When
it
comes
to
business
distress
and
,
things
often
get
worse
before
they
get
better
.
However
,
caught
early
enough
,
a
company
can
be
steered
away
from
insolvency
and
guided
towards
a
successful
turnaround
by
a
qualified
business
recovery
expert
.
Just
as
a
company
rarely
goes
from
profitable
to
insolvent
overnight
,
the
recovery
process
is
likewise
a
process
.
While
all
companies
are
different
,
and
the
reasons
for
their
financial
distress
likewise
individual
to
them
,
there
are
certain
key
stages
many
struggling
businesses
go
through
.
1
)
Contrary
to
popular
belief
,
a
company
is
not
just
as
risk
of
decline
when
it
begins
to
experience
falling
sales
or
dwindling
profits
.
While
things
may
look
rosy
on
the
outside
,
there
are
often
warning
signs
within
the
business
that
it
could
be
in
a
potentially
risky
position
even
when
trade
is
seemingly
good
.
Be
aware
of
the
dangers
associated
with
overtrading
and
going
off
budget
,
and
take
steps
to
ensure
your
business
is
not
overcommitting
itself
.
It
can
be
difficult
to
turn
down
a
large
order
,
however
,
if
your
company
does
not
have
adequate
time
,
cash
flow
,
or
resources
to
appropriately
handle
this
work
,
taking
it
on
could
be
perilous
to
its
long
-
term
viability
.
2
)
Once
a
company
?
s
performance
begins
to
dip
and
financial
losses
are
incurred
,
it
can
be
a
slippery
slope
to
more
serious
problems
if
action
is
not
taken
to
rectify
this
period
of
underperformance
.
The
problem
faced
by
many
companies
at
this
stage
,
is
that
the
initial
signs
of
underperformance
are
notoriously
difficult
to
spot
.
It
is
often
a
multitude
of
small
failings
rather
than
one
momentous
event
which
is
to
blame
for
the
lacklustre
performance
.
As
well
as
the
obvious
factors
of
turnover
and
profit
margins
,
during
this
stage
,
companies
also
need
to
be
alert
to
the
impact
of
key
employees
leaving
,
ensuring
ongoing
competitor
monitoring
,
while
being
aware
of
changing
consumer
preferences
,
and
shifts
within
the
market
.
3
)
At
this
stage
the
company
will
be
operating
under
increasing
financial
pressures
which
are
having
an
impact
on
its
ability
to
keep
up
with
its
liabilities
.
Signs
your
company
could
be
in
financial
distress
include
:
delaying
payments
to
creditors
,
requesting
amendments
to
existing
credit
agreements
,
seeking
emergency
finance
to
allow
for
ongoing
trade
rather
than
to
facilitate
a
planned
project
or
purchase
,
or
an
increasing
tendency
to
miss
scheduled
payments
.
This
suggests
that
there
is
an
imbalance
in
how
much
revenue
the
company
has
coming
in
and
the
costs
it
is
incurring
to
secure
these
sales
.
4
)
For
a
company
in
cash
crisis
,
its
cash
flow
is
being
stretched
to
breaking
point
and
it
is
no
longer
able
to
meet
vital
overheads
such
as
supplier
payments
,
staff
wages
,
or
lease
agreements
.
With
more
money
leaving
the
business
than
there
is
entering
it
,
this
stage
is
make
or
break
for
a
business
.
The
problems
are
highly
unlikely
to
rectify
themselves
without
intervention
from
a
restructuring
professional
.
5
)
If
the
desire
is
there
to
save
the
company
,
and
there
is
a
realistic
chance
of
reversing
its
fortunes
,
the
company
may
be
able
to
be
saved
with
a
structured
and
carefully
managed
recovery
process
.
Alternatively
,
the
company
can
be
placed
into
liquidation
?
a
terminal
insolvency
procedure
which
brings
about
the
end
of
a
company
.
6
)
The
aim
at
this
stage
is
to
prevent
any
further
loss
to
creditors
as
well
as
limit
the
damage
to
the
company
.
The
company
can
be
protected
from
legal
action
from
creditors
by
way
of
a
moratorium
if
required
.
7
)
The
precise
details
of
the
turnaround
strategy
employed
,
as
well
as
the
time
needed
to
effect
a
successful
recovery
,
will
vary
from
company
to
company
depending
on
the
severity
of
its
financial
woes
and
its
unique
pressure
points
.
However
,
in
many
cases
this
process
is
likely
to
involve
a
systematic
reorganisation
of
the
company
?
s
operating
structure
and
its
financial
obligations
.
A
process
of
business
simplification
allows
for
less
profitable
elements
of
the
company
to
be
wound
down
,
leaving
more
time
,
money
,
and
staff
resources
to
be
directed
at
those
areas
generating
the
majority
of
the
revenue
.
This
may
result
in
the
permanent
closure
or
scaling
down
of
subsidiary
companies
,
or
retail
branches
.
Existing
finance
agreements
can
be
renegotiated
with
more
preferable
payment
terms
,
immediately
improving
cash
flow
and
reducing
pressure
.
When
a
company
is
experiencing
increasing
financial
coupled
with
diminishing
,
time
is
of
the
essence
.
The
a
company
?
s
problems
are
and
addressed
,
the
sooner
a
plan
can
be
in
place
to
halt
the
decline
and
guide
the
company
up
the
curve
back
to
a
position
of
.