30 Clever Ways to Generate Small Business Cash in a Crunch
A business can only thrive with positive cash flow. So, here are thirty ways to generate more cash if you need to fuel growth or dig the company out of a financial hole.
Raise prices.
Collect your receivables faster.
Get customers to pay in advance.
Slow down the rate at which you pay vendors.
Improve procurement processes.
Sell equipment.
Sell inventory.
Default on your debt obligations (good luck).
Perform a round of layoffs.
Reduce wages.
Restart credit plans with preferred vendors.
Renegotiate with suppliers.
Implement debt for credit with an irreplaceable vendor.
Or perhaps equity needs to sweeten the deal.
Put factoring on your receivables.
Purchase order financing.
Pre‐invoice UCC filing.
Vendor consignment.
A vendor sells inventory on terms and files a UCC lien.
Negotiate with the vendor to hold a dated check.
Get emergency cash from your customers.
Borrow or use the cash balance of your life insurance policy.
Sublease part of your business facility.
Perform a sales leaseback on a building or big piece of equipment.
Stretch utility payments.
Accelerated tax returns.
Plan ALL unaccrued liabilities in your cash-flow forecast.
Delay and stall collections.
NEVER skip tax withholdings.
Move cash from a hostile bank.
Cash is the lifeblood of your business, and you need to be proactive in managing it, especially during difficult times. But ideally, you save and invest when times are good, so you're prepared for any financial challenges that may come your way.
These ideas came from the book Corporate Turnaround Artistry: Fix Any Business in 100 Days, which I highly recommend you read, even if times are good.
