Resources for Increasing Profit

Growth has its risks but a well-designed strategy can deliver stability, security and long-term profits.
When it comes to expansion, it’s not always necessary to borrow money. You’d be surprised how your own internal resources can be maximized to provide at least some of the cash you’ll need.

Operating at a loss simply means you’re spending more money than you’re making. And while it’s not uncommon, especially for new businesses, it’s still not an ideal situation and one that shouldn’t be allowed to continue in the long term. Otherwise, eventually you’ll run out of cash reserves and be out of business.
So the first thing you need to identify is why you’re operating at a loss. If it’s because you’re still in the start-up phase, then you don’t need to worry too much as long as you’ve got enough cash to meet your costs. But if the losses are due to a decline in sales, then it’s time to review your business and, if necessary, get professional help.

If your customers owe you money, the faster you’re able to obtain it using effective collection tactics, the better. Ideally, you want to reduce the chance of bad debts and pressure on your business’s cash flow.
It can be easy to neglect managing your debtors when you’re busy growing your business, but smart credit control is important.

Finding money for the essential assets you’ll need to run your business efficiently can be a challenge. You’ll need to decide whether leasing or buying is best for your business.

Depreciation is basically a reduction in the value of an asset over time. What this means for your business is that if you buy a substantial asset like a computer or a car, you can claim a certain amount of the loss of value over time as a business expense.

For many small businesses, the best way to improve profitability is to increase turnover, as there’s no limit to sales but there is a limit to how much you can reduce your costs.
Let’s look at how you can focus on each of the five ways in our profit increase calculator to achieve your goal of improving profits.

Profit margins are fundamental to business success and growth. How you choose to increase your margins so your business can achieve sustainable development is up to you – but taking small steps on a regular basis will help keep your customers on your side.

Cash flow – the lifeblood of any business. The aim of any business owner is to have more cash coming in than is going out. You’re in business to make money, and one of the most effective ways of doing this is to examine your cash flow and look for ways to improve it.

At some point in its lifetime, every small business suffers from cash flow problems. The trick is to think ahead and figure out when these problems are going to arise, so you don’t have to unexpectedly postpone a purchase or hurriedly seek out additional finance. This is where cash flow forecasts come in.