AboutMichelle Dunn Expertise As one of the Top 5 Women in Collections, one of the Top 50 Collection Professionals of 2007, and winner of the 2007 Business Excellence award, I can answer any questions about debt, debt collection, improving business credit, creating a credit policy, enforcing a credit policy and collecting on past due accounts. I can also answer questions in regards to starting a debt collection agency since I have been a bill collector for over 21 years, started and ran my own collection agency for 8 years, and maintain my 11 year old American Credit & Collections Association for members of the credit & debt collection industry. I am also the author of the popular and award winning book "Starting a Collection Agency, how to make money collecting money" now on it's 3rd edition. This book has won a the Writers Digest self published award as well as the 2007 New York Book Festival Award.
I am a repeat contributor to the Wall Street Journal, and have been featured on NPR as well as many other national radio and television programs. I have also been featured in national publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Smart Money, MSNBC and much more. I have 12 published books to my name and am an accomplished speaker and consultant. I currently write 9 columns for newspapers, magazines and online portals worldwide.
Experience I have over 21 years experience in debt collection, I started and ran my own collection agency for 8 years and I am the Executive Director of my American Credit & Collections Association that I founded in 1998. www.credit-and-collections.com
Organizations The American Credit & Collections Association LLC, I was also a member of the American Collectors Association and Plymouth Chamber of Commerce for 9 years. I am a member of many writing groups as well as my local Women Inspiring Women chapter. I am a member of Know More Media as an expert for their blog on business credit.
Publications Business NH Magazine, Smart Money Magazine, MSNBC, CNN, Forbes.com, The Wall Street Journal, Home Business Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine and website, many books, newspapers and television programs as well.
Education/Credentials I have written 12 books in my collecting money series and one for Entrepreneur Press called the Ultimate Credit and Collections Handbook.
Awards and Honors My book Starting a Collection Agency, how to make money collecting money won an award from Writers Digest and the 2007 New York Book Festival in the "How to" category. I have won 2 awards from Dun & Bradstreet and Governor Jean Shaheen. I was nominated as one of the Top 5 Women in Collections in 2007 as well as having been selected as one of Collection Advisor's Top 50 Collection Professionals for 2007.
I just ordered your book ("How to Start a Collection Agency") from Amazon. My question might be answered in it, so perhaps I'm jumping the gun. If so, my apologies in advance.
I'm not interested in starting a collection agency, per se. Rather I am trying to solve a common problem those of us who are landlords frequently have: People who have left without paying rent.
What I would like to do is buy a couple of accounts from friends (so that I own the debt), and go to small claims to get a judgment. Then do the 'gumshoe' work to find out where the people are and garnish wages/ bank accounts. I also have contractor friends who are tired of chasing non-payers, and have been thinking of doing the same there.
In other words, I'm not interested in the traditional collection agency letters, calls, etc. I just want to hunt the people down, and then get a judgement and collect the money over the next 10 years or so.
Do you cover this in your book, or is it the more traditional collection agency information?
Answer Dan, thanks so much for buying my book!!
It sounds as though you are more interested in Judgment Recovery. I would highly recommend Peter Gilboy's course called "SUCCESS! as a Judgment Recovery Specialist". His phone number is 619-501-9199 and his email is gilboy@judgment-trackers.com
