Practical procedures.
WHAT TO PUT IN PLACE
No payment details changed without a phone call to a known number A second person approving payments above a threshold Invoices checked against orders New suppliers verified before the first payment
THE THRESHOLD
Set it at an amount you could not absorb losing.
WHO APPROVES
Someone other than the person who received the request, above the threshold.
For a sole trader, a deliberate pause and a verification call.
WHAT TO DOCUMENT
The procedure, in writing, so it is followed consistently.
WHY WRITTEN
An unwritten procedure bends under pressure.
WHAT TO TELL STAFF
That the procedure applies regardless of who is asking That delays for verification are expected and welcome That they will never be criticised for checking
WHAT NOT TO DO
Create exceptions for urgency Bypass your own procedure when busy
THAT SECOND ONE
Staff follow what you do, not what you wrote.
WHAT TO REVIEW
Whether the procedure is actually being followed.
