Read more about Finance
Steady Cash Flow
Cash is the fuel your company runs on. If it’s in short supply, you’ll struggle to meet your daily obligations. Sometimes, you’ll run out of funds even when your business is profitable on the whole. That’s because you aren’t managing your cash flow effectively. You can change this by taking several steps. They include collecting customer payments sooner and negotiating terms with your vendors that allow you to pay them over a more drawn-out period.Improve Profit Margins
You could certainly do with greater profit—even if you are already managing decent margins. One way to do this is to review your sales strategy and get better at speaking to potential buyers’ needs. Connect with them at a deep level through convincing messaging, and offer pricing plans or bundles that they’ll find attractive (without denting your accounts). You may also invest in revenue sources that bring in the most profit so that they generate even more.Sign up for the Connect Nigeria daily newsletter
Decrease Overheads
Overheads are ongoing costs of running your business that aren’t directly associated with creating products or services. We’re talking salaries, rent, utilities, insurance, etc. Although these costs aren’t directly connected to productive activity, you will typically factor them into the final price of your product or service. Unless you’re growing at a pace that can take care of sustained rises in these costs, you may have to find ways to curtail them. For example, you could move to an office space with lower rent, use freelancers and contractors for non-core work, and hire an accountant who could help identify costs that you can trim.Reduce Debt
Debt of the unsustainable kind is a drag on business. It takes an ever-increasing share of your revenues in interest payments unless you pay most or all of it off. If you owe a substantial amount to creditors, make it a goal of yours to clear as much of it as you can this year. The process will be painful, but the result—which is a lot more leeway with your finances –will be worth it.Reinvest in Your Business
It’s prudent to reinvest at least some of your profit in your business—especially if you’re pursuing sustained growth. Whether you’ve recorded a windfall profit or just eked out a smallish sum, ploughing it back could be the difference between climbing up the growth ladder and just stagnating.Build an Emergency Fund
There’s something else you should do with your extra funds: stash them away in a special account. Do this regularly to build a reserve that you can tap into when emergencies come around. You could automate the process of saving so that it’s easier and doesn’t give you the chance to renege on your commitment in this respect.Register to attend the CN Business Mixer
Final Words
These financial goals are reachable. All it takes is detailed planning, perseverance, and a clear sight of what you’d like to achieve. Move towards them, and you’ll lift your business as you do so. Featured Image Source: ForbesGot a suggestion? Contact us: editor@connectnigeria.com