You need to maximize the resources of your business, and that means focusing on working capital. Working capital encompasses all of the resources available to your business, and if you do not maximize their utility, your profit margins may not be as high as you think. Unfortunately, there are a lot of businesses that do not have strong working capital management policies. You need to audit your policies from time to time if you want to get the most out of your resources. What are a few of the most important points you need to follow if you want to maximize your working capital? The good news is that there are programs like coupa.com that can automate the payment process as well..
Table of Contents
1. Use Programs To Optimize Your Inventory Management
First, you need to take advantage of programs that can help you optimize your inventory management. Inventory is a fine line. You need to have enough resources available to meet the demands of your customers, but having too much inventory can also dramatically increase your overhead expenses. You need to protect the quality of your inventory, and this takes a lot of time and energy. Fortunately, there are programs that can automate this process for you. You can take advantage of programs that can analyze the ebb and flow of customer demand, making sure you have the right amount of inventory available at all times.
2. Pay Your Suppliers Quickly
You need to keep a close eye on your accounts payable and your accounts receivable. In particular, you need to make sure your suppliers are paid as quickly as possible. If you want to optimize your inventory, you need to incentivize your suppliers to deliver their orders on time. The best way to do so is to make sure you pay them as quickly as possible. The good news is that there are programs that can automate the payment process as well. You can figure out how your suppliers want to be paid, have the right payment method available, and make sure you put the money in their pocket as soon as you receive the order.
3. Audit Your Expenses From Time To Time
You need to audit all of your expenses from time to time. You probably have a lot to do on a daily basis, and you may not have time to keep track of how every dollar is being spent. Even though nobody expects you to manually account for each individual dollar, you do need to audit your expenses routinely to figure out if there is any waste taking place. You may be surprised at just how much capital your company spends without you knowing about it. If you can find a way to reduce your overhead expenses by auditing your expense reports, you can make a significant difference in your working capital.
4. Use Emergency Loans Only as Short Term Solutions
Every business has to take out loans from time to time, but you need to be responsible with how you do so. For example, if you take out an emergency loan, you should only use it for short-term solutions. Emergency Loans typically have very high interest rates, and they can eat into your capital very quickly. A high interest rate will not do as much damage to your company if you pay it off quickly. Only take out an emergency loan if you feel like you can pay it off quickly. This will make it easier for you to adequately control your debt.
5. Get Rid of Paper
Finally, if you are still tracking things using paper and pencil, it is time to digitize everything. The reality is that physical paper can be an albatross around the neck of your company. You have to spend a lot of money on paper and ink, not everyone can read your handwriting, and you never know if the papers are going to get lost. If you take everything and digitize it, you don’t have to worry about readability issues. Furthermore, you will have an electronic search function you can use to pull up documents quickly. You can save a lot of time and money while also reducing your regulatory liability if you invest in a paperless solution.
Increase Your Working Capital and Reach Out to an Expert
In the end, there is a lot you need to think about if you want to take full advantage of all of the resources at your disposal. Even though you are probably comfortable with the way things are right now, there are changes you can make to increase your profit margins. Sometimes, this requires reaching out to someone for another perspective. If you are having a difficult time getting a firm grasp of the resources of your business, consider reaching out to a professional who can help you. That way, you can stay one step ahead of the competition.