How to survive when a business gets into trouble

If you are to devise a robust survival plan for your business, it’s essential to understand the nature and scale of the problems you’re facing. Gather together all available information and be sure to understand it in financial terms – which requires assessing your cash flow.

If you don’t have a cash flow forecast – produce one. Accounting software makes this quick and easy, but even creating a basic spreadsheet that summarises your monthly outgoings and expected sales revenue allows you to see the full financial impact of the issue you’ve experienced, whether that’s added to your costs, weakened your sales or both.

Assess your likely cash flow for the next six months and identify specific dates when you risk running out of cash. Knowing what your cash shortfall is will tell you just how big a problem you must deal with.

When something happens that could impact your cash flow it can come as quite a shock. All of a sudden you’re under much more pressure, which can make it difficult to think straight and act decisively.  

You might not know what to do – especially if it’s the first time you’ve encountered such a problem. But just because you lack experience, doesn’t mean others can’t help, so, reach out for support. Other business owners in your network could have dealt with similar problems and may be able to advise you. 

Other free sources of support are available, for example, your local Growth Hub. You could ring the government’s Business Support Hotline. Your bank should be able to advise you on finance (although bank finance might not be your best cash flow solution). Although you’ll have to pay, your accountant should be able to provide support. Your problems may not turn out to be as bad as you fear – or worse than you realised. 

• Read more: 10 free business support services

You should always minimise your costs, but inefficiencies can build up over time. Every pound you spend unnecessarily will hinder your chance of survival, so assess all of your costs in all areas, and identify and eliminate all waste. If your business doesn’t need it – don’t buy it. 

Ask your suppliers how you could reduce your costs or get better value from them. If they can’t help – explore other options. Tough times require having to make some difficult decisions, which can include wages and staffing levels. Use your cash flow forecasts to work out how much you need to save, set cost-cutting targets and find ways to achieve them. Reconsider budgets in all areas.

• Read more: Learn how to set and stay within budgets

Having a well-functioning credit-control system is key to effective cash-flow management, while reducing the chances that your business will be affected by late payments and bad debts. Things can slacken off over time, so that your credit-control processes aren’t as tight as necessary. 

Look for ways to improve. Get your invoices out as soon as possible; remind customers that they’re due for payment a few days before due date; chase for payment when due and remain determined to get your money. If late payment is a persistent problem look into invoice discounting and factoring, which could provide a cash flow solution.

• Read more: Find out how to get funding for an existing business

Increasing your prices could ease your cash flow concerns. Even a small increase can make a big difference. A small price increase may be long overdue. Knowledge of your customers and competitors’ prices is key when considering whether to increase your prices, but you should always try to protect your margins when faced with rising costs.

• Read more: How to increase your prices

It sounds simple, but often it gets overlooked. Why not try to sell more to your existing customers? It could be a much quicker, easier and cheaper way to boost your revenue, because it takes far more time and money to attract new customers. You could try giving existing customers slightly discounted bundled items or money-off offers. Maybe you could introduce a customer loyalty scheme. 

• Read more: How to boost repeat purchases

Finally, take the opportunity to stop wasting time and money on things that really aren’t worth it. Better to use the time on actual sales and customers, or on sales and customers that bring higher margins. Also try to find ways to make your processes more efficient.