Rooftop Syndrome
Rooftop Syndrome: A fear of ‘shouting from the rooftops’ about your own success, for fear of upsetting other people, less successful than yourself.
Ok, it obviously is not an actual condition or syndrome, but it is certainly behavior that I have observed since early in the pandemic.
I would talk to business owners and directors during Covid, whose voice actually lowered on the phone when they told me that they didn’t need to apply for government backed loans because they were actually doing ok; more than that, they were doing rather well.
But they were 100% conscious of the fact that most people weren’t.
They would never want to rub their success in anyone else’s face.
We all know people who don’t need to be asked to tell you how successful they are, and this behaviour is just the polar opposite.
I reminded them that their success meant that their staff were still coming to work and earning – and the goods or services that they were providing were in some way keeping what was left of our world turning over.
Ok, so they may not have wanted to shout about it from the rooftops, but to their staff and their families, their clients, their suppliers and many more beyond, they should be proud that they played their part in the world keeping on turning.
We have seen an extension of economic challenges post-Covid, including:
- the supply chain crisis
- staff shortages
- energy prices
- cost of living crisis
And through all of these some businesses have been in sectors or products that make them extremely busy.
And within these businesses are many owners and directors who again don’t want to shout about their success for fear of offending the many that they know aren’t as fortunate.
But the more recent economic challenges that businesses face commonly lead to pressure on cash flow – or worse, the company’s working capital just drying up.
Success brings it’s own issues, as you have to pay overheads, contractors and staff well in advance normally of getting paid by customers, and while you have had to pay for some or all of your supply chain long before you can recoup that cash from sales.
The biggest sacrifice that you make in this situation is OPPORTUNITY – and all those you will miss by not being able to take on more orders or work until the last ones have paid you.
WHAT can help you to conserve cash in your business while you still have overheads, delays to client payments and rampant inflation driving up all your costs?
How about:
- Commercial property re-finance
- Invoice Finance
- Merchant Cash Advance
- Trade Finance / Supply Chain Finance
- VAT Loans / Tax Loans
- Asset Finance / Asset re-Finance
Is maintaining cash flow to keep your company operating – and able to take up new business – worth sacrificing a small amount of margin to cover funding costs?
The above are just some of the solutions that we discuss with clients to help them manage their cash flow and working capital – and to help them take on new opportunities and GROW in this environment.
We can help busy and successful businesses as much as those facing financial issues. We just don’t always shout from the rooftops about it.
Why not discuss your business’s situation, whatever that may be?
Mark Grant, November 2022.
