Cash flow problems don’t happen overnight. They build gradually, quietly — and then strike hard. Like a slow leak in a tire, everything seems fine… until you’re on the side of the road wondering what went wrong.

The good news? There are warning signs.
If you know what to look for, you can catch a cash flow crisis before it knocks you off your horse.

Here are five early signs your business may be headed for trouble:

1. You’re robbing Peter to pay Paul.
   Shuffling money from one vendor to pay another? That’s a red flag.
2. You delay paying bills until the due date (or after).
   Consistently cutting it close means cash isn’t flowing the way it should.
3. You avoid opening QuickBooks.
   If you’d rather not look at your numbers, chances are something’s off.
4. You’re living job-to-job with no cash buffer.
   One slow-paying client can topple the whole house of cards.
5. You don’t know how much is owed to you — or who owes it.
   If your receivables aren’t tracked weekly, you’re probably leaving money on the table.

One contractor I worked with had a full pipeline of jobs — great work coming in. But he kept missing payroll by a day or two and was taking cash advances on his business credit card. When I asked about his cash flow, he said, “We just need to land one more job.” That was the problem — he was trying to sell his way out of a cash flow problem caused by poor systems.

We built a 13-week rolling forecast, implemented a weekly cash review rhythm, and created a “Cash Early Warning Dashboard.” Within 30 days, he was ahead of the curve, not reacting to it.

Cash flow problems are solvable — but only if you catch them early.

Want to stay ahead of the next cash crisis?

Pick up your free copy of my new book, “The 7 Minute Conversation-How to Hear the Story Your Small Business Financial Statements Are Telling You-CONTRACTOR EDITION”.  Go to www.7MinuteConversationBook.com

Ready to find out where your cash and profits are really going? Book your free 15-minute Profit and Cash Flow Call with me. No pressure. Just real clarity. I’ll help you see where your money’s hiding — and what to do about it. Schedule at www.CashFlowCallWithLarry.com