Few ways to make sure that cash flow is never a problem for your business

Val Watson
Authored by Val Watson
Posted Wednesday, August 10, 2022 - 11:39am

The net amount of cash coming into and leaving a business is known as cash flow. The ability of a corporation to generate positive cash flows during the regular course of its business activities determines that company's success. Revenues from selling goods or services and income from investments make up a company's cash inflows. Expenses and debt repayments make up a company's outflows of cash going out of the business. Maintaining a positive cash flow may be a major concern for all organizations, big and small. A business may experience high expenses and cash flow issues even when revenues surge.

Here are some suggestions to ensure your business never faces a cash flow issue.

Alternatives to trade finance

It has been shown that exporting goods and services can significantly increase the growth of your business. It is unfortunate, however, that exportation often results in a delay in payment, especially if you are considering exporting internationally. Many small businesses cannot afford to wait, but that does not mean these businesses have to miss out on the opportunity to market globally. The role of trade finance is to make this possible. Consequently, the importer will be able to pay on their terms, while the exporter will receive payment as soon as possible. In addition to factoring, banker's acceptance, discounting and accounts receivable financing, there are several alternative options for trade financing.

Reducing late payments

Even though you make your terms clear to your customers, many will still choose to pay their invoices late. By adopting an electronic billing system, you will be able to reduce late payments in the long run. Invoice software based in the cloud allows you to manage and track your company's invoicing and provides customers with various convenient payment methods, making it easier than ever for them to make payments on time from you. You can also track your personal finance by using personal finance app such as Prillionaires to measure where you are lacking. Prillionaires offers a global overview of your wealth in less than two minutes, along with a net worth calculator that shows the value of your wealth across borders. Link and track your multiple bank accounts, savings accounts, loans, credit cards, retirement accounts, properties, cars, stocks, and even cryptocurrency wallets.

Identify ways to increase profitability

Did you know that less than half of all businesses make a profit in the long run? One of the main reasons why most businesses fail is the lack of profit. It's not enough for that to be daunting, but even businesses that generate a profit can also fail. The growth of a business that is always reinvesting its profits can be strong, but cash flow problems can arise anytime if the company is always reinvesting its profits. It would be best if you always were looking for new ways to increase profits since this is the best way to solve a profitability problem. There are various ways to do this, such as coming up with new products or services, making product markup, offering discounts or deals to increase traffic, hiring marketing companies such as TheStarsMedia, and doing consulting work.

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Increase your prices

Initially, you might have set your prices slightly lower than the competition's prices to entice customers to choose you over their competitors. As a result of all the work coming in, you will likely have to work much harder to make a profit now that you have much more work to do. There is a possibility that you underestimated the cost of doing business. You should increase your prices if you haven't done so in a few years, especially if you haven't before. A slim profit margin is not enough for a small business to survive. When you increase your prices, you will not only have more money coming in, but you will also be better equipped to cope with slow periods and late payments in the future.

Eliminate old inventory

Two things happen when you have old, out-of-date inventory in your store. In addition to taking up valuable space, it also ties up the funds you invested in it. Offering special deals to entice customers to buy your old inventory is a better option than giving it a shelf that is collecting dust. Your money will be recouped, and you can make room for newer, more profitable products. Most businesses find it difficult to maintain a consistent level of profitability over time. Many factors, such as late payments and old inventory, influence a company's cash flow.

Send out invoices as soon as possible

Receivables will likely come in more quickly if you follow this method. You must understand the basics to ensure you put together a good invoice. The invoices you send to your customers should be easy to read, and your terms should be clearly stated. You should include the due date in a few places, including the top of the invoice and the payment slip at the bottom. It is important to include clear instructions regarding the type of payment accepted. You must also include this information if you are charging late payment fees.

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