The Economist Guide to Cash Management: How to Avoid a Business Credit Crunch

The 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.

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:
• Key concepts
• Cash flow forecasting
• Treasury management
• Working capital efficiency
• Investment opportunities
• Product profitability
• Cash surpluses
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.

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