Cash flow and financial management are extremely important for MSMEs, as it helps ensure that bills and employees are paid on time. This, in turn, helps the business grow. MSMEs fall into one of three categories: manufacturing, service industries, and a combination of the two. Effective management of cash flow is vital to the success of any business, and it can help you grow faster.
Cash flow management is the most imperative aspect of running a business. Studies have showcased that 60% of businesses fail because they aren’t able to keep up with their outgoings. While making it difficult for a business to continue operating, a lack of cash can result in poor sales figures. It’s common for businesses to be profitable but still struggle to meet repayment requirements.
Fortunately, the solution is simple: MANAGE YOUR CASH FLOW
In addition to understanding your spending, managing cash flow can help you make better decisions. It also allows you to identify areas for cost-cutting. By understanding your cash flow, you’ll have a clear picture of what’s happening and where money is going. A good cash flow statement can also help you understand your ROI. And finally, managing cash flow can help you keep your vendor relationships intact, as late payments may lead to interest and surcharges, which can ruin your business’s reputation.
- Prevent Negative Cash Flow: One way to prevent negative cash flow is to do credit checks. You should get used to the tools available for businesses to monitor their credit score. This allows you to spot warning signs early. The same service can be used to understand your existing customer’s financial health. By understanding your cash flow, you can avoid the risk of falling into a negative cash flow situation and reduce the chances of the business failing.
- Focus on the Clients Who Pay Timely: The other way to avoid a liquidity crisis is to focus on attracting quality clients who pay on time. While speed is important, many small business owners make it a priority to increase the amount of cash in the bank. If you have a large debt that you can’t afford to repay at once, factoring in your debt will free up cash in the future. The advantage of this approach is that you can avoid costly card processing fees, and you’ll get your money sooner.
- Plan Well to Avoid Financial Hassle: As a growing business, you will need money to purchase inventory, rent a building, hire employees, and buy computers. Managing cash flow is vital for your company’s future. Many businesses fail due to a lack of financial management, and a cash flow crisis is very real. Financial management and cash flow are crucial for a small business, but without proper planning, you could end up facing a liquidity crisis.
Focus on Working Capital Optimization & Inventory Management
For a small business to maximize its cash flow, they need to manage its inventory effectively. This includes goods for sale, materials kept for manufacturing, and work-in-process. The balance between inventory demands and cash flow is critical for MSMEs. Effective management of inventory and cash flow requires fundamental improvements in demand planning, inventory policies, production planning, and lead time. Investing in calculated inventory or stock can be very beneficial as it will enable businesses to meet both current and future customer demands and give them discounts. To enable the periodic clearing of your stock/inventory, you must work with suppliers who offer reduced delivery cycles and can tackle just-in-time deliveries.
In many cases, MSMEs have to borrow money to carry out day-to-day business operations. They need this money to order goods, stock them, and sell them to customers. In short, this money must be available at the right time, in the right quantity, and at the right location. Working capital optimization is crucial for MSMEs to increase their cash flow and avoid debt. To get the most out of their cash flow, they must manage their cash efficiently.
Managing working capital effectively can be a challenging process, but there are many ways to address cash flow problems. One way to address short-term cash flow issues is to rent machinery/other requirements. Many small businesses prefer to rent their machinery instead of selling it. Renting out machinery protects their cash while ensuring the viability of their businesses. If you’re able to rent out machinery, you can put the cash generated from rentals in a short-term investment fund, which earns more interest than a fixed deposit but remains liquid.
Manage Credits and Control Overdue Debts
If you’re looking for apt ways to maximize your profits, your business must manage its credit risks and overdue delinquencies. Not managing credit risk can lead to unnecessary risks, as well as opportunities for improvement. An effective credit control policy will reduce bad debts and increase working capital for critical business investments. Set goals for your credit management program, measure it regularly and make changes as necessary.
Establish firm payment terms with customers. Make sure to agree on these terms, and have them written down. Whether your customer is purchasing goods on credit or doing a service, or selling a product, it’s essential to include retention of the title clause. And to ensure customer compliance, periodic reviews are essential. Update credit checks on your customers, and follow up with any discrepancies. And, most importantly, record everything. This will help eliminate ambiguity.
Raise Financing Against Trade Debts
To survive the current economic climate, MSMEs must diversify their businesses. One way of doing so is by raising financing against trade debts. This sort of financing is more likely to be approved than traditional bank loans. Furthermore, if MSMEs use this method correctly, they can benefit from lower interest rates. In addition, MSMEs may benefit from a better credit rating. But how should they go about raising this finance?
They need to understand different types of financing. In addition to traditional bank loans, they need to understand how different lending technologies work. A thriving financial market requires a diverse range of lending vehicles. While conventional bank lending is generally easy to access, MSMEs in developing countries are challenged by the absence of proper institutions. Therefore, financial institutions and the Government of India are offering several schemes to offer venture capital to MSMEs. By taking a professional approach, MSMEs can access formal loans and raise capital against trade debts in a cost-effective manner.