3 tips to manage your small business’ cash flow

Cash flow is king for small businesses. It plays a critical role in their success and is something small business owners should always have a pulse on to ensure they’re operating efficiently.

Cash management solutions offer small businesses efficient cash handling, risk mitigation and liquidity management. These services can streamline financial operations, reduce administrative burden and ensure optimal fund utilization for your small business.

Here are tips to help you optimize your small business’ cash flow and the benefits of cash management.

Streamline Deposits, Transfers and Payments

It is critical for small businesses to develop cash flow forecasts to anticipate their needs, including building their reserves. For many small business owners and employees, this means countless hours crunching the numbers, making trips to their bank for deposits and transfers, and more.

Utilizing cash management solutions for your small business can help streamline the process by enabling you to make deposits remotely, send wire transfers with ease and manage credits and debits electronically.

This enables businesses to make more informed decisions by providing accurate and real-time information about cash positions, which is crucial for strategic planning, investment and managing day-to-day operations effectively.

Cash management tools also often leverage advanced technologies, including digital platforms and analytics, providing businesses with innovative tools to manage their finances more effectively.

Optimize Your Efficiency and Cost Savings

Efficient cash management ensures that businesses have the right amount of cash available at the right time, minimizing idle funds and maximizing returns on investment.

It is also important to carefully evaluate your expenses to uncover opportunities to improve cash flow and reduce costs, such as negotiating better terms with your vendors.

By leveraging cash management services, businesses can optimize their liquidity, while also enhancing control over cash flow through tools like electronic payments and receivables management. Automation of cash-related processes can also reduce manual errors, save employee time, and ultimately lead to additional cost savings. Electronic transactions also often have lower fees compared to traditional methods.

Automation can streamline cash-related tasks such as payments, collections and reconciliation, improving overall operational efficiency and freeing up resources and funds for more value-added activities like marketing and advertising or reinvesting in the business and your employees.

Protect Your Business from Fraud

Fraud is a key concern for any business, and according to a 2023 AFP Payments Fraud and Control Survey, 65% of companies were victims of payments fraud attacks or attempts in 2022.

Cash management services often use advanced monitoring tools for accounts to track transactions in real-time and can help businesses detect fraud through alerts for unusual patterns or suspicious activities, allowing for prompt investigation and intervention.

By utilizing cash management services, businesses can also build stronger relationships with their banks, which can lead to better terms, improved access to credit and a more collaborative approach to financial solutions.

It is important that cash flow and management remain a top priority for your business to help it thrive through all economic cycles. Effective cash management not only ensures a healthy financial position but also contributes to enhanced cash flow, operational efficiency, risk management and strategic decision-making for businesses.

Jeremy Shackleford is Senior Vice President, Director of Small Business Sales for WSFS Bank. He joined WSFS in 2018 after 22 years working in banking and financial services, and was most recently Senior Vice President, Regional Manager for WSFS’ Greater Philadelphia Market, where he oversaw 15 retail office locations. He also served 10 years as a member of the United States Air Force.