Starting a business is an ambitious venture. It takes grit and persistence to turn it into something powerful and profitable. Unfortunately, no matter how hard you work at it, your company occasionally runs into financial trouble.It’s not an uncommon situation. According to the Small Business Administration,
90% of organizations fail in their first year of operation. In some cases, they close without an attempt to salvage the business. Other times, though they declare bankruptcy, they still have issues getting their finances in order.Don’t let your business fall into the latter category. Here are some tips on how to save your business from bankruptcy.
Review Your Finances
Though it seems unsolvable on its surface, a financial situation may not seem as bad if you take a closer look. Through this, you answer the following questions.
- Do you have enough assets to meet financial obligations like rent and payroll?
- Do you have enough money to cover emergencies?
- How much do you need to make to cover your expenses until you get the business back on its feet?
If you don’t have the capacity to review this information, then consider hiring an accountant. They examine your financials and present you with a comprehensive and transparent report on the true state of your business.
Snowball Your Debts
If your finances aren’t as bad as you thought, then you need to focus your attention on paying debts owed to your vendors. The first thing to do is reach out to their accounting representatives and ask if there’s a way to come to a settlement amount. Then, prepare something called the debt snowball.This starts by listing the amounts you owe from the smallest to the biggest. While you pay the minimum amounts to other vendors you focus attention on zeroing out your first debt. When this is done, you take the money once utilized to pay the first debt to knock down the second one. You keep going until the biggest debt is paid off.
Find Ways To Cut Expenses
Cutting expenses is one of the toughest things to do in your business. You need to find items that won’t generate a tremendous impact in your organization. It causes many business owners to panic.Again, this requires a review of your financials. Most likely, some subscriptions can be eliminated because you rarely incorporate them into the business. There are also opportunities to find vendors that provide the services you require for far less than you currently pay.
Consider Government Programs
Nearly 100% of the U.S. economy relies on the revenue and employment of small to medium-sized companies. Thus, the federal government would rather see you thrive instead of collapse. Therefore, they offer several programs to help stabilize your finances.Many of these come in the form of grants and loans from the Small Businesses Association. They provide a sum that helps knock down debt to regain your competitive spirit. In some situations, the SBA forgives their loans if you provide the proper paperwork that details your company’s progress.
Speak With Your Lenders
A lot of times it feels like everyone is asking for money at once. You could do one of two things with this. The bad thing is to panic. The good thing is to speak with your lenders.They want payment in any way possible. Thus, see if they’re willing to break it down into smaller installments or delay the payment date. If you’re on an automatic clearing house (ACH) program, see if there’s a way to manually pay off your bills.If none of these solutions work and you need to take the ultimate step, then don’t do it alone. Speak with a
bankruptcy lawyer in New Jersey or wherever you live to follow the proper procedures. Firms will go over your situation and decide on your best course of action. This could be a Chapter 11 reorganization or Chapter 7 liquidation.Try for the former solution if at all possible as the latter tends to mean the closure of your business. Generally, a bankruptcy lawyer will try to develop a repayment plan under Chapter 11 to keep your business open. Though it will require some cost-cutting, you should come out in better shape when you get over the hump.
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