ThinkOut is your match if…

…you are the owner of a small business that runs project-based activities. This is the first clue to consider when analyzing whether ThinkOut can be of use to you.

But this is not enough. What does exactly mean running ”project-based activities”? What kind of projects? After studying the business environment and from our own experience, we came to the conclusion that a serious cash flow management, which does not imply financial or accounting knowledge, is suited to those companies that offer creative or know-how based services. It just got more confusing, didn’t it? We’ll clear it up in a moment.

What kind of business should you run?

We’re thinking IT services, app and software development, advertising, branding, PR, copywriting, digital marketing, design, architecture, consultancy. What we have in mind are those small businesses that create pieces of intellectual property. These creations, usually, come as projects commissioned by clients. As many of you already know, in a small business and especially in a startup is difficult to establish a constant project pace; you can never be sure of when you will gain the next client, how long it will take to close the deal, deliver, invoice and cash in.

In what context would you need ThinkOut?

Businesses like the ones mentioned above have to deal with a lot of uncertainty. Which is why their very existence depends on planning things ahead and making sure there is some cash reserve for those months when clients don’t really queue to sign a contract with you (but you still have to pay salaries and the office rent at least).

Getting back to ThinkOut is a match for you if…, as owner or manager, you are fully aware of this need. If you are not, then this may be a good moment to start.

Why would you use it, personally?

If you are aware of cash flow’s importance, then you probably are pretty stressed about it. Or maybe you just find it difficult to decide whether to expand the business or not, move to a new office, acquire new equipment…and you simply can’t tell if you afford it or how it will impact the business later on, with no certain projects on the horizon.

Either way, your head must be spinning with “what ifs” and “what to dos”. If you just need a break and a clear mind, some more time for yourself rather than for twisting and twirling thoughts, then ThinkOut is your match; because we designed it to make it easier to clarify this kind of business dilemmas.

Though we envisioned the platform to be intuitive and relieve the pain of numbers, you still need to have some (not much, just some) appetite for figures. Cash flow is about figures and managing it requires some discipline and desire to keep things under control, as well as predict and prevent.

To sum it up, ThinkOut is your match if you own or run a small business that operates based on projects and creates pieces of intellectual property if you are aware of the cash flow importance and have a slight interest in controlling the business finances and planning ahead. And, of course, if all these stress you badly enough and you really want some free space in your mind for something other than “can I afford it?” or “when am I going to run out of cash?”.