As a business owner, you\u2019ll be familiar with that old balancing act of money out versus money in. And whilst profitability is definitely something you should be paying attention to, the best way to really understand your short-term and long-term survival is to look at your business\u2019s cash flow. Specifically, whether or not you are cash flow positive. So, what does this actually mean?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To put it simply, when your company is cash flow-positive, it means your cash inflows exceed your cash outflows. In order for your business to function, you need money in the bank to pay your employees, purchase inventory or raw materials, and to cover any other operating costs you may incur. To do this, you use either working capital that\u2019s been invested in your business or the money you\u2019ve received from sales and receivables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Issues arise when an otherwise healthy company\u2014one that makes more money than it spends, with a high demand for its product or service and a strong volume of growth\u2014struggles with the timing of expenses relative to sales. Even if the long-term financial trajectory of your business is strong, you can quickly run into cash flow problems if you spend more in the short-term than you\u2019re bringing in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*Remember: Your business can be profitable without being cash flow-positive\u2014and you can have a positive cash flow without actually making a profit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Calculating your business cash flow tells you a number of things: Where your money is coming from, where it\u2019s going, and how the timing of your inflows and outflows of cash work together. Here\u2019s how you can figure out if you\u2019re cash flow positive or not in four easy steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want to ease the calculation, use our cash flow calculator<\/a> today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Compare the calculation above with your business\u2019s profit calculations and it becomes a lot clearer that your profit doesn\u2019t show the whole picture of how your business is doing financially. Because profit doesn\u2019t tell you when those inflows and outflows of cash are occurring, it\u2019s not an ideal indicator as to your business\u2019s financial well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Profit doesn\u2019t tell you if you\u2019ll make payroll next month. It doesn\u2019t tell you whether you can purchase a new batch of inventory. It doesn\u2019t warn you that you could be instantly broke the minute the tax bill comes in. So, whilst it is an important measure of success, profit tells you nothing about survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So you\u2019ve just done the calculation and found your business to be cash flow negative? Don\u2019t worry, there are a few different things you can do to manage your company\u2019s cash flow in order to avoid a dangerous scenario. Here are some of the options you have available:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The golden rule of positive cash flow is ALWAYS be prepared for the worst. If you do have a negative cash flow situation in a given month, you don\u2019t want that single fluke to permanently damage your business! That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important to have some amount of cushion in place in your cash on hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unpaid invoices are one of the biggest cash flow killers out there \u2014especially for small B2B businesses, who are the most likely to suffer delayed payments from their business clients. Without being proactive about collecting payments from your clients, you could quickly find yourself in a dangerous cash flow situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Are there ways that you cut back on unnecessary expenses or wait to spend that money when you actually have it on hand? In some cases, the answer might simply be that you\u2019re spending more on various one-off expenses than you can afford. Those \u201cpetty cash\u201d costs can add up quickly to damage your cash flow. (Yes, even the tax-deductible ones!) Make a budget for your day-to-day expenses and stick to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For many businesses, April can be the ugliest month of the year from a cash flow perspective. Avoid a windfall of expenses each April by calculating your tax bill and putting a little aside each month in preparation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Managing cash flow can be particularly tricky for seasonal businesses for whose revenue varies dramatically at different times throughout the year, and for many, simply planning ahead isn\u2019t enough. If you own a seasonal business and are struggling with cash flow, are there any alternative sources of seasonal revenue that you could pursue in the off season? Definitely something worth considering!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whilst crossing over from a negative to a positive cash flow is certainly possible, it\u2019s not an instant process. There\u2019s no magic formula or switch you can flip to suddenly get back on track. Becoming and staying \u201ccash flow positive\u201d is a business process that may take a bit of time. But if you\u2019re paying attention, tracking as you go, and making corrections as needed, you\u2019ll get there in no time at all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As a business owner, you\u2019ll be familiar with that old balancing act of money out versus money in. And whilst profitability is definitely something you should be paying attention to, the best way to really understand your short-term and long-term survival is to look at your business\u2019s cash flow. Specifically, whether or not you are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26398,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","category":[1362],"acf":[],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/08\/coins-currency-investment-insurance-128867-768x512-1-768x500-1.jpeg",768,500,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/08\/coins-currency-investment-insurance-128867-768x512-1-768x500-1-150x150.jpeg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/08\/coins-currency-investment-insurance-128867-768x512-1-768x500-1-300x195.jpeg",300,195,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/08\/coins-currency-investment-insurance-128867-768x512-1-768x500-1.jpeg",768,500,false],"large":["https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/08\/coins-currency-investment-insurance-128867-768x512-1-768x500-1.jpeg",768,500,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/08\/coins-currency-investment-insurance-128867-768x512-1-768x500-1.jpeg",768,500,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/08\/coins-currency-investment-insurance-128867-768x512-1-768x500-1.jpeg",768,500,false],"image_blog":["https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/08\/coins-currency-investment-insurance-128867-768x512-1-768x500-1-408x252.jpeg",408,252,true],"image_podcast":["https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/08\/coins-currency-investment-insurance-128867-768x512-1-768x500-1-397x298.jpeg",397,298,true],"image_banking":["https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/08\/coins-currency-investment-insurance-128867-768x512-1-768x500-1-31x20.jpeg",31,20,true],"image_blog_internal":["https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/08\/coins-currency-investment-insurance-128867-768x512-1-768x500-1-768x480.jpeg",768,480,true],"image_blog_medium":["https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/08\/coins-currency-investment-insurance-128867-768x512-1-768x500-1.jpeg",768,500,false],"image_single_banking":["https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/08\/coins-currency-investment-insurance-128867-768x512-1-768x500-1-80x52.jpeg",80,52,true]},"post_excerpt_stackable":" As a business owner, you\u2019ll be familiar with that old balancing act of money out versus money in. And whilst profitability is definitely something you should be paying attention to, the best way to really understand your short-term and long-term survival is to look at your business\u2019s cash flow. Specifically, whether or not you are cash flow positive. So, what does this actually mean? To put it simply, when your company is cash flow-positive, it means your cash inflows exceed your cash outflows. In order for your business to function, you need money in the bank to pay your employees,…<\/p>\n","category_list":"Funding resources<\/a>","author_info":{"name":"root","url":"https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/author\/root\/"},"comments_num":"0 comments","featured_image_urls_v2":{"full":["https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/08\/coins-currency-investment-insurance-128867-768x512-1-768x500-1.jpeg",768,500,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/08\/coins-currency-investment-insurance-128867-768x512-1-768x500-1-150x150.jpeg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/08\/coins-currency-investment-insurance-128867-768x512-1-768x500-1-300x195.jpeg",300,195,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/08\/coins-currency-investment-insurance-128867-768x512-1-768x500-1.jpeg",768,500,false],"large":["https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/08\/coins-currency-investment-insurance-128867-768x512-1-768x500-1.jpeg",768,500,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/08\/coins-currency-investment-insurance-128867-768x512-1-768x500-1.jpeg",768,500,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/08\/coins-currency-investment-insurance-128867-768x512-1-768x500-1.jpeg",768,500,false],"image_blog":["https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/08\/coins-currency-investment-insurance-128867-768x512-1-768x500-1-408x252.jpeg",408,252,true],"image_podcast":["https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/08\/coins-currency-investment-insurance-128867-768x512-1-768x500-1-397x298.jpeg",397,298,true],"image_banking":["https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/08\/coins-currency-investment-insurance-128867-768x512-1-768x500-1-31x20.jpeg",31,20,true],"image_blog_internal":["https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/08\/coins-currency-investment-insurance-128867-768x512-1-768x500-1-768x480.jpeg",768,480,true],"image_blog_medium":["https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/08\/coins-currency-investment-insurance-128867-768x512-1-768x500-1.jpeg",768,500,false],"image_single_banking":["https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/08\/coins-currency-investment-insurance-128867-768x512-1-768x500-1-80x52.jpeg",80,52,true]},"post_excerpt_stackable_v2":" As a business owner, you\u2019ll be familiar with that old balancing act of money out versus money in. And whilst profitability is definitely something you should be paying attention to, the best way to really understand your short-term and long-term survival is to look at your business\u2019s cash flow. Specifically, whether or not you are cash flow positive. So, what does this actually mean? To put it simply, when your company is cash flow-positive, it means your cash inflows exceed your cash outflows. In order for your business to function, you need money in the bank to pay your employees,…<\/p>\n","category_list_v2":"Funding resources<\/a>","author_info_v2":{"name":"root","url":"https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/author\/root\/"},"comments_num_v2":"0 comments","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/6064"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blog"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6064"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/6064\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31708,"href":"https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/6064\/revisions\/31708"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26398"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6064"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category?post=6064"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What Profit Doesn\u2019t Tell You<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to Manage Your Business Cash Flow and Work to Become Cash Flow Positive<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Maintain a Cushion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Take Steps to Get Paid Faster<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Manage Your Expenses<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Pay Attention to Estimated Taxes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Consider Alternative Revenue Sources<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You Can\u2019t Become Business Cash Flow Positive Overnight\u2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n