How small business owners can cope with financial stress

Get friendly with your books

Your books and financial reports are not the enemy and you should stop treating them as such. Take the time to review them on a regular basis so you know exactly where you stand, how much money you owe, and how much you expect to make and when. 

While it’s tempting to bury your head in the sand, a close eye on your books will give you an opportunity to discover some areas where fat can be trimmed and others where you should invest in growth.

Optimize your cash flow

Sometimes the problem isn’t that you’re not making enough money but that it’s not coming in on time or in a predictable manner. It can simply be a matter of bills that are due before funds come in. You know the money’s on its way, but you still don’t have enough cash to cover your expenses right now. 

If this is what you’re experiencing, you’re suffering from a case of negative cash flow. This means there’s more money coming out of your business than into it at a given period, creating a temporary gap in your available cash.

Negative cash flow can be caused by late payments and poor expense planning among other things. To avoid it, it’s crucial to create a cash flow forecast, which can help you predict how much cash you’ll have throughout the year, whether you need to brace for specific months that are generally slower, and if you can put more money aside during better periods.      

It’s also important to monitor your bank and cash flow statements before making a large payment to ensure you have enough available funds and you won’t be draining your account. 

If you find yourself in a temporary cash flow crunch, consider using your credit card to cover some of your business bills. This lets you put off the payment until your card’s next billing cycle, providing some breathing room whenever you need it.

Digitize AP and AR

Accounts payableAccounts payable (AP)Accounts payable is an accounting term that refers to the outstanding bills or invoices for goods and services already provided to your business but that you haven’t yet paid for. and receivableAccounts receivable (AR)Accounts receivable is an accounting term that refers to all the money customers owe your business for products or services rendered and invoiced, but not yet paid for. (AP and AR) are both crucial and challenging tasks for small businesses. 

Switching to a digital payment platform like Melio lets you:

• Save on bank fees when sending or receiving payments.
• Spend less time on bookkeeping busywork and more time on generating revenue.
• Delegate without losing control by implementing payment approval workflows.
• Keep track of your payments, both incoming and outgoing.
• Send payment reminders as needed.
• Get paid faster by offering your customers better payment options.
• Schedule payments in advance so you pay on time, never too soon or too late.
• Pay bills with a credit card (even if your vendor doesn’t accept cards).*

Create a budget (and stick to it!)

Having a plan is always good for your peace of mind. 

A good budget outlines exactly how much you can afford to spend, on what, and when. It takes into account your projected revenue, profit,ProfitProfit is the earnings that remain after you deduct expenses from revenues. Net profit is what’s left when all types of expenses are deducted from sales. Gross profit is what’s left after deducting the costs associated with making and selling the products, or the costs associated with providing services. and costs, so you can responsibly plan for growth and set up your goals. 

The budget can also be used as a benchmark to determine how successful your operation was over the past year. 

Once you’ve created your budget it’s important to stick to it and try not to get sidetracked. There can always be unexpected expenses (which you should also allocate a budget for) but constantly going over budget is a sure way to lose your head. 

If you recognize a growth opportunity that can’t wait until next year’s budget, try to find a way to adjust the existing plan and squeeze it in without overspending. For example, maybe you’ll find you don’t have to spend as much on refreshments or office supplies as you thought. You can then cut those accounts to pay for an extra piece of machinery that can increase production.

Hire an accountant

We know. The last thing you want is to spend more money but hear us out. If you’re too overwhelmed by bookkeeping then you’re probably unable to pay enough attention to the other aspects of your business, like perfecting your product, providing services, or managing customers. 

On top of that, you may also make accounting mistakes that can be both time-consuming and costly. 

If some of your stress is caused by managing the books, it’s probably time to delegate and hire an accountant or bookkeeper to take the load off. A professional accountant won’t just keep your books in order. They can also help you build the right strategies to address various financial issues and achieve your goals in line with your income and assets without breaking the bank. 

Pay yourself fairly

You can’t expect to not stress about money when you’re not getting any. Too many business owners are opting to forgo pay (partially or entirely) to help the company. But, an entrepreneur (and their family) has also got to eat. 

Being unable to pay your personal bills is a surefire way to get demotivated and stressed about your business and your financial situation. So, pay yourself a reasonable living wage, even if that means cutting back on other areas of the business. Having a clear set income will also allow you to build a personal budget that can be manageable. 

It may require tough choices, but it’ll pay off for the company in the long run to have an owner who isn’t constantly worried about how they’ll cover their next mortgage or car payment. 

Don’t get too attached to your plans

Beware of the sunk-cost fallacy. This is a common phenomenon that affects everyone, especially small business owners. It means that the amount of time, money, or effort you invested in a specific strategy, plan, or product offering makes you want to stick to it, even when it clearly isn’t working. 

Don’t fall into this trap.

It’s often better to cut your losses than to keep betting on the wrong horse. While you’ll never see your investment returned at least you won’t continue to spend. You’ll also benefit from the learning experience so we suggest you count the costs you can’t recover as valuable tuition and move on.