Cash Flow vs Profit: Why Profitable Businesses Run Short of Cash
"But we made a profit this month. Why is the bank balance so low?" It is one of the most common puzzles for new business owners, and it has a simple explanation: profit and cash are measuring two different things. This post explains the difference in plain language, shows a small example with made-up numbers, and lists the usual reasons the two drift apart. Two different questions Profit asks: "Over this period, did the work I did earn more than it cost?" Cash flow asks: "Over this period, how much money actually moved into and out of my bank account?" Profit is recorded when work is done and invoiced. Cash moves when someone pays. If those two moments are weeks apart, the numbers can tell very different stories for the same month. A worked example (fictional numbers) This example is simplified to show the idea. Real accounts have more moving parts, and an accountant can tell you how yours should be recorded. A small furniture work...