MANAGEMENT • PROFIT • SVETLANA TATAUROVA
Cash Flow (DDS): How to control your business's cash
Cash Flow (DDS): How to control your business's cash. A practical walkthrough for owners: which figures to check, how to find the cause and how to choose the next managerial step.
Author: Svetlana Tataurova · Updated: 2026-09-26
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Put the problem into numbers
A typical starting situation: cash gaps appear unexpectedly. Don't begin with layoffs, discounts or increased advertising. First, fix the comparison period and check balances, receipts, mandatory payments and accounts receivable. The same external problem can have different causes.
Separate the symptom from the cause
A decrease in account cash does not always mean a drop in profit, and rising sales do not guarantee improved economics. Reconcile sales, gross profit, fixed costs and cash movements. Then break down the result by products, channels, employees or locations — depending on the business model.
Check data quality
Before drawing conclusions, ensure revenues and expenses are assigned to the correct periods, returns and discounts are accounted for, and metrics for different divisions are calculated consistently. If figures are collected manually, spot-check them against source transactions. A management decision based on incorrect data can make the problem worse.
Choose a limited action
A practical next step is to maintain a payment calendar and a cash flow forecast. The action should have an owner, a deadline and a performance indicator. Do not change prices, advertising, team and product simultaneously: otherwise you cannot tell what actually affected the result.
Introduce regular monitoring
After changes, compare plan vs. actual each week using a consistent set of metrics. If the result deviates, record the cause and the next action. The goal of the management system is to detect deviations earlier and make decisions before an issue becomes a cash gap or a crisis.
When an external review is needed
If the owner cannot see the cause of deviations, the team disputes the numbers, or decisions are repeatedly postponed, an independent audit is useful. For an initial review, de-identified figures for sales, expenses, liabilities, team structure and a description of the main problem are sufficient; bank passwords and clients' personal data are not required.
Frequently asked questions
Where to start if you have little data?
Collect the minimum: revenue, gross profit, fixed costs, cash balance, mandatory payments and accounts receivable for comparable periods.
Do I need to implement a complex BI system right away?
No. First define the metrics and the rules for their calculation. Automation is useful after the management logic becomes clear.
How quickly can Svetlana assess the situation?
Prepare a description of the business, the main problem, the dynamics of sales and expenses, the team structure and upcoming obligations. That is enough for an initial diagnosis.
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