The 30-Day Cash Truth
- dillmeier
- Oct 10
- 2 min read
You don’t need a 200-tab model to fix cash. You need disciplined process you can run every week.
Cash is honest. It tells you what’s working (and what isn’t) faster than any narrative.
What to stop
* Chasing topline while margins leak
* Letting AR age “just one more week”
* Discounting without guardrails
* Buying tools/headcount without a clear payback
What to start (today)
* 13-Week Cash View: receipts, disbursements, ending cash rolled forward weekly
* Collections Rhythm: top 10 accounts, owner, next action, due date
* Billing Discipline: milestone billing, deposits, auto-pay, late-fee policy
* Discount Governance: minimum floors + approvals + alternatives (terms > price)
* Cash Waterfall: cash → critical ops → growth bets → nice-to-haves
A simple 30-day plan
Week 1 - Get the truth
* Build your 13-week cash view (I have a template if you need one)
* List AR aging with owners + next actions
* Tag expenses: must-run / can delay / kill
Week 2 - Turn the dials
* Move to milestone billing + deposits where possible
* Daily collections stand-up
* Freeze discounts below floor; offer terms instead
Week 3 - Lock the rhythm
* Weekly cash review (30 minutes, same agenda)
* AP cadence: pay on policy, not on noise
* Pricing & discount guardrails: floors, approvals, terms > price
Week 4 - Make it repeatable
* Forecast variance → action, not variance → excuses
* Fund growth from improved margin + faster collections
* Publish one page to the team: what changed, what’s next