Is your business on the brink of collapse? According to the Chamber of Commerce, in the United States, around 595,000 businesses fail or close each year. While new businesses tend to fail at a higher rate within the first year, no business is immune to closure. Businesses that have stayed afloat for ten years still have a failure rate of 65% by the 10th year. Don’t ignore these red flags. Here are 9 signs that you’re likely going out of business.
1. Cash Flow Problems
A business with poor cash flow may struggle to pay employees, buy inventory, and pay bills. This can essentially halt operations until you can solve your cash flow issues.
2. Lack of Sales
If you aren’t selling, you aren’t making any profit. Without consistent sales, your business model will fail. When sales decline, take a closer look at customer behavior, competition in your category, and market trends so that you can make adjustments.
3. Crippling Debt
Taking on too much debt is unsustainable in the long run. If you can’t repay your debt your company will fold. Make sure that you can repay your debt before getting in too deep. It’s also important to understand when the only option is to let the business go.
4. Employees Leaving
High employee turnover is usually an indicator of a larger problem. This may mean that you need to change your company culture and reevaluate your leadership and management team. You may need to implement better training programs or provide more employee incentives to promote a better workplace environment.
5. High Customer Acquisition Costs
If it’s costing a lot of money to acquire new customers, the business may be spending too much money to get sales. Especially if you can’t retain those customers, this is a sign that your business is struggling.
6. Operational Challenges
If your business is struggling to keep up with buying new inventory, rising costs, or supply chain issues, this could be a recipe for disaster. Operational inefficiencies can lead to the downfall of even the most successful businesses. Ultimately, this will eat into your profit margins and can lead to you going out of business.
7. Reluctance to Change
Failing to innovate, create new products, or update outdated systems can lead to the closing of your business. If you can’t react quickly and pivot when the market or consumer behavior changes, you’re likely setting yourself up for failure.
8. Negative Reviews
Paying attention to customer feedback is paramount in any business. If you have negative reviews piling up, it can signal a deeper problem with your business. You may need to make adjustments to your product or people to deliver a better customer experience.
9. Store Closures
Usually, with larger businesses, one of the first signs that the company is in trouble is the closing of locations. This usually has a domino effect,t and more stores get closed over time.
How do you keep your business from the brink of going out of business? Share your experience in the comments.
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Teri Monroe started her career in communications working for local government and nonprofits. Today, she is a freelance finance and lifestyle writer and small business owner. In her spare time, she loves golfing with her husband, taking her dog Milo on long walks, and playing pickleball with friends.
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