One of the biggest challenges field service businesses face is maintaining positive cash flow.
Discover the steps to improve poor cash flow and ensure you have enough money to cover your expenses, pay employees and suppliers, and invest in your company's growth.
What is cash flow?
Cash flow is the total amount of money coming in and out of your business. Cash inflows include sales revenue and financing, while cash outflows include expenses like wages, supplier payments and rent.
Positive cash flow occurs when your business generates more cash than it spends, while negative cash flow occurs when it spends more money than it generates.
Why is cash flow important?
The success of your business depends on positive cash flow. Without it, your business may struggle to meet its financial obligations.
With positive cash flow, you can pay your operational expenses. But when your costs exceed your cash inflow, you won't be able to cover these costs. The ability to pay for materials and labour will keep your operations going and prevent you from going out of business.
Cash flow can help predict future financial stability. Your business is more likely to be financially stable if your cash flow is consistently positive, as it provides a cushion against unexpected expenses such as equipment breakdowns or unexpected loss of customers.
Additionally, it can affect your company's ability to secure funding. Lenders and inventors often look at a business's cash flow to gauge its financial health and may be less likely to provide funding to a company with consistently negative cash flow.
A positive cash flow is vital for your company's survival and long-term success.
5 steps you can take to improve cash flow
If you're looking for effective ways to stay cash flow positive, these steps can help you improve your cash flow and the financial health of your business.
Step 1: Invoice promptly and accurately
One of the most effective ways to improve cash flow is to invoice customers as soon as work is completed. Sending invoices on time gives your clients enough time to make payments and reduces the chances of delays. Sending accurate invoices is just as important, as mistakes can lead to disputes and delayed payments.
Custom invoice templates created with Invoice Software can help you get accurate invoices to clients on time, as your branding and details are already on the document. All you need to do is add the details of the work done, the customer's details and the amount owed.
Step 2: Offer multiple payment options
Give your customers as many payment options as possible. The easier it is for customers to pay you, the more likely they'll pay you on time.
Consider offering online payment options. With digital payment solutions like PayPal and Stripe customers can make secure payments quickly, making it easier for them to pay you and reducing the chances of you having to follow up on invoices.
Step 3: Follow up on overdue invoices
Following up on overdue invoices is crucial, as late payments negatively affect cash flow. You can call customers or use Invoice Software to send automated email reminders to clients to remind them to pay your business.
The key to following up on late payments is to contact your customers in good time. Don't wait too long to communicate with them, as this will only further delays payments.
Step 4: Negotiate payment terms
In some cases, it may be possible to negotiate payment terms with customers. You could offer a discount for early payment or agree to extend their payment period in exchange for a larger deposit.
Consider negotiating payment terms with your suppliers. Longer payment terms could give you more time to collect customer payments to ensure you have enough money to pay your bills.
Step 5: Monitor expenses
Expenses like extra warehouse space or excess stock could prevent your business from maintaining a positive cash flow. By monitoring your expenses, you can find ways to cut costs and reduce the money leaving your business to improve cash flow.
Some simple ways to reduce costs include negotiating better rates with your suppliers, finding more efficient ways to perform tasks, and tracking your inventory to optimise stock levels and prevent overstocking.
By keeping expenses low, you'll have more cash to invest in your business and grow your revenue.
