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Cash Flow and Collections

Cash flow issues are often a fact of life for small businesses, especially in today's economic downturn. One of the most common suggestions for avoiding such issues is to build a financial cushion. Consider tightening your inventory so that you're not tying up a lot of cash. Bill a project when it's completed, and invoice products as soon as they're shipped. Don’t pay your supplier bills the day they arrive. If possible, wait 30 or 60 days. If suppliers want their money faster, ask for a discount for early payment. You might also consider comparison-shopping for suppliers, or even raising your prices if the market will bear the increase. And don't expand your operation until you have enough cash to support growth.

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Using Cash Flow Forecasting When Things Get Tough

When times are tough for a business, no better management tool exists than a cash flow forecast.

Video + Podcast Library

What Are the Rules of Accounting and How Do They Work?

Jerry Goldman, a senior tax partner at Ernst & Young, discusses the rules of accounting and how they work in practice.

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Use Your Competitors to Boost Your Cash Flow

Learn about modeling your competitors, doing joint ventures, buying dead leads, and other ways to rely on other companies in your market to increase your cash flow.

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Improving Your Accounts Receivable (A/R) Collection to Increase Cash Flow

Speeding up accounts receivable collections is a proven way to improve a company's cash position. With a plan, patience and a little persistence, a small business owner can often make substantial headway.

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Collect More of Your Accounts Receivable -- and Do It Faster

Keeping your cash flow healthy means collecting cash up-front.

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11 Cash Flow Management Secrets

Keep your costs down and profits up with these cash flow tips.

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Using Cash Flow Forecasting When Things Get Tough

When times are tough for a business, no better management tool exists than a cash flow forecast.

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Determining Whether to Use Cash or Accrual Accounting

Several factors determine which method is right for your business.

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How to Figure Ratios from Your Balance Sheet

Using a few key ratios figured from your balance sheet can help you track your company's liquidity to...

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Using Income Statement Ratio Analysis to Stay on Track

Using your income statement data to figure your accounts receivable, accounts payable, and inventory ratios will tell you...

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Examples of Cash-Flow Management Tools

Do you need a software package or can you use a spreadsheet? Here is an overview of the...

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Controlling Your Cash Flow by Monitoring Receivables and Inventory

Learn how to manage your cash flow by having the right credit policies in place.

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Four Ways to Use Your Competitors to Boost Your Cash Flow

Modeling your competitors, doing joint ventures, buying dead leads, and other ideas to increase your cash flow.

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Understanding Cash Flow

This overview explains how cash keeps your business afloat.

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Understanding Cash Flow Jargon in Simple Business Terms

What is meant by such things as "current asset," "quick ratio," and "stock-out rate"?

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Cash Flow Management Tools for Your Business

You may need cash-management software, or maybe only a spreadsheet.

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Credit and Collections: When Your Customer Stops Paying

Here are ways to handle a customer who has stopped paying.

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Credit Policies for Good Cash Flow

The kind of credit policies you have will vary depending upon the nature and size of your business.

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Collecting Debts While Obeying the Law

There are professional bill collectors you can hire to take over the process. Be aware, however, that federal...

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Improving Your Cash Flow

Cash shortages can prevent you from meeting your financial obligations, and they can make it difficult to plan...

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Using a Lawyer vs. a Collection Agency to Collect Debt

If your letter writing, personal meetings and phone calls have all failed to resolve a debt issue, it's...

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Successful Cash Flow Management

Because having cash at the right time is so important, entrepreneurs must pay close attention to cash management....

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Creating a Break-Even Analysis

If you can’t change your gross margin by increasing prices or reducing your variable cost, you must decrease...

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Selling Receivables to Free Up Cash Flow

Factoring companies can be a short-term solution any time you need cash flow, and especially when you need...

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