Introduction
Cash flow best practices are the essential toolkit for small businesses, especially those with growth ambitions.
As a cash flow expert, I’ve developed the Cash Flow Freedom Formula, a proven system tailored to help ambitious businesses achieve sustainable growth.
Think of cash flow like your business’s financial fuel – a steady supply keeps you running, while excess reserves empower you to accelerate when opportunities arise.
The following 10 strategies will help you master your cash flow, ensuring you have the resources to fuel expansion and navigate the challenges
of growth.
#1 Set Specific Cash Flow Targets:
Don’t confuse daily operating needs with the fuel required for growth. To expand, you’ll need a surplus beyond your minimum balance. Calculate the exact costs associated with your growth plans – equipment, marketing, hiring, etc. Then, set cash flow
targets that directly support these investments. Additionally, aim for at least a 12-week cash cushion for unexpected expenses during early expansion phases.
Example:
A dental practice planning to add a new treatment room determines the costs of specialized equipment and potentially hiring an additional hygienist. They set a target that not only covers these expansion costs but builds additional reserves for potential marketing or unanticipated needs.
#2 Prioritize Cash Inflow
Delayed payments are a major threat to a growing business, limiting your ability to invest in expansion opportunities, such as timely inventory purchases or scaling up marketing. Proactively address this by streamlining your invoicing for speed and clarity. Make it easy for customers to understand payment terms and provide multiple, convenient payment options. Offer incentives for early payments (e.g., small discounts) to accelerate cash inflow. For larger orders or those with extended payment cycles, consider invoice factoring to obtain immediate liquidity.
Example:
A retail store specializing in seasonal products needs to stock up well before peak sales periods but faces potential delays in payments from
wholesale clients. They implement online payment options for customer convenience, offer early payment discounts, and utilize invoice factoring
to bridge the gap, ensuring they have the inventory to meet demand when it’s highest.
#3 Build a Cash Reserve
Growth often brings unpredictable opportunities and challenges alike. A cash reserve is your safety net, empowering you to act swiftly rather than letting opportunities slip by. It allows you to invest quickly in upscaling a successful marketing campaign, upgrading equipment to meet increased demand, or bringing on needed freelance support. Aim for at least 3-6 months’ worth of operating expenses as your buffer.
Example:
A marketing agency wins a major new client with tight project deadlines. Their cash reserve enables them to quickly hire additional freelance
designers or invest in specialized software, ensuring they deliver on time, exceed client expectations, and position themselves for further growth.
#4 Develop a Regular Forecasting Routine
In industries with fluctuating revenue cycles, cash flow can be unpredictable. Develop a habit of preparing cash flow forecasts (weekly or monthly) and diligently compare them to actuals. This allows you to identify potential shortfalls caused by seasonal dips or delays, as well as highlight periods where growth outpaces cash inflow. Use forecasts to proactively adjust spending for smoother cash flow management throughout the year.
Example:
A construction company experiences significant cash flow variations throughout the year. Regular forecasting helps them anticipate slower
winter months. They identify periods with higher revenue where they can build additional cash reserves, ensuring continued operations year-round.
#5 Maximize Accounting Accuracy
As your business scales, even small bookkeeping errors can throw off your cash flow projections, hindering your ability to make informed growth decisions. Invest in reliable bookkeeping practices, utilizing software like Xero or QuickBooks for automation and reduced manual errors. Consider regular external audits or reviews, especially as your financial complexity increases. This ensures confidence in your data, empowering you to allocate resources and pursue opportunities based on an accurate financial picture.
Example:
A retail store with expanding inventory relies on accurate data to make timely re-ordering decisions. Investing in cloud-based inventory
management software and regular stock audits ensures they don’t run out of popular products or end up with excess stock tying up cash – both of which are detrimental to cash flow in a growing business.
#6 Focus on Cash Flow, Not Just Profit
While profits are essential to long-term success, a growing business can find itself “profitable on paper” yet struggling to cover immediate expenses.
Prioritize maintaining a healthy cash position to fuel your growth trajectory.
Understand the difference between profitability and cash flow, regularly tracking both metrics. This ensures you always have the cash to pay for
payroll, inventory, or the expenses that arise between project completion and customer payment.
Example:
A marketing agency may win a large project with delayed payment terms. While ultimately profitable, they need sufficient cash flow to cover upfront costs like freelance hires and software subscriptions to execute the project successfully. They prioritize cash flow alongside profitability to ensure both immediate operational needs and long-term goals are met.
#7 Measure Cash Flow KPIs
During periods of rapid growth, efficient cash flow management is key to maximizing your resources and seizing opportunities. Regularly track metrics like Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) to assess how quickly you collect payments, Days Payable Outstanding (DPO) to optimize supplier payment terms, and the cash conversion cycle to understand the speed at which your investments turn into cash. These
KPIs provide valuable insights into areas ripe for streamlining, allowing you to either accelerate cash inflows or strategically manage outflows to support your growth.
Example:
A dental practice with ambitious expansion plans implements strict DSO tracking. They identify a bottleneck in collecting patient co-payments,
negatively impacting cash flow. By implementing an online payment system and patient reminders, they significantly improve their DSO, ensuring cash is readily available for day-to-day operations as well as growth initiatives.
#8 Benchmark Against Industry Standards
Knowing how your cash flow metrics compare to others in your industry is especially important during growth. Seek out benchmarks relevant to your business size, market niche, and current growth phase. This illuminates areas where you excel and highlights opportunities for further optimization. Use industry benchmarks to set ambitious yet realistic targets, positioning your business to match or even outpace the competition.
Example:
A rapidly scaling retail store compares its Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) to other similar-sized retailers specializing in its same niche. They identify that their DSO is longer than average. By streamlining their invoicing and collections processes, they improve their DSO, freeing up cash flow for further expansion while gaining a competitive edge.
#9 Establish Rainy Day Savings Practices
Growth often involves calculated risks. A dedicated “rainy day fund” gives you the financial cushion to weather unexpected challenges, while also empowering you to seize new opportunities or aggressively pursue expansion plans without jeopardizing your core operations. Consistently set aside a portion of your cash flow specifically for these purposes.
Example:
A marketing agency sets aside a portion of its profits into a “growth fund”. When an unexpectedly large, high-potential client approaches
them, they have the cash on hand to quickly hire additional talent and launch the new campaign successfully, accelerating their growth trajectory.
#10 Seek Professional Support
As your business scales, so does the complexity of managing your finances. Partner with an accountant or cash flow specialist to gain the tailored insights and guidance you need to optimize your financial health. This frees up your time and mental energy from the details, allowing you to focus on the big-picture strategic decisions that drive growth and ensure your financial foundations remain strong.
Example:
A dental practice owner aiming to open a second location partners with an accountant specializing in the healthcare sector. They receive guidance on securing financing, creating accurate cash flow projections, and streamlining bookkeeping for the multi-location operation. This allows the owner to focus on strategic expansion decisions, accelerating their growth plan
How Dental Practice X Achieved Financial Stability and Expanded to another location Within 18 Months
Problem:
Dental Practice X struggled with unpredictable cash flow and limited financial visibility due to outdated bookkeeping methods.
Without accurate data, they faced difficulty making informed decisions
regarding equipment upgrades, marketing initiatives, and their ultimate goal of
opening a second location. Additionally, unexpected tax liabilities further
hindered their ability to invest in growth.
Practice Implemented
Practice Implemented #1 Set Specific Cash Flow Targets
- Set Specific Cash Flow Targets & Build a Cash Reserve
- Specifics: Calculated expansion costs (new treatment room, hygienist), set a target including a buffer.
Practice Implemented #2: Prioritize Cash
- Inflow & #5: Maximize Accounting Accuracy
- Specifics: Switched to cloud-based software (Xero) for streamlined processes and real-time data. Offered an early-payment discount.
Practice Implemented #4: Develop a Regular
- Forecasting Routine
- Specifics: Began weekly cash flow forecasting, diligently comparing to
actual results.
Practice Implemented #9: Establish Rainy Day
- Savings & #10: Enlist Professional Support
- Specifics: Consistently set aside funds, partnered with a dental-specialized accountant for tax planning and expansion guidance.
Results:
- Improved Cash Flow Management:
- Reduced Days Sales
- Outstanding (DSO) by [15-20%] – demonstrating faster invoice collection.
- Achieved forecasting accuracy within a [5%] margin of actual cash flow – showing better decision-making.
- Built Financial Resilience
Successfully created a [6-month] cash reserve – providing their safety net and expansion capital. - Reduced unexpected tax liabilities by [percentage or amount] – due to proactive planning.
- Enabled Growth: Secured financing to open a new treatment room and hired an additional hygienist – showing concrete expansion.
- Invested in targeted marketing, resulting in a [10%] increase in new patient acquisition – further fuelling growth.
Outcome
The newfound financial stability and optimized cash flow management proved transformative for Dental Practice X. Within 18 months, they successfully purchased a smaller practice in a neighbouring town, increasing their overall patient income by 25%. This acquisition significantly expanded their patient base and service offerings, positioning them for continued long-term growth.
Your Next Step
Ready to take control of your cash flow and accelerate your growth? Here are two ways to get started:
Option 1: Get started with my Cash Flow Freedom Formula:
Sign up for my FREE 15-minute mini-masterclass…
Option 2: Unlock your Cash Flow Freedom:
Book your Formula Clarity Call, where we’ll pinpoint your biggest cash flow challenges and outline how the formula can be tailored to accelerate your growth
