Welcome to blog 3 in this short series of 4 blogs, designed to reflect on the first quarter of 2024 and set our businesses up for Q2 in the very best way that we can.

 

Today I’m going to be focusing on Cash Flow.

 

Cash flow, simply put, is the movement of money in and out of your business. It’s not just about the numbers on your balance sheet; it’s about the lifeblood that keeps your operations running smoothly.

Healthy cash flow ensures you have the funds to pay your bills, meet payroll, invest in growth opportunities, and weather unforeseen challenges.

When working with new clients, cash flow is often one of the first things we’ll work on together as even a business with healthy turnover / profit / sales can struggle if the flow of the cash isn’t balanced as it should be.

There can be many reasons for a business to be suffering from an adverse financial situation but it usually boils down to one of the following:

  • Lack of forecasting – a weekly cash flow forecast – whether it’s using Excel or a dashboard – to predict the next few months at least, in order to ensure that your forecast income can cover your forecast outgoings. It’s also of real importance that this document is updated at least weekly, and that it’s part of your regular business review routine. This is the area that I see neglected most often, as business owners are often fixated on revenue and profit / loss as opposed to the flow of the cash within their business.
    “What gets measured gets managed” – management guru, Peter Drucker
  • Work in progress – So many businesses do work, pay their staff, pay for equipment and materials delivering services and projects to clients but aren’t smart in how they invoice for the value they’ve delivered. They’ll invoice at month end and then the clients take another 30-90 days to pay so creating a ‘cash gap’ of some 60-120 days. Are you making enough money to bankroll your client businesses?
  • Terms of business. Here’s a simple scenario to consider. You start a business tomorrow, from scratch. You’ve got ten clients, all paying you £1000 per month each. But they all insist on paying you on 60 day terms. You’ve got two members of staff who earn £2000 per month each. How do you pay your staff, yourself and your overheads when you’re not getting paid for two months? It’s imperative that you sign clients up on the terms that best suit you, rather than them.
  • Payables and receivables management – negotiate good terms with your suppliers and have robust processes in place to ensure that you’re paid by your clients within the terms agreed. If you’re neglecting either of these elements, you’re heading for a negative cash situation, and fast.

Beyond the numbers themselves, mastering cash flow management often also requires a mindset shift.

It’s about cultivating financial discipline, resilience, and foresight. If you put your cash flow at the heart of every business decision you’re making, from new hires, to office supplies, to whether you’re  taking your client for lunch at The Ivy or to Nando’s, taking the proactive over the reactive approach will always ensure that you’re on the front foot and ahead of the game.

 

Cash flow is not just a financial task – it should be driving your strategy and informing your business decisions. 

 

Managed properly, it’s a key component in order to be able to scale your business and to give you financial freedom as a business owner sooner rather than later.

Believe me – as a business coach I’ve seen it all and I’ve got an abundance of tools and strategies that can help.

You can book a free, no-obligation call with me right now by clicking on this link – we’ll have a discovery chat over Zoom or on the phone and I’ll see how I can help with your cash flow challenge or any other stresses that you’re currently experiencing within your business.

Or if you’re not quite ready to take that step right now, hit reply and I’ll send you my tried and tested cash flow forecast template and dashboard – all you need to do is fill in the gaps and you’ll be a step closer to understanding your numbers and the impact they’ll be having on your business.

Watch our for our final email of this sequence in a few days, where I’ll be focusing on Time Management!

While you’re here…

1. Here’s a book that I’d recommend in relation to the above: The Accounting Game: Basic Accounting Fresh from the Lemonade Stand by Mullis and Orloff.

2. Our next Growthclub event takes place on Friday 5th April – these are inspirational days and your opportunity to take a day out of the office to learn, plan and network wit over fifty other business owners. Find out more here

3. Find out how Rishi Kotecha, MD of USE Group Limited, got his business mojo back and increased cashflow by 200% within 3 months in this short case study. [Takes 4 minutes to watch]