One of your largest clients has just gone into receivership, owing your company a large sum - unsecured. So you're unlikely to get paid much, if anything at all.

Meanwhile, without the cash injection that a successful sale would have given you, you've had to postpone your new product launch. But that dries up your cash flow and you've had to delay payments to your suppliers - damaging your long-standing relationships. Suddenly your suppliers begin to add interest onto their overdue invoices.

They're not quite as supportive as you'd hoped; especially when you tell them that you don't have credit insurance. So just when you urgently need cash, you actually face extra restrictions on your overdraft.

As your company really begins to feel the pinch, you have to reduce overheads. Staff lay-offs and salary freezes don't go down well. Some of your best people jump ship. You've found an alternative lender, but their interest rates are sky-high. However you don't have a choice. The debts grow.

Word is getting around. You're a late payer, and beginning to look like a bad risk. Customers, too, are demanding more competitive terms, knowing you're in dire straits. And when you can't meet those demands, key contracts go to your competitors.

Morale has reached an all-time low. The outlook is bleak and the wolves are closing in. Is this the worst thing that could happen?

It just did.

Far fetched? Not really. It's a scenario played out every day on the business stage, as big brands prove not to be as rock-solid as they once appeared. It's also a story that highlights the main benefits of credit insurance for anyone who thinks it's not right for them: security, peace of mind, stability, increased competitiveness and growth potential.