Why Cashflow Is Not Just a “Finance” Problem, It’s a Business One

When business owners talk about “cashflow issues,” they often assume it’s something only the finance team needs to handle. In reality, cashflow touches every corner of your operations, from sales and project delivery to supplier management and growth planning. And if your team isn’t aligned around it, cracks start to appear fast.

Let’s strip it down and clarify: cashflow is a business-wide responsibility, and without collective visibility and ownership, it becomes a silent blocker to progress.

The Problem: Siloed Responsibility Creates Blind Spots

In too many businesses, cashflow is monitored by one person, usually the bookkeeper, finance manager or a single director. They review the bank balance, chase overdue invoices, and raise flags when cash runs tight.

The issue? They’re often doing this in isolation. Sales may be forecasting optimistic revenue without factoring in late payments. Operations might place supplier orders without checking upcoming cash gaps. Leadership may assume the business is fine because they see profit on paper.

This creates a dangerous lag between financial reality and decision-making.

What Happens When Cashflow Isn’t Everyone’s Concern?

1. Overconfident Commitments: Teams approve spend or start new projects assuming the budget exists, only to find out later that cash isn’t available when it’s needed.

   
   

2. Delayed Reactions: Without a forward view, you only realise there’s a cash problem when the balance dips too low. That triggers rushed solutions, last-minute loans, late supplier payments, or missed payroll.

   
   

3. Lost Opportunities: If finance sees a short-term dip but can’t communicate it clearly to other departments, decisions like launching a campaign or hiring new staff get paused, even when they could be possible with minor adjustments.

   
   
   
   

Treat Cashflow Like a Company KPI

Just like revenue targets or customer retention metrics, cashflow should be a visible, shared number, owned by the whole team.

Here's how to embed that thinking:

Step 1: Share the Cashflow Forecast

Create a rolling 13-week cashflow forecast and share a version with department leads. You don’t need to show every supplier or salary, just the key movement trends: income, outgoings, and expected closing balances.

Make it visual, not just numbers on a spreadsheet. A simple chart showing where dips may occur is enough to spark the right conversations.

Step 2: Include It in Weekly Meetings

Dedicate two minutes each week in your leadership or team meeting to review cashflow. Keep it practical:

• Are we still on track for next month’s payments?

• Any invoices delayed?

• Any planned spend we can defer or bring forward?

This helps embed cash thinking into everyday decisions.

Step 3: Align Sales and Project Delivery

Work with your sales team to not only forecast revenue but also cash timing. When will deposits arrive? How soon after delivery will the invoice be paid?

Likewise, delivery teams should communicate job completion dates promptly to trigger immediate invoicing. A delay in project sign-off often means a delay in cash collection.

Step 4: Make “Days Cash on Hand” a Shared Metric

Instead of focusing on the bank balance, teach your team to think in terms of days cash on hand, the number of days you could operate if no new money came in.

This normalises financial health checks across departments. For example:

• If you’re at 45 days cash on hand, you might bring forward hiring.

• If it drops to 21, you may delay that marketing campaign or negotiate new terms with a supplier.

Make Cashflow a Strategic Tool

When cashflow is managed collectively, it becomes a strategic tool, not just a safety net. It allows your business to:

• Make informed decisions

• Invest with confidence

• Navigate downturns smoothly

• Build trust with staff, suppliers, and investors

The sooner your whole team understands its role in cashflow, the stronger your financial resilience becomes.

Wrapping up today's insights, tomorrow we simplify another accounting challenge