Cash Flow Problems

Cash flow problems occur when a business struggles to manage funds for its daily operations. It refers to the lack of money due to uncertain, uncalled, direct and indirect reasons. When a business suffers from cash flow problems, it eventually leads to unpaid bills and lags in business activities.

These problems are often observed in startups and small businesses. However, even for a well-established company, these problems may start small and appear negligible initially. Still, they can lead to bigger internal and external issues if not properly managed or acknowledged. Cash flow problems are often seen as setting off a chain reaction, inducing a domino effect.

• A cash flow problem is when a company does not have enough money or funds to support its day-to-day business operations.
• The common causes of cash flow problems are late customer payments, low profits, lack of cash reserves, absence of budgetary control, over-investment, over-expansion, and too much debt.
• Simple ways to solve cash flow issues are forecasting future cash flows, performing finance audits, ensuring accurate billing and timely client payments, freeing up assets, and removing debts.
• Cash flow problems are common and yet very concerning; they lead to bankruptcy and the shutting down of businesses if not addressed effectively.

Cash flow problem refers to a situation of financial crisis where a company no longer has enough funds to support and cater to its day-to-day business needs and operations. It is a common concern for most companies, regardless of size and nature. The cash flow problem can occur for several reasons that directly or indirectly point toward a persistent issue that keeps sabotaging the business.

Although it can happen to any company, cash flow problems in small businesses are more common, given their lack of experience, resources, and low profitability. Cash flow issues directly indicate something is wrong with the business at some level. Either the company cannot deal with it or has not yet identified the problem.

When cash flow problems start getting bigger, it becomes challenging to support the day-to-day tasks, and companies fall into a debt trap, unable to pay salaries, and interest payments, and fulfill any form of corporate commitment. At first, it looks like one single problem, but eventually, it ignites a domino effect as people start to leave, and production is stalled. Management and staff lose confidence in the company. The same happens externally; the clients and customers tend to avoid dealing with the firm, and the market value declines dramatically.

The reasons for cash flow problems are -

• Receiving late customer payments especially occurs in small businesses, shop owners, and retail store owners that are mostly dependent on the foreseeable payments that are yet to come.
• Not maintaining an emergency fund. Companies must also set aside a particular amount of cash for rainy days. It is also called cash reserves.
• Again, just like individuals, companies must have a budget and budgetary control to track every cash inflow and expense.
• Low profits are one of the most organic causes of cash flow problems. It simply means that the business is not going as it was expected. Low profits mean no cash inflow and no money to pay bills and salaries.
• Another important cause is over-investment; businesses tend to make investments, even those that may not be profitable and are required for the time being. It means most of the cash is not stuck with the investments.
• Similar to over-investment is over-expansion. Most businesses tend to expand too fast and too early, which is a bad catalyst.
• Too much debt, loans, and market credit are often seen as a major cause of cash flow problems because most funds go to pay interest and debt payments.
• Lastly, overstocking and high overhead costs significantly hinder cash flow in companies.

Let us look into a few examples of cash flow problems:

Example #1

Suppose Justin started a factory that manufactures soft drinks. Since he had a lack of capital, he went on to take multiple loans and credit from different banks and market participants. Justin ran the business for 1 year, but the cash flow problems started to appear. He has taken huge loans and mortgaged his personal property for it. Due to an underappreciated response, the profits are very low and most of the earnings are going directly to pay off the interest payments and settling debts.

Within the next two months, he struggles to pay employee salaries, the management is unhappy, and he has to sell many pieces of equipment and machinery. Still, Justin is facing cash flow issues and cannot make enough cash to run the daily operations. Slowly, the factory shuts down, and the company becomes insolvent. It is a simple example of cash flow problems.

Example #2

Netflix, known for its cash flow issues, surprised investors with a positive turn in 2023. The company made $2.1 billion in free cash flow in the first quarter, a big change from its previous cash flow problems. This improvement reflects better management and smarter spending, like cutting back on content and adjusting prices. Netflix is now aiming for stronger profits by spending less and tackling paid password sharing. These moves boost confidence, with Wall Street seeing Netflix as a promising investment for improving finances.

The solutions for cash flow problems in business are -

• Whether it is a budding business or a well-established company, it should primarily focus on maintaining a cash reserve to effectively control during times of crisis.
• Secondly, a company should always audit its finances and keep steady control over credit and budgetary planning.
• If it is a startup, ensure minimum debt and borrowings. An actively operating company should focus on having a flexible line of credit. At the same time, avoid taking huge and multiple loans.
• A company must try to forecast its future cash flows to stay prepared and ready for any type of expenses.
• The most important solution, again, would be to ascertain timely or early payments and proper billing and invoice structures.
• Most of the time, a company faces cash flow issues because of unfavorable credit terms. A simple solution to this would be better negotiation and initiating swift credit policies.
• Freeing up unnecessary and unrequited assets is another common solution. Many firms have investments and large assets that are not paying; they should be taken off.

This article has been a guide to what are Cash Flow Problems. Here, we explain the topic in detail including its solutions, causes, and examples. You may also find some useful articles here -

• Days Cash On Hand
• Cash Flow Management
• Cash Flow Budgeting