The fear of economic disasters and recessions is real, and even though the global markets have managed to recover and regain their bearings over the past few months, it has left a long-lasting impression on modern entrepreneurs on the need for financial security and business resilience. In fact, despite the presence of economic rebounds and bullish trends that signal growth opportunities, it’s not surprising to see business owners lean more toward risk-averse strategies to establish their core operations first before testing the waters with a risk appetite assessment.
However, while we strongly encourage firms and enterprises to employ more conservative practices and defensive investing tactics, we must not forget that financial protection shouldn’t come at the cost of poor financial management. And even though we understand that cutting corners and working around breakevens for quarterly reports are but part of the process, it’s a double-edged sword that can cripple any potential left for your business to grow.
Every Business Decision And Project Requires Funding
At its core, a business is an entity defined by providing products and services to make a profit, and in between all the manufacturing, production, marketing, and distribution, the firm must possess the ability to manage the cash flows to sustain its operations. Therefore, we can’t deny that every business decision you make and every project you pursue will require resources and funding, and the lack thereof will lead to mediocre results and half-hearted implementation of plans.
- Cost Constraints And Resource Availability: Firstly, one of the most apparent risks you will run into as caused by poor finances are constraints and limited resource availability. For example, given the already problematic human resources situation the world is facing right now, a lack of funds to onboard new team members will prevent you from expanding your business capacities. And even though a portion of the blame can be associated with economic circumstances, some of it also involves poor financial management.
- Business Expansion Needs Positive Cash Flow: Apart from cost constraints holding your business back, bad finances will also make business expansion and new market entry points near impossible to achieve. Remember, there’s only so much you can attain from a target audience and market niche until you experience diminishing gains, but also expect increased costs to come with tapping into new leads. As a result, the absence of positive cash flow or any sustainable form of profit and working capital will cause your business to plateau.
- Bad Financial Habits Create Legal Problems: Lastly, poor finances are often the result of bad financial habits, and while these can easily be reformed at a personal level, they can create legal problems when experienced from a business standpoint. For example, failure to review and adjust wrong entries in the books of your business can lead to hard tags from external audits and cost you more money in the long term. Therefore, it is crucial to business sustainability that you establish sound financial management.
How Should Small Businesses Change And Adapt?
Given the reasons mentioned above, it is becoming increasingly important that businesses and enterprises revisit their financial plans and assess the economic feasibility of their current operations and cash flows. And to help regain good finances and a healthy financial situation, we recommend (1) onboarding a skilled finance team, (2) entertaining the opportunity of business loans, and (3) reworking the financial roadmap to include long-term results.
- Onboard A Skilled Finance Team: While many would argue that onboarding new hires and fresh talent is difficult in the new normal, we can’t deny the inherent need for a skilled finance team to establish your financial footing in the business climate. And whether it be through fresh graduates, third-party services, or outsourcing, a solid team to manage and review your finances is non-negotiable.
- Business Loans And Growth Opportunities: In addition to a skilled finance team, we also want to remind business owners that business loans aren’t something to be afraid of because they can enable growth opportunities by filling in the gaps in resources. And while it may add another recurring cost to your monthly checks, investing in the right projects will increase ROI. Soon enough, you will be able to match the combined network of distribution centers from Banner Solutions wholesale.
- Always Plan For Long Term Results: Last but not least, when reviewing your finances and reworking the outdated framework to meet the demands of the new normal, always account and plan for long-term results. You see, while operating on breakevens and small profit margins is understandable from a business startup, you shouldn’t limit your goals to those parameters alone. At the end of the day, there’s merit to dreaming big and setting your goals at a challenging milestone.
Start With Sound Financial Management
In conclusion, sound financial management acts as the beating heart of your business, and the net cash flows fuel every project, decision, and venture you choose to pursue in the name of growth and expansion. So, before you start being too prudent and defensive, it’s time you actively think about fixing your company’s finances to challenge today’s worrying economic rebound.
