While driving his route through Paulding, Fulton, and Cobb counties in Georgia, independent distributor Doug Adams runs into the same problem many distributors do — making collections.

“It's a brutal industry,” he says. “I tell people that I'm not in the tool business, I'm in the finance business, and that's what we do, we finance tools to people. And there's where the tricky part comes in, collecting your money is a very big task and it's something that you stay on non-stop.”

To stay on top of this, Adams likes to get out on his truck early — 4:30 in the morning early — and get everything for the day situated. With no one around to disturb him, he studies up on his customers, the collections he needs to make, and his products. While early morning may not work for everyone, having a dedicated time for review is a key part of keeping business running smoothly.