Many times small businesses want to expand their businesses and are not sure when the best time to do that might be. The key of course is cash flow. Will your current and brand new accounts afford you the cash flow to expand? Let us run thru a scenario with you and just so you know this is good advice, I own the Truck Wash Guys and have been doing this a while. Each time a franchisee wished to expand and ask for advice, I would look at their situation and determine if it was a wise idea. Sometimes it was, but often it was not. So let us look a hypothetical scenario for a moment:
Well let's consider. You have two new fleet accounts, one with twenty buses at let's say $10.00 each from a summer day camp for kids. The other is a rent-a-car company that pays once a month. This is your 50 percent increase in sales. Now, let us add in a graffiti removal contract. The graffiti contract starts in two months. Sales are up and everything looks great?except:
The day camp ends after summer (two months left)
The rent-a-car company pays monthly so you will bill them at the end of the month and then they will wait thirty days to pay you plus mail time
The graffiti contract is the same payment schedule and cities are notorious on slow payment
Graffiti can be cleaned at night
Rent-a-cars can be cleaned by starting one and one-half hours earlier on Mondays and thirty minutes earlier other days
Summer camp buses can be cleaned whenever You are not sure yet how often the day camp pays
Still think you want to expand?
NO WAY!
Remember: You can run your pressure washing rig twenty-four hours a day without owning two rigs. You will have a major cash flow problem if you buy another unit because of the billing cycle on big accounts. Your new truck would not be ready for thirty days plus five days to get financing. By that time the summer camp is almost over. Wow. All the indicators point to a second pressure washing rig and new truck or do they?
Sometimes you need to actually open the hood and take a look. Consider putting on your devil's advocate thinking cap and make yourself a mechanic. Ask yourself for help. Let yourself look under the hood. Throw away the ego. Sure it would be nice to own another pressure washing rig and you would be a big business man. But realistically speaking it would all be for show and you would actually be making less money. You can justify the expansion to the leasing company or a bank and get the money all right because sales are up. But that doesn't make it a savvy move. Sometimes race car drivers draft behind the lead car to cut down on drag from the wind. By conserving resources (fuel) they better their chances for winning the race later. In business, the person who gets to keep the most money wins, not the one who has the biggest empire. Think about it before spending the money on expansion.
"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.worldthinktank.net/wttbbs
same day cleaning service Des Plaines ..Here are some useful tips on what to consider before... Read More
-- The One Pager Shortcut Series --People do business with... Read More
One thing I have noticed in my travels to different... Read More
CONSIDERING COMPANY NEEDS: In identifying your needs for the internship,... Read More
One overlooked individual in the process of taking a company... Read More
If you own a mobile service or home based franchise... Read More
Becoming a contractor or sub-contractor for the U.S. government can... Read More
"Order Now!" "Your Business Will Fail If You Don't Have... Read More
Those who are in the pressure washer business should not... Read More
Commonly folks have asked me what the technical difference is... Read More
As I am preparing for my attendance to the CoachVille's... Read More
My colleague, Jane, recently lamented to me an all too... Read More
The single most important activity you can do in your... Read More
A Mattress Cleaning Business might be just for you if... Read More
Franchising companies often use Business Broker to help attain sales... Read More
Early in my career, I wrote an article for a... Read More
A Private Investigator is a professional trained in the art... Read More
How do you find the best business partners?Finding a good... Read More
Cleaning the trailers towed by big trucks is not easy,... Read More
Expanding your business requires you to take a good hard... Read More
Cash is King... That is what everyone tells us and... Read More
"Inch by inch, row by row...that's the way my garden... Read More
Consistency is a huge word when operating your business. I... Read More
So you want to start a business but you don't... Read More
The revenue history is a vital piece of your power... Read More
home cleaning services Mundelein ..By outsourcing to skilled professionals you'll be able to grow... Read More
If you have ever had your antique shop or mall... Read More
After over 30 years of participating in hundreds of businesses,... Read More
Why does consistency in the message have an effect on... Read More
Starting your own e-commerce business can be quite the adventure.... Read More
Why should you describe your business to others in 5... Read More
How do you know when an alliance needs to be... Read More
Passion. Passion alone can make your business successful. As an... Read More
BioTechs even with the latest news had shed over 1000... Read More
Technical writing services are employed to explain the details of... Read More
As a Boat Detailing Specialist, you may want to offer... Read More
Many businesses offer small business franchise opportunities. There are many... Read More
So often small service businesses fail to exploit niches, which... Read More
We all know that competition is an ugly word but... Read More
Most small businesses will not even try to advertise on... Read More
Here are some important points to take note of if... Read More
Most smart entrepreneurs and all large corporations have Employee Relations... Read More
Achieving real success should be the goal of any good... Read More
Administrative and clerical tasks are the bane of every industry.... Read More
A successful joint venture marketing effort is the goal of... Read More
With the massive explosion of start-ups and home businesses developing,... Read More
First, we need to define the different kinds of skip... Read More
No matter how small your small business is, it is... Read More
What are the benefits of using a Freelance Consultant /... Read More
Q: I have outgrown my home office and need to... Read More
Small Business |