This past week, there has been a frantic terror emanating from within Taskmaster Towers.
The horror! Soon tinsel will be strung up around the office. In the next few weeks, the plastic Christmas tree will be pulled out of its cupboard and dusted off. Baubles might even be ironically hung from post-modern artworks in the spirit of peace and goodwill.
Oh, the humanity! Some people are already saying there could even be tidings of comfort and joy!
In the past couple of days, Taskmaster’s little helpers – the operations manager, the account managers and our accountant – have all been assembled in the meeting room to confront a potential crisis: Christmas is rapidly approaching.
No, Jolly Old Taskmaster has not turned into Ebenezer Scrooge. However, the reality of the Christmas period is that many retail and eCommerce businesses are stuffing their inventory stockings with goodies that might not clear until the New Year. Especially in a sluggish economy, this can potentially create a cashflow squeeze that can spread to suppliers.
Which is why it’s important to begin planning your Christmas period cashflow now, ahead of the pre-Christmas rush. Look for possible cost savings just in case. After all, there’s nothing worse than the prospect of a cashflow Grinch stealing your Christmas cheer.
So make a list of your accounts. Then check them all twice. It’s time to find out which of your customers have been naughty and nice.
Get it done – today!
Andrew Sadauskas is a former journalist at SmartCompany and a former editor of TechCompany.
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