Evening All,
If ever there was a week that reflects what it is like to be a small business owner, then this has been it.
July was our best months sales ever, yet somehow the cash still ain't flowing
as it should be & the pressure is as hard as ever. When cash flow gets tight, I stop sleeping. I'll wake up at 2.30 & churn figures over in my head, til Mr Delicious gets up at 5.00. On paper it looks good, we are owed more than we owe, we are l busy, the KPI's are looking good & I know there's oodles more business out there for us, if we want it.
To take on more business we need more staff, when cash flow is tight, fear creeps in & holds me back,
fear of not being able to pay the staff, pay suppliers, fear of not paying ourselves....
Then suddenly, things change, the client who hasn't paid me for May (never mind June/July), coughs up after an emotional call from me, pleading for payment, telling them that my kids need new shoes for school....I pick up the post to discover a client who never pays on time has sent in two cheques without me having to harass Pat in accounts...the invoices I sent on Monday to the totally reliable D, which was met with an automatic "out of office reply"...away til 26th August...noooooo...will be paid today.
Yesterday, to celebrate we did a supermarket shop, in Superquinn, no less...the cupboards at home are now full of food bought for us & not whats left over from the kitchen, school books can be purchased, new shoes for for the kids will be bought ...
I've started actively looking for a new chef to bring our business forward...I've booked a date for my annual Compass audit for two weeks time...I will get my website up & running...I have about 14 days to to achieve all this...before the cash starts drying up again...the fear & sleepless nights, take over....
Then it will be the month end...cash will start coming in again....
Ground Hog day...here I come...
Shirley x
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