Loss is a part of every business cycle, and as much as you may want to avoid it, it is better to have a plan of action to get your business through it unscathed. When your coffers are emptying faster than they are filling, inaction can only mean one thing—closure. So, rather than wait for this phase-out, take steps, and prepare the finances needed to remedy the situation.
Here are some simple steps to take when your business is running at a loss.
Stabilize Revenue: Sell More to Key Customers
To stabilize immediate cash flow, prioritize revenue generation. Start by performing a Pareto analysis to identify the top 20% of your customers who generate the majority of your profits.
- Deepen Relationships: Focus all sales and marketing efforts on retaining and increasing sales from these most profitable clients.
- Strategic Expansion: Simultaneously develop a focused strategy to acquire new customers. This involves critically assessing your offerings: Do you need to diversify into an untapped vertical? Can you improve your product/service to make it more appealing to a broader market? Launching a new, high-margin product could be the vital step needed to attract a new revenue stream and offset existing losses.