Dealing with Debt: How a Small Business Can Get it Right

Last Updated: 

November 3, 2024

Debt. It is something that most businesses want to avoid if possible. At least, that is the case when a company isn’t aware of how it can help their operations. That’s right: debt can actually be beneficial in some situations. 

Now that doesn’t mean you want your business to be permanently in the red. Take on too much debt, and this will only spell trouble for your company – and it won’t take long for it to be a terminal problem you cannot overcome. 

Ultimately, you have to strike the right balance with debt. The following tips will help to ensure your small business gets it right with debt.

Key Takeaways on Dealing with Debt

  1. Debt can be beneficial: When managed properly, debt can help your small business grow and achieve its goals.
  2. Utilise invoice factoring: Invoice factoring helps maintain cash flow by providing funds instantly for outstanding sales invoices.
  3. Take stock of your debt: List all your debts, including lenders, amounts owed, and interest rates to prioritise repayment and save on interest costs.
  4. Prioritise high-interest debt: Focus on eliminating debt with the highest interest rate first, working your way down the list.
  5. Cut down on costs: Find ways to reduce business expenses, such as selling underutilised equipment or sharing premises rental costs.
  6. Consider downsizing: In serious debt situations, downsizing your entire company may be necessary to improve financial stability.
  7. Consolidate debt: Debt consolidation combines multiple debts into one, often with more affordable terms and lower interest rates.
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Make use of invoice factoring 

For a lot of small businesses, there is one notable issue that causes a problem when it comes to debt: outstanding sales invoices. You have provided the products and services as requested. The problem is that you’re still waiting for customers to complete their end of the deal and pay up. 

The longer this imbalance lasts, the more it will negatively impact your company’s cash flow. This is why it is recommended to get free quotes for invoice factoring services from leading companies, so when you need invoice factoring help, they are ready to go when needed. With invoice factoring, you don’t have to wait around for customers to send the money over. Instead, a financial provider will take the invoice off your hands, provide you with funding instantly, and allow you to avoid cash flow concerns. 

Take stock of your debt 

Are you dealing with multiple sources of debt right now? In that case, you should take stock of all your current debt. For each piece of debt, you should: 

  • List the lender 
  • Make note of how much is owed
  • The rate applied to the debt

By taking stock in this way, you gain a better understanding of which debt you should prioritise. Ultimately, you should be trying to first eliminate the debt with the highest interest rate. You can then go down the list, removing each one based on the interest rate that is applied. 

This technique helps to prevent you from wasting money on interest, with more funds going directly towards the debts themselves. 

Cut down on costs 

Yes, this is not exactly the easiest step. However, you should look at different ways it is possible to cut down on current business costs. This could involve selling off underutilised equipment, for example, or you might see if it’s possible to share certain costs – think premises rental – with other organisations. 

If your debt situation is serious, it may have to involve something more drastic, like downsizing your entire company

Consolidate debt

If you are dealing with excessive debt, a recommended step could be to perform debt consolidation. If you were to utilise a debt consolidation loan, for example, it can see you combine all of your debts – including those with high interest – and repay them through more affordable terms. With debt consolidation, you should be able to get your debts down to a much lower rate overall. 

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