Improve Your Business Cash Flow
Did you know that even if your income statement shows that your business is making a profit, your business can still not succeed? Just because you are profitable on paper, you still might not have a positive business cash flow. And, without cash, your business simply runs out of money and has to shut down. Cash flow problems are one of the biggest reasons small businesses fail.
What is Business Cash Flow?
The definition of business cash flow is pretty simple. It’s the movement of cash flowing in and out of your business. Cash comes in to your business when clients or customers pay for your products and services. Cash goes out when your business pays for expenses such as inventory and rent. When cash flow in is greater than cash flow out, you have a positive cash flow. When more cash is going out of the business than is coming in, the cash flow is negative.
There are some times when a business can expect their cash flow to be negative. It’s important to plan for those times by keeping more cash in reserves. If you are just starting up, you may have many one-time expenses to get your business off the ground—such as equipment and advertising—before you get any paying customers. Also, if you are a seasonal business and experience fluctuations in orders based on the time of year, it is important to manage your business cash flow wisely.
How to Manage Business Cash Flow
Keeping track of your business cash flow will help you see where any issues may be. A cash flow statement will compare accounts payable to accounts receivable. It will also help answer questions such as:
• How much is your company owed by clients?
• How many invoices are still overdue?
• How long does it take to get paid by clients after paying suppliers?
If more items are payable than receivable, you may have a potential cash flow problem in your future. The sooner you fix a cash flow issue, the better off your business will be. If you avoid the issue, you risk getting further and further behind, resulting in the possible loss of your business.
How can you make changes to move business cash flow back into the positive? Here are some ideas:
• Short-term financing can help bridge a short-term business cash flow gap
• Long-term loans help spread large asset costs over time
• Invoice factoring
• Sell assets no longer helping with profits, such as older equipment, to liquidate cash
• Reduce business expenses
• Find strategies to increase sales
• Implement procedures for receivables to come in faster, such as twice monthly invoicing, shorter payment terms, deposits on large orders, and more
• Wait to pay bills as long as possible without consequences of late fees and spoiled relationships
Financial advisors often recommend keeping 3-6 months of expenses in cash reserves for emergencies and unforeseeable situations. This advice carries over to business accounts, as well. Having cash in your back pocket for a rainy day may save your business in times of struggle.
Small business owners must learn and maintain smart cash flow management in order to succeed and stay afloat. By applying some simple cash management strategies, you can keep your business thriving. Both your business outlook—and your business cash flow—will be positive.
Factoring: A Business Cash Flow Solution
If business cash flow problems are creating concerns for your small business, invoice factoring may be a solution. Put your trust in the best and call American Receivable to learn how our flexible factoring solutions help businesses like yours.
American Receivable, with offices in Dallas and Austin, is ranked No. 1 nationally among small-business factoring companies. Since 1979, we have provided small businesses with the financial resources and accounts receivable management strategies they need to grow, increase inventory, make payroll on time, and effectively compete in the marketplace. Simply put, we are your source for factoring and accounts receivable management.
Our clients are our priority. At American Receivable, we pride ourselves on our exceptional customer service and dedicated and tenured account managers. We can provide funding within as little as 24 hours in some cases. The success of our clients is the success of American Receivable. Call us for a FREE quote today at 1-800-297-6652, or complete the quick quote form below.
