likely take several weeks to get paid. In the meanwhile my own accounts payables are going to be due and I can stay on good terms with my suppliers and get them paid on time because I have the cash in the bank.”
Maurice Coulter, Suppesville Fuel
Milton, Kansas
"I like the fact that we always have our money, I know it’s in the bank."
“We’ve been with the company for 27 years, which at that time was with their (Astra Business Solutions) predecessor. Back then we signed up because we were having some serious cash flow issues. We’ve stuck with them because I like the fact that we always have our money, I know it’s in the bank. Whatever our sales are, we always have the cash flow. I also like the fact that our account manager stays on top of our accounts and calls me if we have an account going past due to find out how I want to handle that account. She handles the accounts the way I want them handled. I would recommend Astra Business Solutions to anyone out there that is struggling with cash flow issues and could benefit from getting paid in 2-3 days instead of 2-3 months.”
Lori Lang, Tri-Central Office Supply
Hays, Kansas
"We love it. We won’t do anything else, I guarantee it!"
“The reason we went on with Astra Business Solutions was because it was an attractive deal; we basically eliminated the need for an office person because they did the billing and managing of the accounts, and called on past due accounts. Plus, where else can you send off the invoice and have that money three days later, instead of waiting to bill it out on the 25th and wait another 15 days to recover any money. Without them we would be looking at a 45 day or longer turnaround before we would see any money. And that cash flow gives us so much flexibility. If we have the cash up front we can take advantage of discounts offered by a lot of the companies that we work with if we buy in quantity, and that makes us more competitive. We also use my excess cash in our reserve account to help pay up front for inventory so that we get our discount.
Our account manager, Ashley, does a good job for us. She’ll give me a call about accounts and I’ll give her a heads up on what to expect with them. It’s a tough job sometimes, having to call someone about a past due account. But she and the other managers in the office are always cordial and professional; I have never had a customer complain about them, ever.
I would tell anybody that is thinking about signing up with Astra Business Solutions to get on board. What are you waiting for? Every small business that I know struggles with cash flow issues, and the fact that you get your money up front is huge. It also frees up my time and saves us from having to take the time to run the statements and mail them off. We love it. We won’t do anything else, I guarantee it!”
Jeff Vanderplas, Winchell's
Phillipsburg, Kansas
"You’re money ahead switching to them...they are doing more, providing more value, than what I am paying them for."
“We signed up with Astra Business Solutions in March, 2016 and we were very hesitant about signing up with them at first. A, they weren’t a local business, and B, I felt like it was going to be too expensive because we were going to have to pay a fee for their services and put money into a reserve fund. We sat on it for a month, and after we found out that they had another very well respected business in town as a client we decided that the cost was worth it. If you think about the fee that we pay, we’re paying them to run our statements, mail them, and anything that is past due they’re calling the customer, that’s less stress for me and saves me time. The reserve really is a benefit, I can access it at any time and use the excess to pay bills, such as when the hail storm came through and I was able to pay our deductible using the money in our reserve. We have also used money to pay for the lease on our building and even used it for end of year bonuses.
If someone were to ask me if it was worth it to sign up with Astra Business Solutions I would tell them that you are not losing money by switching to them. They are providing a benefit for you – they’re managing your accounts, they’re mailing the statements, they’re taking care of calling customers that are late, and you get improved cash flow. You’re money ahead switching to them...they are doing more, providing more value, than what I am paying them for.”
Becky Chase, CF Repairs
Abilene, Kansas
"Cash flow, cash flow, cash flow!"
“Cash flow, cash flow, cash flow! The ability to improve my cash flow is why I was interested in Astra Business Solutions in the first place, but I was hesitant because I knew that I would have to pay a fee and fund a reserve for the service they provide and I didn’t know if it was worth it. It took me a couple of years to sign on with them but I finally decided that being able to have the cash flow and the funds available in 2-3 days versus at least 45-60 was worth the price. And I actually like the reserve because I can use the excess dollars to pay for insurance and truck tags and taxes, which are due in the winter which is my slow time. The reserve is definitely a positive; it’ll work for you if you let it work. I also like the people that I work with there. The account managers are wonderful. They’re always able to answer my questions and are always nice and polite. I have no complaints about anything in the office at all.”
Tom Crowdis, Crowdis Water Well
Pratt, Kansas