Synopses & Reviews
Effective cash management advice to help boost profitability and fend off riskCash, not profit, has always been the ultimate determinant of whether a business survives, and the current credit crunch has highlighted to businesses the importance of cash management. Firms that ran short on cash discovered this firsthand during the financial crisis, running into serious financial trouble or even going bust. Guide to Cash Management: How to Avoid a Business Credit Crunch is the invaluable guide for any business that wants to avoid running into its own credit crunch and stay fiscally sound.
Written in a concise yet accessible manner, the book clearly explains the six critical aspects of the effective management of cash and cash flow, including:
- Forecasting likely cash receipts and payments
- Establishing funding lines necessary to cover asset purchases or for working capital
- Efficiently managing day-to-day operations with regard to the amount of cash required
- Selecting appropriate investment opportunities that result in positive cash flow
- Monitoring the profitability of products and services to ensure they are cash generative and not cash destroying
- Having a plan for managing excess cash that exceeds demand
Essential reading for intelligent business professionals and investors, Guide to Cash Management is designed to help firms improve their profitability and reduce risks.
Synopsis
Guide to Cash ManagementThe credit crunch highlighted to businesses the importance of cash management, as those firms that ran short of cash discovered when they found themselves unable to increase their borrowings. Some could not survive and went bust. This tightly written guide clearly explains the six critical aspects of the effective management of cash and cash flow. These involve:
forecasting likely cash receipts and payments;
establishing funding lines necessary to cover asset purchases or working capital;
efficiently managing day-to-day operations with regard to the amount of cash required;
selecting appropriate investment opportunities that result in positive cash flow;
monitoring the profitability of products and services to ensure they are cash generative and not cash consuming;
having a plan for managing excess cash that exceeds demand.
Cash flow rather than profit has always been the ultimate determinant of whether a business survives, and for all businesses that want to avoid a credit crunch, this guide will be invaluable.
Synopsis
The global financial crisis and subsequent tightening of credit highlighted the importance of cash and cash flow to sustaining a business. Those that had ignored the warning signs and were subjected to stricter credit criteria soon found themselves in trouble. This guide to cash management takes you through the principles used to manage cash and cash flow, and illustrates their practical application. It starts with some financial fundamentals and then covers forecasting, funding, working capital management, investment criteria, and the utilisation of surpluses. Written from an operational perspective, it includes a glossary and seven chapters covering:
Cash is the life blood of every business and managing it is crucial to a business's freedom, growth and longevity. This guide will be invaluable in making managers at all levels aware of the importance of cash management and in equipping them to make sure that it is operated effectively.
About the Author
John Tennent, a chartered accountant, is managing director of Corporate Edge, a consultancy and training company. He specialises in business modelling and investment appraisal, and is a consultant to a wide range of global companies. He is the author of The Economist Guide to Financial Management and coauthor of The Economist Guide to Business Modelling.
Table of Contents
Preface vii
Introduction 1
1 Key concepts 6
2 Cash flow forecasting 19
3 Treasury management 53
4 Working capital efficiency 105
5 Investment opportunities 141
6 Product profitability 165
7 Cash surpluses 174
Glossary 184
Index 193