Working Together: Small Business Cash Flow and Financing

Small businesses make this country tick, accounting for 99.7% of all businesses and employing nearly half of all U.S. workers ¹. To keep businesses in the black, it’s important for owners to maintain cash flow, which is defined as the sum of the after-tax profit of a business plus depreciation and other non-cash charges used as an indication of internal funds available to run the business. More simply put, it’s the movement of funds in and out of a business.

But as a business owner, you already know this…because you live it daily. So why is maintaining cash flow so important for a small business specifically, which is defined as businesses with fewer than 500 employees? The reason is that most small businesses only hold a cash buffer large enough to support 27 days of their typical outflows, according to a JPMorgan Chase study. That’s why cash reserves are so imperative, allowing small businesses to maintain security in case of a financial downturn or unexpected expenses. Additionally, cash reserves provide small businesses with liquidity to draw upon if needed and pay employee salaries, plus vendor and supplier invoices.

Cash flow is an important financial element for small business to get right because even profitable businesses have gone bankrupt because of poor cash management ². So how do small businesses confidently walk the line between abundant and insufficient cash flow? One financial option to consider is financing large purchases to maintain cash flow within the business. Whether a small business experiences a growth boom unexpectedly or is preparing for a peak period, financing equipment needed to bid on, win, or complete jobs is a viable option.

“When we began this company 20 years ago, we looked for ways to help small businesses, like us, meet their growth goals, remain profitable, and maintain cash flow through financing,” said Joe Leonard, Managing Member and CLFP at Oakmont Capital Services.

At Oakmont Capital Services, we see all types of businesses from the tree care industry to those working with groundwater or concrete to waste management, who choose to finance their commercial equipment purchases to free up cash flow for their small businesses. We work with both start-ups and businesses that have been serving their community for decades. With a simple one-page online application, it’s easy to begin the process to see if your business qualifies for financing. We also offer seasonal, skip, and delayed payment options which offer additional assistance with cash flow during non-peak businesses cycles.

The Oakmont Capital process includes same-day, application-only turnaround with financing up to $400,000 plus quick processing through E-DOCS. “As an independent lender, we partner with various lenders to get our customers across all 50 states the best rates,” said Leonard. “We work with a hybrid of new customers monthly plus business owners who are embarking on their 10th financing deal.”

Whether your small business is considering making a large purchase, establishing more reserve funds, or evaluating the money going into and out of the business, it makes sound business sense to understand the options available to you from a financial perspective. Contact an OCS finance professional today at info@oakmontfinance.com or 877-701-2391 to weigh your financing options regarding cash flow.

REFERENCES

¹ Buchanan, E. (2018, May 10). Cash is King: Why Small Businesses Should Care About Cash-Flow Management. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesfinancecouncil/2018/05/10/cash-is-king-why-small-businesses-should-care-about-cash-flow-management/#51b79d757e01

² Buchanan, E. (2018, May 10). Cash is King: Why Small Businesses Should Care About Cash-Flow Management. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesfinancecouncil/2018/05/10/cash-is-king-why-small-businesses-should-care-about-cash-flow-management/#51b79d757e01