(The 7 Powerful Steps To Reverse a Financial Crisis In Your Business - Part two)

Step 2. Step Back And Evaluate

Don't throw good money after bad. Remember that when you spend money on the product or for materials you can't get that back unless you sell it.

The rule here is that you never borrow money to keep your small business going. It has to stand on its own two feet. Money to solve financial problems can be injected if it is for a capital item that will over time produce improvement in profits.

Don't gamble! If you break this rule you do so at your peril. Do a financial analysis on your personal expenses and your small business. This is the starting point of any analysis.

Fill in "Doc 2" below with the view of completing every detail accurately that is applicable to your situation.

All answers should be a yes for each question if your business is sound. If not, follow the steps at the bottom of the financial analysis to find out what percentage of financial problem you are in.

Step 3. Cost Cutting

Cost is your greatest enemy. Look at unnecessary expenses and find every way to eliminate them.

TIP: keep emotions out of all decision making on this topic.

This exercise should be conducted whether you or your business has problems or not. Determine if your advertising works. An ad must recover its costs in sales and expenses or you shouldn't do it.

Step 4. Cash flow

A small business must have access to working capital. Some ways to enable you to do this may be:

Overdraft from the bank, Credit line from the bank using your business or house as equity, numerous credit cards, Fixed loans from banks, friends or relatives.

Step 5. Managing money through your bank account ("Doc 3")

This is the easiest way to manage a business's cash flow and profits. The system is broken up into four (4) bank accounts:

1. Business account
2. Business money management (overdraft) account
3. Tax and other yearly expenses account
4. Living account

Step 6. Other considerations

Has the business been given a reasonable chance to work?
Have I cut all unnecessary costs?
Is my business expanding?
Are sales or work coming in regularly

Step 7. Too Close Or Not Too Close

I never like hearing of a small business closing but sometimes it's best to close and start something else that has better possibilities.

If you've realistically cut expenses just to maintain a business and it still loses money each month and you can't see the possibility of improving your situation, close it down and start again.

However you had better learn from what you are doing now because the experience you gained on this business will be invaluable in evaluating and operating the next one.

Summary Even if you aren't in crisis, cut costs. You will enjoy making a lot of money instead of just surviving. If you are in crisis act quickly and turn the ship around.

DOC 2 CHECKLIST FOR FINANCIAL BUSINESS CRISIS EVALUATION

1 Can I pay my business expenses on time when due
2 Can I pay my business expenses without touching savings
3 Can I pay my personal living expenses when required
4 Can I pay my personal living expenses without touching savings?
5 Are my personal and business accounts growing
6 Do i have enough money for holidays each year?
7 Do I have a debt free credit card?
8 Can I put some money into investment monthly?
9 Do I have a savings account that holds 10% of all monies that I earn?
10 Do I have enough money saved so I can survive for 6 months without an income in case of emergency?

Total no of yes checks ________ X 10 = ________ Divided by 1.2= ________ X 100% = ________ % chance of being in a crisis

If your results are 15% or less chances are you have a good business. If your results are 16% to 33% you have a very good chance of tweaking your business to set it right.

However if the results are above 33% the chart below will tell you what you should consider doing in your business to rectify and bring it into the correct balance.

Percentage Action / Remedy

16% or more
Make some small adjustments to your business or personal finances

33% or less
Make some substantial adjustments to your business or personal finances

50% or less
Make some substantial adjustments to your business and personal finances

60% or less
Make drastic changes to your business, personal finances and delay all / stop spending and get advice

67% or less
Make drastic changes to your business, personal finances, delay all / stop spending and get advice

76% or more
Make plans to wind up your business and think seriously about your future in business and starting again

DOC 3 MANAGING MONEY THROUGH BANK ACCOUNTS

Priority Order and Account Name

1 Business Account
2 Business overdraft Account
3 Yearly expenses Account
4 Living Account

Purpose

1 Business expenses
2 Working capital for cash flow purposes
3 Tax and other yearly expenses account
4 Living account

HOW IT WORKS (with every dollar you receive)

1 Every cent goes into this account

2 A cheque is drawn from account no.1 to repay any moneys that were used to perform your project and cover all expenses for the project including wages, THIS ACCOUNT MUST NOT BE USED FOR/OR DRAWN UPON FOR ANY OTHER REASON

3 You bank your estimated tax % of the cheque you received from each job (usually it is about 20 - 30% of the profit)

4 A cheque is drawn to manage the household living (supported by DOC one in Part one).

BALANCE

1 Positive

2 Always leave neutral at the end of each month one month in arrears

3 Your work estimations should include the allowance for paying tax. This account will always be in credit.

4 You can spend this account at any time

Notes: In an Internet business this is a little easier to do than in a traditional business. These are the things you have to ensure so that the above can happen.

Firstly at the time of the job or business transaction that is accepted by a client, you go ahead and draw the cheques from the no 1 account. Hold them for banking until the customer has physically paid for the job.

Now this gives you the power to monitor the progress of the job. If you see for example that you are getting behind in time for the completion of the job, be prepared to stay and work longer on the job to keep within budget.

In addition to that be on the look out to cut costs of materials and products that have not been specified in the quotation price. In order to enable you to do this, you will have to make agreements with your employees and staff.

The agreement, (which should not be negotiable when a business is in crisis) is that they will work back so that you can complete the job in the time you have quoted on. If you cannot get this commitment then consider (within employment agreements) alternative options for the offending employee's replacement.