“Revenue is vanity. Profit is sanity. And Cash is King.” ~ Joss Milner
Every business needs cash — real, usable, in-the-bank cash.
Not revenue on a spreadsheet or profit on paper.
Cash you can spend.
And right now? It feels like it’s slipping through our fingers faster than we can create it.
Everything costs more — materials, freight, labor, benefits, even the basics like fuel and utilities. Meanwhile, customers are pushing back, price-shopping harder than ever, and asking you to “sharpen the pencil” on every proposal.
It’s a weird time to be a business owner.
You’re still delivering a product people need, but it’s costing you more and more just to get it out the door. The space between healthy and hanging on has gotten razor thin.
So what do you do?
You don’t panic.
You get intentional.
You build cash by tightening how you operate internally — by getting more efficient, aligning your team, and giving everyone visibility into the things that actually produce cash and protect it.
Below are 8 practical levers every business owner should be pulling right now if they want to strengthen cash flow and stay healthy.
8 Moves That Strengthen Cash Flow (Immediately)
1. Leverage the Power of One
A single percent.
That’s all it takes to shift cash.
+1% in price
+1% in volume
−1% in expenses
+1 day faster AR / −1 day slower AP
Small moves = big cash lift.
2. Do a Waste Audit (In EVERY Department)
Waste doesn’t only happen on the production floor.
Sales, marketing, and accounting quietly burn dollars too.
Unused software, excess printing, low-value meetings — it all compounds. Eliminate it.
3. Get the Right People in the Right Seats
Your people are your biggest asset and your biggest expense.
If they are unclear or misaligned — your margins are bleeding.
RPRS (Right People / Right Seats) is not just a culture play —
it’s a cash strategy.
4. Give Your Team Line of Sight to the Numbers
Once you have the right players, give them visibility.
Link their work to Revenue, Gross Profit, or Net Profit.
When your people see how they create cash, they engage differently.
5. Require Two Measurables Per Person
Every team member should own at least two numbers that help create or protect cash.
Measured daily. Reviewed weekly.
Visibility builds accountability.
6. Run Daily Stand-Up Meetings
Ten minutes a day.
Priorities. Wins. Roadblocks.
No solving — just awareness and alignment.
This one rhythm alone can shift a company from firefighting to forward momentum.
7. Invest in Relationships (Especially Now)
When times get tight, people remember how you treat them.
Buyers will remember who stayed in relationship — not just who asked for the sale.
Loyalty is built in difficult seasons.
8. Strengthen the CORE
Communicate Objectives, Responsibilities, and Expectations clearly. For every role. Every task. Every deliverable.
Confusion kills cash.
Clarity creates cash.
The Bottom Line
Cash doesn’t just come from cutting —
it comes from alignment + visibility + execution.
The more disciplined you are on the inside, the more resilient your business becomes on the outside.
Want Help Implementing This?
If you’re feeling the pinch in your margins or your cash position, you don’t have a revenue problem — you likely have a leaks and alignment problem.
I help business owners identify those leaks, align their teams, and implement simple rhythms that protect cash and accelerate growth.
When you’re ready, I’m here to help.
👉 Book a call at www.heightenedleaders.com or click Schedule Your Call
