Brett Oaten Solicitors

Brett Oaten Solicitors is one of the top entertainment law firms in Australia. Nestled in Sydney’s entertainment hub, Newtown, they have a wide range of clientele within the music industry, from bands, to individual artists, to independent music labels, as well as film, TV, technology and media clients.

Last year Brett Oaten, the principal of Brett Oaten Solicitors, took a five-week holiday. How many people who run a business can say that? And, according to Brett, CreditorWatch Collect was a key factor in helping him achieve that dream.

Brett Oaten, Principal at Brett Oaten Solicitors

Over the past few years, there has been a concerted shift for the firm to become a cloud-based business; ultimately meaning that if needed, work can be done from anywhere, at any time

From out of control debtors

Lawyers are far better suited to giving legal advice than chasing bills, and Brett was spending too much of his time chasing clients for payment and chasing his other lawyers to chase up their own client bills.

The shift to cloud-based business operation is where the journey for Brett Oaten Solicitors began to change. They began using Xero, sending their finances online, and subsequently discovered CreditorWatch Collect through the add-on marketplace after an accountant friend mentioned it over lunch.

To massive time savings

For Brett, CreditorWatch Collect’s integration with Xero is definitely making things happen. Before, it was so easy to come up with excuses to justify not chasing debtors. Now CreditorWatch Collect gives Brett a list of any clients that needs to chased, making it far more simple.

“The first day I sent reminders I got paid four times what I normally get paid… over the first week and a half I got well over double”, he says.

“When I’m chasing bills, it’s very easy find excuses to not chase. But CreditorWatch Collect gives you a list of who to chase, unless I specifically remove them”.

No one can afford to run a business when their clients won’t pay their bills on time, Brett realised this and now with CreditorWatch Collect, he and the team can focus on creating better relationships with those clients that do.

And that holiday?