No business owner wants to believe that their company is going bankrupt. However, ignoring the warning signs will only make things worse. So, if you’re concerned that your business might be heading into financial trouble, keep an eye out for these five warning signs.
Not Enough Sales
This is perhaps the most obvious sign that your business is in trouble. If you’re not making enough sales, it’s only a matter of time before you run out of money. To avoid bankruptcy, you need to find ways to increase revenue. Thankfully, there are ways to do that. Here are three of those ways.
Diversify
If you’re relying only on one source of sales, such as a single product or service, you’re at risk. Instead, diversify your offerings by adding new products and services to your lineup. This can help you increase revenue and reduce reliance on any product or service.
Reduce Costs
A big part of increasing sales is reducing costs. Finding ways to save money will naturally allow you to invest more in advertising and other strategies that can lead to higher sales numbers. However, you mustn’t just cut costs for the sake of cutting costs—you need to focus on areas where it will make a difference in the bottom line.
Expand Your Customer Base
If your customer base is limited, there may not be enough demand to support your business. Therefore, you need to find ways to expand that customer base to have a much larger pool of potential sales. This may mean targeting new groups of customers or using advertising and other marketing strategies to get the word out about your products and services.
Expenses Higher Than Revenue
Another surefire sign that bankruptcy might be on the horizon is when your expenses exceed your revenue. This often happens because businesses incur more debt as they struggle to meet ends. If you are in this situation, taking action immediately is crucial. Here are two main ways you can deal with this.
Cut Costs
Downsizing reduces costs by getting rid of employees, moving to smaller office spaces, and more. While cutting costs is never easy, it’s essential if you’re struggling to make money. However, it can lead you to success. Take HSBC, for example.
HSBC downsized in 2011, getting rid of thousands of employees. However, by doing this, it was able to stop the bleeding and boost its profits and balance sheets. Cutting costs can be helpful if you’re in a challenging financial situation.
Get a Loan or Line of Credit
A line of credit can help when your expenses exceed your revenue, and you need extra cash to stay afloat. If you have good credit and a decent history with your lender, getting a line of credit is possible. However, this might become a problem, as you might be unable to make debt payments in the future.
Unable to Make Debt Payments
If you’re carrying a lot of debt, staying on top of your payments is essential. Otherwise, you could find yourself facing foreclosure or seizure of assets. If you’re struggling to make debt payments, it might be time to consider filing for bankruptcy. Contacting an experienced bankruptcy attorney can help you to reorganize your finances and get a fresh start. They can even assist with bankruptcy filings, helping you get the debt relief you need.
Negative Cash Flow
Negative cash flow is when the money coming into your business is less than the money going out. This can happen for several reasons, but it’s often a sign that something is wrong with your business model. To fix the problem, you’ll need to find ways to increase revenue or reduce expenses (or both). Otherwise, negative cash flow will eventually kill your business by preventing you from being able to pay bills or make payroll.
Low Credit Score
Your credit score is crucial because it determines whether or not you’ll be able to get financing from lenders. If your credit score starts to suffer, it could be a sign that bankruptcy is on the horizon. To avoid this, keep up with your debt payments and don’t max out your credit cards. Also, be aware of the other factors that can affect your credit score so you can take steps to improve it if necessary.
A business facing bankruptcy may have one or more of these signs. If you’re worried about your business, taking action as soon as possible is essential to avoid bankruptcy and protect your investments.
