The economic climate is challenging for any businesses at the moment, however small businesses especially are likely to be feeling the strain. What’s crucial is being proactive in tackling the challenges that your small business is facing head on. We’ve put together the following tips for struggling small business owners who are not sure what to do next.Â
Communicate With Creditors, Don’t Ignore Them
If you’ve got debts to pay, as tempting as it might be, it’s crucial not to bury your head in the sand. This will only make things worse, if creditors have to start chasing you for debts. Communicate with your creditors, explaining your intention to pay them as soon as you can. Many creditors will be willing to re-negotiate payment terms for struggling small business owners, which will hopefully provide you with some breathing space.
Perform A SWOT Analysis
It’s essential that struggling small business owners take the time to look closely at their business model and operations in order to identify where the strengths and weaknesses are. A SWOT analysis is a really useful tool for helping with this. Standing for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, a SWOT analysis can help you to identify the main problem areas within your business, and come up with solutions from there.Â
Monitor Your Cash Flow
Cash flow is the lifeblood of any business which is why it’s so important for struggling small business owners to monitor their cash flow closely, ensuring that it is consistent. Maintaining accurate bookkeeping is essential for being able to manage your cash flow property. Creating a cash flow forecast will help you to manage your finances more efficiently, and stay on top of things.Â
Evaluate Where You Can Cut Costs
Are there any areas in which you can cut unnecessary expenses? If you can reduce costs by streamlining your operations this can be a big help. For example, could you reduce the cost of your office space by renegotiating the lease or relocating? Are there ways that you could lower your monthly energy bills? Looking at how you can reduce your overhead costs and expenses is a really important factor for struggling small business owners to consider.Â
Find Out What Support Is AvailableÂ
You may be wondering whether you can get government help for a small business. The UK government does offer various grants for small businesses and so it’s worth taking a look on the Gov.uk website to see if any of them might apply to you. Some of the help available includes start up loans and funding, many of which are useful for helping to get new businesses off the ground.
Contact A Business Rescue Expert
A business rescue expert is best qualified for providing help for struggling small business owners. So if you’re concerned about your company, it’s important to seek professional guidance at the first signs of trouble. A business rescue specialist will be able to advise you on the best path forward, including the business recovery options that might be available. Responding to challenges early on will provide your company with a greater amount of options for moving forward.Â
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our experienced team of business rescue specialists at Ballard Business Recovery to discuss your individual requirements.Â