Situation: A company is faced with a tight cash situation. A combination of increased interest rates, a business slowdown, and slow deliveries from suppliers have contributed to this. The CEO needs to find ways to stretch available cash, or to rely on other alternatives to assure that commitments are delivered to clients. How do you adjust to tight cash situations?

Advice from the CEOs:

• One company actively and consistently uses their bank line of credit to cover end of quarter payables. They pay this down promptly as cash comes in.
• Profit sharing represents 20 -25% of another company’s total compensation. When profits are down this gives them some cushion because payouts are lower.
• One company maintains frequent and open communication with their vendors. This makes it easier to get them to work with the company when cash is tight.
• Another company has vastly increased sales activity. This has helped to improve the business pipeline, and this in turn improves the story that they can tell their bank and vendors. It helps to reassure them that they are a good partner and a good credit risk when cash is tight.
• It’s a good idea to maintain regular contact with the company’s best funnel clients – the ones who bring in new business. As a result if their competitors are struggling then they get a shot at their business.
• It is better to cut select people than to put a large number of people on extended reduced time. Hard as it is to let people go, this is better for morale.
• For less skilled operations work, one company used to use temp workers. When they’ve discussed the need to cut back with permanent employees and asked about this work, they were told that they could cover this work in their available time. The team really pulled together and were grateful for the opportunity to remain full-time.
• Another company continues to model their pipeline, and plans for adjustments in customer demand. This enables them to act sooner rather than later when adjustments are needed.

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