Jamie Waller's something of a television personality these days, appearing in programmes such as Beat the Bailiff and Enforcers as well as acting as a cash management pundit on Money Matters and Money Watch. But the founder of £13m debt recovery business JBW still takes his work seriously. After all, he's seen first hand what happens to a business when its owner behaves irresponsibly.

"As a bailiff, I came across SMEs where the owners or directors were flying around in flash cars and running up debts but they couldn't afford to pay £200 off one of their 20 credit cards," he recalls. "That was a sign of the times... we saw them all go into receivership or administration. I haven't owned a credit card for 10 years."

Waller set up JBW in 2004, having worked as a bailiff as a teenager. His aim was to change people's perceptions of bailiffs, and he admits he's still frustrated that his profession is misunderstood and vilified. "What do bailiffs do that's so wrong?" he asks. "What they're doing is supporting a sustainable community. Without them, the country would be a mess because nobody would pay anything." He adds: "Am I getting anywhere trying to change perceptions? I'm not sure I am. There have been a few occasions where I've felt like giving up."

Waller set up his business with good governance in mind. He wants to provide a service to public and private sector clients that is ethical, transparent and led by innovation. JBW has won The Sunday Times Best Small Companies to Work For award, which Waller sees as recognition of the firm's dedication to best practice. "It shows we're a people-based business, and you don't get that with a bunch of thugs."

Resisting the urge to double in size by aggressive selling, Waller says he's growing the business at a "sustainable rate". In real terms, that's been by 50 per cent each year since launch. With 130 employees, he says he'll be hiring 67 more by November.

Waller says he seeks to make the business stand out by always thinking about "the next angle". He realised that he could use Twitter "not to generate lots of money but to develop solid sales leads in the future". So a new system from the firm's wecollectyourmoney.com service allows business owners to send a message to JBW via Twitter giving details of the person or company that owes them money and the amount owed. They then receive a reply detailing the likelihood of recovering the cash and the options available.

Cashflow issues send businesses into administration, observes Waller, but it's his view that late payment is part of "normal business" because companies want to remain competitive rather than "vigorously enforce" reduced payment dates. Unsurprisingly, he reckons bringing in a third party to deal with the problem is an SME's best bet. "You need to remove yourself from the situation," he advises. "You've got to have an ongoing solution that you use as part of your everyday credit control."

When everyone is looking for cost savings, Waller has cash challenges of his own. But he wouldn't change a thing: "I don't know what I'll be doing tomorrow, whether it's winning a million-pound contract or losing a half-million one. That makes me stronger and better."