Bankruptcy is the state of not being able to pay off your creditors. It is, in fact, a legally declared state. This means that any businesses that declare bankruptcy are legally freed from their debts. Although the purpose of declaring business bankruptcy is to give the debtors a fresh start, many people still believe that it is something to be avoided.
The main aim of every business, after all, is to produce profit and to keep producing profit for a long time. Fresh starts may sound good, but having a long and successful business life is better. So how does one avoid business bankruptcy?
1) Keep the finances separate – if you own a business, it may be quite hard to separate your finances. Some people like to dip into the cash register every time that they truly need However, you should try to distinguish the term “need” from “want”. In order to avoid business bankruptcy, you have maintained the balance of your income and expenses.
The reason why some corporations go bankrupt is the fact that the executives were unable to keep their finances separate and started to draw from the funds intended for the business operations. In order to avoid business bankruptcy, you have to distinguish what is truly yours and what is needed to keep the business going.
2) Pay your debts on time – Credit is a normal part of business. However, you should definitely take track of when you should pay off your debts. This is because although the principal amount of the debt can be quite hard to carry, it will be the interest that kills you. If you pay your debts on time, you can avoid the interest. This will definitely help you keep your creditors and business bankruptcy at bay.
3) Always keep track of your finances – most businesses go bankrupt because they failed to realize that they had so many debts. There are even people who borrow more money in order to pay off older debts. Usually, a careful accounting of your finances can show you where problem areas lie before they can cause business bankruptcy. Most entrepreneurs think that all they need is an accountant to handle their finances. However, you should realize the value of a good financial manager. Although accountants can tell you where your money is, a good financial manager can tell you where to place that money in order to make it grow. By keeping track of your finances, you can definitely avoid business bankruptcy.
4) Do not be hasty – there are people who, when they find out that their credits are bigger than their assets, immediately think about declaring business bankruptcy. However, you should definitely think about it first. This is especially so if you own a single proprietorship. Before declaring business bankruptcy, you should try to find alternative means to increase your assets. Remember that every business during its first year of operation is bound to lose money instead of making a profit. This shouldn’t discourage you.
Declaring business bankruptcy is not an easy decision to make. That’s why people try to avoid it. There are so many things you can do with a business in order to avoid bankruptcy. Just be smart in making decisions involving money. This way, you will be able to make sure that your debts do not outweigh your liabilities.
