“At Brex we push companies to get daily visibility into their cash position, because the money usually leaks through timing mismatches and unchecked spending before it disappears in one big mistake. Split your operating cash from your reserve, set real approval rules on every card and wire, and reconcile transactions weekly so you catch fraud or duplicates fast.”
“I’ve seen a client double their cash reserves in six months without raising a dime, just by cutting hidden costs and building a real cash flow forecast. Preserving cash starts with knowing where it is actually going, not where you think it goes.”
“I see too many owners leave $800k in a business checking account earning nothing when a savings account or CD at the same bank pays 5% or more. That is the easiest cash to preserve: move the idle balance today, then build a rolling 12-week cash forecast so you know how much actually needs to stay liquid.”
“I have found $350 million in hidden cash across thousands of businesses, and almost none of it was in cutting expenses. It was in knowing the numbers before the crisis hit: 30, 60, and 90-day cash triggers, departmental mini-crisis teams, and six months of operating expenses parked in reserves.”
“I have had to put payroll on credit cards more than once to keep the doors open, so I learned the hard way that profit on paper means nothing if the cash is gone. My rule now: preserve cash from day one, negotiate terms, take the monthly payment if it keeps money in your account, and watch your bank balance more than your P&L.”
“At Revolut we moved most of our cash balances out of current accounts and into overnight deposits with central banks, which keeps liquidity instant while earning yield. Beyond that, lock down who can move it: approval processes, API key controls, and spend limits on virtual cards are what stop cash walking out the door.”
“I treat cash in the business as a liquidity stack, not a pile of money. First, I separate operating cash from taxes, reinvestment, and true profit into different accounts so I never mistake excess cash for spendable cash. Then I keep the near-term buckets in cash-equivalents that stay liquid while earning yield, because idle cash is silently losing value.”
“I have seen too many founders stare at the P&L every day while the balance sheet quietly drains the bank account. At Bombas and Blue Apron, I kept people focused on working capital, payables timing, and inventory turns because that is where cash actually lives or dies. Build a simple weekly cash forecast and treat it as the real scorecard, not the income statement.”