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
whole house cleaning Deerfield .."What do you do?" It just might be one of... Read More
The reason we Franchisors call it an exclusive territory is... Read More
Whether you operate a chain of restaurants, a mom-and-pop convenience... Read More
We all know how glorious those first warm days of... Read More
10 Best Practices to consider as your SBIR negotiations approach... Read More
We love Wichita because it has great all round weather... Read More
All legitimate home business entrepreneurs insist and announce loud and... Read More
You may be in Mail Order, Direct Mail, or you... Read More
No matter what kind of small business you have, you... Read More
Everyone is talking about small businesses. In 1993, when it... Read More
Just a few years ago, when one thought of a... Read More
Fuel prices these days are quite high and they take... Read More
Get maximum results with minimum effort. Sounds great doesn't it?... Read More
Providing high quality customer service is a must for any... Read More
Treat your business as a serious, full-time business and be... Read More
"So what?" is a lovely question.It can lead to a... Read More
If you are in the professional car care business you... Read More
Here's why 'WHY' is such a profit-making marketing trigger."Stop taking... Read More
The FTC Franchise Rule maybe changed, as the Federal trade... Read More
Business owners rarely go into business to deal with the... Read More
Many pressure washing companies will be glad to take on... Read More
We visited Lexus USA, home of the Lexus North America... Read More
When we speak of branding most of the time people... Read More
Small businesses need Public Relations, possibly more than large corporations,... Read More
It seems so long ago that I started my first... Read More
home cleaning services Des Plaines ..Now that you have invested your time, energy and money... Read More
Back when I owned an inventory-based business, one of my... Read More
Some marine biologists feel that the concentration of dead marine... Read More
(Although this article is geared towards small business owners, the... Read More
1. TargetYou are not all things to all people. Decide... Read More
In the book Women and Small Business author gives all... Read More
Take advantage of world politics today and start your own... Read More
As a successful small business owner,you're accustomed to long hours;... Read More
One of the most common issues that comes up for... Read More
The reason we Franchisors call it an exclusive territory is... Read More
How do marine type businesses start? Have you ever thought... Read More
How often have you thumbed through a business opportunity magazine,... Read More
The efficiency of debt collection is the difference between a... Read More
You're a small business owner with a hot new product... Read More
Business consulting opportunities might be just what your are looking... Read More
Why should you always maintain a good report with a... Read More
-- Building Credibility Through Success Stories --Successful solo entrepreneurs spend... Read More
If you are the boss and you think your job... Read More
In my 18 years of consulting I have heard it... Read More
In the heavy equipment cleaning business you can make good... Read More
Most smart entrepreneurs and all large corporations have Employee Relations... Read More
1. Know Where You're Going ? Coach Herb Brooks had... Read More
I have to admit, I was curious. When I saw... Read More
One of the great challenges for independent professionals and small... Read More
What is Business Valuation? The term business valuation is the... Read More
Small Business |