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Does Your Business Have a Safety Net?

9/9/2019

 
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One of the most important parts of managing a business is making sure there is enough cash to keep the business going.

As a business owner, you probably have a very good idea how much cash you have in the bank at any time. The smaller your business is, the more likely you are to keep a close eye on cash.

​​Checking your cash balance daily is an option. Yet there is another often-overlooked option – and a responsibility – that many business owners don’t spend enough time on. This responsibility is managing your future cash, especially considering unplanned situations. Looking ahead helps reduce your business risk and allows you more time to correct any upcoming dip in your cash balance.
Having enough cash is akin to having a safety net for your business. It can sometimes even mean the difference between staying in business and going out of business. To plan how much you might need for your safety net, you can use a few different methodologies.
 
One way to plan your safety net is to prepare for the worst-case scenario. How long would your cash hold out if no revenue were to come in but all expenses kept going out? Some questions you might ask:

  • At what point will your cash run out? How many weeks or months of cash do you have?
  • Do you have a line of credit you can tap at a bank?
  • Do you have other loans or sources of cash that you can tap quickly in case of emergency?
  • What expenses could you shut down without hurting your business if you had to?
 
Another way to plan your safety net is to do what the average business does: acquire the amount of cash you need for two to three months’ worth of operations and keep it on hand. Alternately, you can make a plan to liquidate that much cash on a very fast basis and only put your plan in place if it’s needed.
 
An easy way to get these numbers is to utilize cash flow forecasting tools. A more manual way is to look at your bank statements in conjunction with your average accounts receivable and accounts payable balances. If that’s all Greek to you, no worries. Feel free to contact us and we can help you figure out a safety net number that you’ll feel comfortable with and that will keep your business risk low.
 
Once you have a safety net in place, you’ll gain peace of mind for your business. It’s one step in an overall disaster preparedness plan that you can make for your business.
This is general information and should not be acted upon without first determining its application to your specific situation. Please contact us, your CPA or tax adviser for additional details.
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    Author

    Successfully meeting the challenges inherent to new and smaller businesses provides me with a special type of satisfaction. 

    Supporting businesses that have the potential to become amazing – from both the perspective of owners and team members as well as their clients – is what I enjoy. 

    I hope to use this blog to provide information specific to businesses that are growing from small beginnings into exceptional companies.

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  • Home
  • Why Us?
    • Reviews
    • Open Positions
  • Client Services
  • Resources
    • Save on QBO Subscriptions!
    • Tax Refund Status
    • Gusto Year End Checklist
    • Videos >
      • Business Taxes >
        • 2019 Business Tax Highlights
        • 7 Ways Small Business Can Save On Tax
        • Taxes for S-Corp Owners
        • The IRS Loves Businesses
      • Personal Taxes >
        • 2019 Tax Highlights
        • Five Yearly Tax Essentials
        • 4 Common Tax Surprises
        • Retirement Can Be Taxing
        • Advance Child Tax Credit Reconciliation - 2022
        • Make the Most of Your Donations
        • Five Great Tax Secrets
        • Renting Your Property Tax Free
        • Ideas to Audit-Proof Your Tax Return
      • The Tax Cuts & Jobs Act >
        • The Tax Cuts & Jobs Act: What You Need to Do Now
        • The Tax Cuts & Jobs Act: Are Itemized Deductions A Thing of the Past?
        • The Tax Cuts & Jobs Act: The New Child Care Tax Credit
      • Tax Topics >
        • Tax Season is Coming!
        • The New World of Deductions: What Everyone Needs to Know
        • Proving Your Deductions
        • How to Fix a Mistake on Your Tax Return
        • How Long Should I Save It?
        • Tax Credit vs Tax Deduction
        • Understanding Effective Tax Rate
        • Understanding Marginal Tax Rate
      • Life Events >
        • Life Events: A New Birth
        • Life Events: Marriage
        • Life Events: Divorce
    • Articles >
      • Accounting & Bookkeeping >
        • How to Get the Most Out of Your Accounting Fees
        • The 10 Biggest Money Leaks in Your Accounting System
      • Business Factors >
        • IRS Rules for Classifying Workers
        • Checklist for a Healthy Cash Flow
        • 12 Ways to Improve Your Business Profits
        • 10 Step Annual Business Check-Up
      • Tax Topics >
        • Tax Guide for Self-Employeds
        • 15 Things Every Tax Payer Should Know
        • Disaster Casualty Losses
        • Travel & Entertainment Deductions
        • Tax Guide - A Deduction Checklist
        • What You Should Know About Tax Audits
    • Newsletters >
      • Newsletters - Monthly Editions >
        • Newsletter - Monthly Edition
      • Newsletters - Quarterly Editions >
        • Newsletter - 2019 Fall/Winter
        • Newsletter - 2019 Spring/Summer
    • How To's >
      • How To - Dext
      • How To - BILL
  • Blog
  • Appointments
    • Client Consultations