Growing Your Business

A Small Business Owner's Guide to Understanding Cash Flow

by
Lee Reams II
on
7/21/2023
A Small Business Owner's Guide to Understanding Cash Flow

Cash flow is the lifeblood of every small business, driving day-to-day operations and determining overall financial health. As a small business owner, understanding and effectively managing cash flow is essential for sustainable growth and success. In this guide, we'll explore how accounting affects your cash flow, how to forecast whether your company will break even in the next accounting period, and how to engage in cash accounting for small businesses of all kinds.

1. How Accounting Affects Your Cash Flow

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Credit: 10'000 Hours/Getty Images

Effective cash flow management begins with learning how accounting practices impact your business's financial health. Timely and accurate bookkeeping will help you develop a cash flow system that works. Maintaining organized financial records enables you to monitor cash inflow and outflow, identify potential cash shortages, and make informed financial decisions.

By regularly analyzing financial statements, such as profit and loss (P&L) reports, you can spot patterns, track trends, and anticipate fluctuations in cash flow. This knowledge helps business owners like you proactively manage their finances.

2. How to Forecast Whether Your Company Will Break Even In the Next Accounting Period

Forecasting whether your business will break even in the next accounting period can feel like a daunting task if you don't have a finance background. However, this type of forecasting is vital if you want to succeed. Break-even analysis involves determining the point at which your total revenues equal total expenses, resulting in neither profit nor loss. Here's a simple example for forecasting the break-even point:

Identify Fixed and Variable Costs: Categorize your expenses into fixed costs (rent, insurance, etc.) and variable (supplies, labor, etc.) costs. Fixed costs remain constant, while variable costs typically fluctuate each month with sales or production levels.

Calculate Contribution Margin: Determine your product or service's contribution margin, which is the difference between the selling price and the variable cost per unit. This metric indicates how much each sale you make contributes towards covering fixed costs.

Calculate the Break-Even Point: Divide fixed costs by the contribution margin to arrive at the break-even point in product units. This tells you how many items you must sell to cover your basic expenses.

Analyze Sales Volume: Compare your projected sales volume to the break-even point. This will allow you to assess whether you expect to make a profit or loss during the next accounting period.

Remember, it is wise to have a tax and accounting professional assist you with this process, as it can be complex depending upon the type of business you operate.

3. Understanding Cash Accounting For Small Businesses

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Credit: Maskot/Getty Images

Cash accounting is a straightforward accounting method commonly used by small businesses. Unlike accrual accounting, which records revenue and expenses when incurred, cash accounting records transactions when cash is received or paid.

For small businesses with uncomplicated financial transactions and no substantial inventory, cash accounting provides a clear picture of cash availability. It is particularly beneficial for businesses with minimal sales on credit and immediate payment terms. However, cash accounting has its limitations, such as not capturing future financial obligations or long-term income recognition. As your business grows, you may need to consider transitioning to accrual accounting for more comprehensive financial reporting.

In specific cases, accrual accounting is required by law.

4. Tips For Managing and Improving Cash Flow

If you're a new business owner, or you're simply looking to improve your profit margin, the following tips will help you successfully manage cash flow. It is worth noting that these tips are applicable to nearly all industries but some fields, such as retail and pharmaceuticals, may be more complex. 

Maintain Adequate Cash Reserves: Create a cash reserve to cover unexpected expenses or slow revenue periods, safeguarding your business from cash shortages. Your business bank accounts should be separate from your personal accounts for tax purposes.

Monitor Accounts Receivable: Encourage timely payments from customers to improve your cash inflow each week or month. Implement clear payment terms and follow up on overdue invoices. Don't be afraid to take legal action, such as taking a client to small claims court, if litigation becomes necessary.

Negotiate Vendor Terms: Negotiate favorable terms with vendors and suppliers to extend payment deadlines, if applicable to your situation. This can afford you more time to manage cash outflow.

Cut Unnecessary Expenses: Regularly review expenses and identify areas where cost-cutting is possible without compromising the quality of your products or services. You may, for example, be able to switch to a different point of sale (POS) system or utility provider to lower your monthly overhead.

Stay on Top of Inventory Management: If you run a business that requires you to maintain inventory, avoid purchasing excess inventory that ties up cash. However, ensure you have sufficient stock to meet customer demand.

Plan For Seasonal Variations: Anticipate seasonal fluctuations and prepare contingency plans to manage cash flow during slow periods. Most industries have busy seasons and slower seasons. If, for instance, you run a restaurant that is well-known for its rooftop bar, the winter months are likely to be less profitable.

5. Common Cash Flow Mistakes to Avoid

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Credit: lechatnoir/Getty Images

With the help of your tax and accounting advisor, spend time creating a financial management plan. A solid day-to-day system will allow you to avoid common small business pitfalls, like those outlined below. 

Overestimating Revenue: Overly optimistic revenue projections can lead to cash flow issues if sales fall short of expectations. This is especially true for newer businesses that don't have a baseline for what to expect year over year.

Poor Accounts Receivable Management: Neglecting to follow-up on overdue payments can disrupt cash flow and impact your ability to cover expenses. Even though it can be difficult to nag customers for payments, it is critical if you want your business to succeed. You can't give away products or services for free.

Excessive Debt: Taking on too much debt without a clear plan for repayment can burden cash flow with interest payments. While it may be tempting to take out business loans

Understanding cash flow and its impact on your small business is key for making informed financial decisions and achieving long-term success. Implementing an effective system for managing cash flow and avoiding common mistakes will ensure your business maintains a healthy financial position, empowering you to thrive and grow in a competitive marketplace.

Feature Image Credit: Xavier Lorenzo/Getty Images

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Lee Reams II

Lee Reams II

CEO

I am a tax and business news junkie who has spent the last 20 years developing and executing "best in class" word-of-mouth marketing campaigns for tax and accounting professionals. With TaxBuzz and CountingWorks we have taken that same commitment to quality content directly to the consumer. Keeping you up-to-date with the latest tax law changes, business growth tips and planning strategies to help you reach your best financial outcome.

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