Local Enterprise Office Laois - Beyond Survival : How mastering your Cashflow can drive your business forward

A 2025 survey by Azets Ireland has revealed a renewed confidence among SMEs, with over half planning to invest in capital projects this year.

To effectively manage this investment, proactive cashflow management is essential.

The past five years have taught Irish businesses the importance of adaptability in the face of uncertainty. Now, it's time to shift from a "survive" to "thrive" mindset, with cashflow management at the core of this transition.

Cashflow forecasting should be viewed as a roadmap guiding our businesses to where we want to be, and identifying the problems that we are likely to encounter along the way. It's about anticipating potential cashflow issues and taking pre-emptive action to avoid, or at least mitigate them.

Consider this: if you are looking to buy an asset this year, financing that by way of a grant or loan takes in the region of 10-12 weeks from starting an application to approval. By planning ahead, you will submit a more comprehensive application while taking steps to improve your operational cashflow.
Steps to manage your CASHFLOW:

C – Create a forecast today: Start with a 13-week (quarterly) outlook. Progress beats perfection—forecasting gets easier with practice!
A – Assess Inflows conservatively: Be realistic and cautious when projecting incomings to avoid overestimating cash inflows.
S – Schedule all payables: Pay bills on time, including paying yourself
H – Hone in on patterns: Identify “peaks and troughs” in cashflow, monitor trends and investigate the drivers for shortfalls
F – Focus on sales and pricing: Develop a marketing plan, follow up on overdue invoices, and review your pricing strategy.
L – Look at every expense critically and prioritise: Cancel-renegotiate-defer
O – Optimise your funding options: Source the most appropriate financing model to suit the cashflow deficit
W – Work toward consistency: Build habits that ensure steady cash flow management for long-term success.

LOCAL ENTERPRISE OFFICE SUPPORTS

If you are unsure where to begin, your Local Enterprise Office (LEO) offers training programmes and has expert mentors in all areas of business including cashflow management, pricing, costing, credit management, sourcing appropriate finance and Microfinance loan applications.

In addition, the LEO provides LEAN, Green, Digitalisation & Energy grants to help reduce costs, eliminate waste and improve efficiency.
Remember that cashflow management is not just about survival – it's about creating a solid foundation for growth and success. By adopting a proactive approach and utilising the available supports from LEO, Irish businesses can position themselves to thrive in the year ahead and beyond.

For more information on grants and training, Contact Local Enterprise Office Laois on 057 86 61800 or view www.localenterprise.ie/laois