Sales & Customer Growth
A large company can be a great customer. It can also be a slow payer.
Winning a first order is only part of the journey. Before you are paid, you may have to be registered as a vendor, issue the right invoice, wait for approvals and fit into a payment cycle you did not set. This session walks owners through that process, so that the first large order helps the business rather than strains it.
Explore this page6 sections
The order is won once. Getting paid is a process, and it is a different skill.
Larger companies usually buy through a defined process: a vendor registration form, supporting documents, a purchase order, delivery acceptance, an invoice check and a payment run. Each step has someone responsible, and a small business that does not understand the sequence can wait weeks for money it has already earned.
Many owners also take on a large account without working out what the payment delay will do to their cash. This session covers both halves: how to become an approved vendor, and how to plan for the payment cycle once you are one. It does not promise that any buyer will register you, and the specifics always depend on the buyer.
What the session covers
36 topics across 7 areas. Seven parts, from the first introduction to the payment arriving.
How Large Buyers Choose SuppliersWho decides, and what they look at.5
- The user who needs the product or service
- The purchase or procurement team
- Finance and compliance, who often have the final say on registration
- Quality, capacity, delivery and price, in whatever order the buyer weighs them
- Why a good introduction and a clear, honest company profile both help
Every buyer works differently. Ask what their process is, rather than assuming.
Vendor Registration: What Is Usually AskedA typical set of documents, not a fixed list.6
Buyers decide their own requirements, and some ask for much more. Participants build a document folder that can be sent quickly and kept up to date.
- Business and PAN details, and proof of address
- GST registration, where it applies
- Bank details, often with a cancelled cheque or bank letter
- Udyam registration, if you have it
- Company profile, references and relevant certifications
- A signed vendor form, and sometimes a code of conduct or confidentiality undertaking
Making Registration MoveSmall habits that avoid weeks of delay.5
- Matching names, addresses and numbers across every document
- Finding out who inside the buyer owns your registration
- Answering queries within a day
- Keeping a record of what was sent and when
- Not starting work without a purchase order
Invoices, Acceptance and ApprovalsHow an invoice becomes a payment.5
- Quoting the purchase order number on every invoice and delivery note
- Invoice details the buyer's finance team will check
- Proof of delivery or acceptance, and who signs it
- What happens when an invoice is queried or rejected
- Checking the current GST invoicing rules with your accountant
Most payment delays after delivery come from paperwork, not from bad intent.
Payment Terms and Payment CyclesRead before you agree.5
- What the agreed number of days is counted from
- Fixed payment days, weekly or monthly runs, and cut-off dates
- Advance, milestone and retention payments
- Terms in standard contracts that you may be able to discuss
- The difference between the date you invoice and the date you can use the money
What the Law Says About Payments to MSMEsA short awareness section, not legal advice.5
- The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006 sets time limits for payment to micro and small suppliers and provides for interest on late payment
- Section 43B(h) of the Income-tax Act ties a buyer's tax deduction to paying micro and small suppliers within those limits, and the Income-tax Act, 2025 now carries the rule in a differently numbered section
- Why it matters whether you are registered, and when
- How the MSME Samadhaan portal and the state facilitation councils fit in
- Why a good relationship and a written agreement still count
These rules apply differently to micro, small, medium and trading enterprises and may change. Check the current position with a chartered accountant or lawyer.
Planning Cash Around a Slow PayerTake the large order without being squeezed.5
- Working out what you must spend before you are paid
- Checking you can fund the order, and what happens if payment is late by a month
- Asking about advance, staged billing or earlier invoicing
- Understanding that receivable-discounting options, including the RBI-regulated TReDS platforms, exist, and checking costs and eligibility with your bank
- Not letting one customer become most of your revenue
What participants work on
- A vendor document folder checklist
- A sample purchase-order-to-payment timeline for their own business
- A short list of payment terms they will accept, negotiate or refuse
- A cash plan for one realistic large order
- Questions to ask a buyer, and a professional, before accepting terms
What this session is not
- Legal, tax or financial advice
- A guarantee of vendor registration with any company
- An introduction to buyers or a procurement service
- A guide to government tendering
How the session runs
Two to three hours, in a small group. A practitioner who has sold to larger companies, or worked in a buyer's procurement or accounts team, describes the sequence from registration to payment and where it tends to stall. Participants then prepare their own document checklist and a cash plan for a realistic order. A chartered accountant or lawyer may be invited to answer questions on payment provisions, subject to availability.
What your students leave with
- A checklist of documents a buyer is likely to ask for
- A clear picture of how vendor registration typically moves
- Payment terms they are prepared to accept, and those they are not
- An invoice and delivery routine that avoids avoidable delays
- A cash plan for a large order paid after a long wait
- Awareness of MSME payment provisions, with the questions to ask a professional
Scheduled sessions
Nothing scheduled yet
Sessions are arranged with a college once a date is agreed. Ask us and we will find the right person for it.
A student rather than a college? See what is coming up, or ask your placement team to host this.
Know the paperwork, know the payment date, and plan the cash before you say yes.
Tell us who your students are and what stage they are at. Sessions are free for participants.