BUSINESS PROBLEM
Cash is always tight, even when sales look good
Orders are coming in, invoices are going out, and still you juggle payments every month. Salaries, rent and suppliers fall due before customers pay. Good sales can make the problem worse, because growth needs money for stock and wages before it returns as cash.
Cash trouble is usually a timing and control issue, not a sign that the business is failing. When you can see what is due in and out over the next 13 weeks, and when collections, stock and payables are managed on purpose, the squeeze starts to ease.
Discuss this with us ↗DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR?
Signs you
may recognise.
- 01Payments to suppliers are delayed while customers owe you large amounts
- 02You are unsure on any given day how much you can safely spend
- 03Salaries or statutory dues are sometimes paid late or from personal funds
- 04Stock or work in progress sits for long periods before being billed or sold
- 05Short-term borrowing is used regularly to cover normal operating needs
- 06Customers are given long credit because stopping it feels risky for the relationship
- 07Money from the business and personal money are hard to separate
WHY IT HAPPENS
Common root
causes.
- Credit terms given to customers are longer than the terms received from suppliers
- Invoicing is late or irregular, and follow-up on overdue payments is nobody's job
- Stock or materials are bought in excess or in the wrong mix, locking up cash
- There is no forward cash forecast, so shortfalls are discovered at the last moment
- Profit and cash are treated as the same thing, though growth, tax and loan repayments take cash without showing in profit
START THIS WEEK
Four first
steps.
- List every customer who owes you money, the amount, and how many days overdue it is
- Call the three largest overdue accounts this week and agree a payment date in writing
- Write down every fixed payment due in the next eight weeks with its date
- Check how much stock or unbilled work you hold, and list items that have not moved in three months
- Separate business and personal accounts if they are mixed, and pay yourself a fixed amount
HOW WE HELP
A practical way
to fix it.
Thirteen-week cash forecast
We build a rolling weekly forecast of expected receipts and payments, update it with your team, and use it to spot shortfalls weeks ahead and plan timing of spend.
Receivables process
We set invoicing timelines, an ageing report and a reminder routine with named owners and scripts, plus a credit approval rule for new and slow-paying customers.
Stock and purchase review
We analyse which items move and which sit, then set reorder levels and purchase approval limits, so less money is locked in shelves and storage.
Payables and terms planning
We map your supplier terms and due dates, suggest where to negotiate or rebalance, and create a weekly payment calendar ranked by priority and penalty risk.
Funding needs check
We prepare a clear working capital picture so you can discuss borrowing with your bank or adviser with facts at hand. Lending and tax advice stay with qualified professionals.
LET’S MOVE YOUR BUSINESS FORWARD
