Planning Holiday breaks are a great time to spend with friends and family and have a chance to recharge for the year ahead. But, for a business owner this time can be stressful without careful cash flow planning. Even if you do continue to operate through the holiday shutdown season, your customers’ financial behavior may not remain the same. It can be pretty disappointing to work hard all year only… Read more
The second cause of poor cashflow – Your accounts payable process The second cause of poor cashflow relates to when and how money is spent in your business, including your terms of trade with suppliers. Do you have spending budgets in place? It’s best practice to prepare a budget every year, usually before the start of a new financial year. It’s also best practice to make sure that team members… Read more
The first cause of poor cashflow – Your cash lockup There’s a massive difference between profit and cashflow. Profit increases when you create an invoice for work you’ve done or goods you’ve sold; cashflow only increases when you actually bank the money. Your lockup equals the cash that isn’t in your bank account because it’s either in work in progress (you’ve done some work but you haven’t yet billed for… Read more
Cashflow Freedom – The 7 causes of Poor Cashflow Cash is King in any business. In fact, even profitable businesses can fail because of poor cash flow. What’s important is that you understand your key cashflow drivers. Improving cashflow is often all about changing your business processes. Processes such as how and when you order stock and pay for it, when you bill for your products and services, and how… Read more
Steady, reliable cash flow is crucial for the survival of any business – so taking steps to ensure your customers pay promptly should be a key priority. When your customers consistently pay on time, you’ll avoid the dreaded “feast or famine” cycle. You’ll be able to pay your suppliers and employees on time – and not least of all, yourself. Implement these ten tips now to start getting paid without… Read more
The power of cash flow forecasts At some point in its lifetime, every small business suffers from cash flow problems. The trick is to think ahead and figure out when these problems are going to arise, so you don’t have to unexpectedly postpone a purchase or hurriedly seek out additional finance. This is where cash flow forecasts come in. To effectively manage your cash flow, all you have to essentially… Read more
What exactly is profit in a business? Here’s how to avoid three common profit mistakes that can seriously affect the success of your business. 1. Sales are NOT profit The biggest beginner mistake is assuming that sales are profit. People new to business can easily confuse sales with profit, but there is a very clear distinction between them. As the saying goes, ‘sales are vanity, profit is sanity’. Let’s assume… Read more