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Cash flow is one of the biggest challenges that small business owners face. One of the reasons is because usually not enough attention is paid to managing it, until a crisis hits. Small business owners are often so focused on growing their businesses and making sales that they fail to see how their operational costs are eating into their profits. Suddenly, there are bills to pay and clients haven’t paid yet; as the business owner, you have to figure out a way to get cash in fast. However, if you are diligent about managing your cash flow, you can foresee and set up contingencies for situations like that. Here are a few tips that can help you to stay ahead of the game.

Know Your Operational Costs

Right from the start you should know what it costs to run your business on a monthly basis. Certainly, there will be some variable costs that change on a monthly basis but you should still have a rough idea of what they are so you can form a budget. If you do not capture all your expenses then you are quite likely to forget about some of them. A few hundred dollars here and there can quickly add up. The easiest way to do this is to draw up a simple spreadsheet. Capture fixed expenses such as rental costs and salaries first, and then have sections for income such as stationary, telecommunications and fuel. These operational costs should form the basis of your budget. They define your break-even point of your business. Bring in less income than that and your business will be in trouble. Always know the target that you need to reach in terms of turnover.

Define Your Payment Dates

Try not to have all your expenses payable at the same time of the month. Most landlords require that you pay the rent up front yet many insurance companies, for example, will allow you to schedule your debit orders for the 10th or 15th of the month. What this does is spread the load of your payments throughout the month. Instead of having to make sure that you have a lump sum of cash available at the end of every month, you need only a portion of your expenses to be covered then and have some more time to get in the balance of your cash before the next batch is payable. It may initially seem like a mission to split up the payment dates but it can make a huge difference to your cash flow.

Be Strict with Your Debtors

This is a trap that too many business owners fall into. They do not want to offend customers and potentially lose out on their business so they bend over backwards to accommodate them and let them get away with paying late on a regular basis. Large companies often use this tactic to help balance their cash flows. The longer they can stave off paying a small business, the greater benefit to them. You don’t have to be aggressive when chasing payments. From the outset with clients, make sure that you clearly communicate your payment terms. Ideally, small businesses should operate on a cash-on-delivery basis but in many industries, this is not possible. Try to have as short a period as possible for payment. Ideally, it should be seven or 14 days. At the outset, it should never be more than 30 days. If it is seven days then clearly state this on your invoice and when you make delivery. If after the eighth day you have still not received payment, make a phone call to find out if it has been processed. If it has but doesn’t yet reflect in your account, let your client know that you will call to confirm as soon as it does. This is a polite way of letting them know that you watch and manage your cash flow closely and that they cannot get away with delaying payments.

Make Sure You Have a Wide Customer Base

Many small businesses start with just one or two major clients. While this is great initially, think of what will happen if that big client delays payment or doesn’t pay at all. How will that affect your cash flow? It is much better to have lots of smaller amounts of cash consistently coming into your business than to depend on one or two large payments every month. To have large clients is great but make sure you can break even without their payments. That way, you will always have a strong cash flow.

Everyone needs a budget of some sort. Countries have budgets, businesses do too. Although you may feel that you can’t afford to add another payment to your already thinly stretched budget, there are some things that are worth that stretch. If you are living without health insurance coverage for your family then it is time to look at your expenses. Many people don’t actually realize they are living within a budget, they simply go from paycheck to paycheck. If you take the time to look at where your money is being siphoned off to, you may be surprised.

When examining your expenses you may find surprises. For instance, we might spend our change on little things every day. Of course, this will add up fast if you dissect it or save it instead. It is easy to see where that money was going. Many people spend small amounts in a drive-thru or coffee shop. You may know what this means if you are one of those who shop like this.

Those morning trips can cost you just a little. Maybe it is only $5 for coffee and a bagel. If you add lunch to that later it could easily end up at $15 a day, just for food. Think about how much that is for the week. How about for a month. The same thing can be said of convenience shopping. Do the kids just have to get a bottled water every time you stop for gas? You may think that it is OK because it is just water after all. These invisible expenditures could amount to what an insurance premium would cost you.

You can fund other expenses if you watch your daily spending. Many of us want more. A bigger house or cooler car are some examples of this. However, we all know that these things will not make us happy. Being secure can make you happy. And so you will want health insurance in order to afford your bills in the event you are in an accident or become ill. Being secure with this kind of thing will feel good.

Looking at what you spend is sensible. If you believe you can’t afford insurance or don’t meet the criteria for assistance, you will want to try to look at your income versus expenses. This is because in the event you need sudden care or a specific procedure you need a plan. Then, after looking at this money flowing, you may find a place you can stop spending and take from there. Additional expenses laid out for a quick snack or drink might be better spent on the security you and your family deserve.