As a startup founder in the FMCG space, I often found myself in situations where we had to fill orders up front and then wait weeks to get paid for the products. Faced with multiple scenarios where cash flow was tight, these relatively out-of-the-box solutions came in handy. Barter for services: Instead of paying for everything in cash, consider swapping services with other startups. It's a win-win that saves you money while building valuable relationships. Pre-Sell Your Product: If you have a loyal customer base, why not offer them a special pre-sale deal? You bring in cash up front, and they get a great deal before the product even launches. The key is to stay flexible and think creatively!

Here's a great tip: when creating your financial model, make sure it aligns with your business model. Also, when designing contracts and payment terms, think about how they will impact your cash flow. It's important to avoid signing overly flexible contracts and to prioritize collecting payments. In fact, consider making it one of your key performance indicators (KPIs)!

As a founder for over 10 years, I've learned the importance of managing cash flow proactively and strategically. Here are a few tips that might help you: - Must review your spending regularly and cut unnecessary costs. - Try extending payment deadlines with suppliers while getting paid faster by your clients. - Always keep some buffer for unexpected expenses. - Use financial models to predict cash flow for the next few months. This will help you anticipate challenges and adjust accordingly. - Stay disciplined with cash flow management. It keeps your startup on track! I am sure this will help.

Remember this one thing: your number one job as a startup is to focus on solving a customer’s problem so well that the value of the problem solved becomes greater than the value of the cash they hold. That is it. Once you accomplish this, your next job is then to deliver your solution to more and more customers as cost efficiently as you possibly can.