For many entrepreneurs, the ultimate choice is between one’s personal life and their livelihood, but it doesn’t have to be — if their cash flow is in check. According to a new Kabbage study, 51 percent of small business owners forgo paying themselves for multiple months to control cash flow.
Kabbage Inc., a technology-driven automated funding platform for small businesses, polled 500 successful entrepreneurs to reveal that the majority of small business owners forgo pay for consecutive months to control cash flow.
It’s the “sleepless nights” and “kitchen table moments” that define the reality of many entrepreneurs, wherein regular stress and anxiety are tied to restricted or limited cash flow.
As Suzanne Clark, senior executive vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said during Wednesday night’s launch of CO, a fully realized digital platform for entrepreneurs, the “kitchen table moments” are where entrepreneurs all over the country can benefit from the right resources and network.
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“Sleepless nights were my reality when waiting on customer checks and thinking through needed expenditure,” said Kabbage chief executive officer Rob Frohwein, who managed multiple small businesses prior. Cash flow concerns often plague even the most successful entrepreneur, as the study reveals.
Of the respondents surveyed, 63 percent said they are “regularly stressed or have anxiety due to cash flow concerns, while 35 percent often “lose sleep or have difficulty sleeping.” For those small business owners, related difficulties also surfaced within one’s personal life and hobbies and family life balance.
The Kabbage data also revealed 91 percent of small business owners spend as much as 20 hours per week on cash flow management. This includes handling payroll, invoicing as well as purchasing inventory.
As the study suggests, reducing or eliminating cash-flow tasks may allow small business owners the ability to reconquer their personal lives — while maintaining their livelihood.