Sep 26 • General discussion
The Cashflow Paradox
If cash is oxygen, then time is life.
At first glance, that sounds obvious. If you had more cash, you wouldn’t have a cashflow problem. But this isn’t about the mechanics of money. It’s about how you think when the pressure is on.
Most business owners under stress live in reaction mode:
- Finish the job → invoice it → chase the payment.
- Land the next sale → keep the doors open another week.
- Firefight the supplier shouting loudest → promise the customer who’s angry.
It feels relentless. And in that cycle, you forget about the most important part of the whole system: you.
The Pilot Analogy
Let me ask you: what’s the first thing airlines tell you in the safety briefing?
“Put your own oxygen mask on before helping others.”
Why? Because if you pass out, you’re useless to anyone else.
It’s the same with business.
Pilots often get asked: “Do you feel the pressure of being responsible for hundreds of passengers?” Their answer is simple: “No. My only job is to get myself there in one piece. If I make it, they make it.”
That’s the paradox: the “selfish” pilot who prioritises their own survival ends up serving everyone else best.
Business is no different. If you’re burned out, dodging WhatsApps, drowning in reminders, and lying awake at night wondering how to cover bills, you can’t lead. You can’t make rational decisions. You can’t save the business — or anyone in it.
The number one priority isn’t your customers, suppliers, or staff. It’s you.
Turbulence vs. Oxygen
Let’s stretch the aviation metaphor a little further.
- Turbulence never killed anyone. It’s uncomfortable, but survivable. Same in business: angry emails, supplier threats, customer complaints, HMRC letters — that’s turbulence. Buckle up, stop weaving all over the sky, and ride it out.
- Oxygen is what keeps you alive. In business, that’s cash. To climb above the turbulence, you need a clean supply of it.
Here’s the Cashflow Paradox: the thing you’ve been told to prioritise — paying bills, covering payroll, keeping creditors at bay — isn’t what will save you in the crunch. Your first job is to secure your own oxygen.
Build Your Parachute Fund
This is your emergency oxygen mask.
Your challenge isn’t paying rent, rates, or suppliers. It’s building a parachute fund that protects you and your family. When you know the mortgage is covered and food is on the table, your stress drops and your head clears. Suddenly, decisions that felt impossible become manageable.
I’m not talking about yachts or golf clubs. I’m talking about survival cash. Enough to buy time.
So, how do you build it?
- Ringfence it: Open a Revolut (or other online) account that creditors can’t dip into.
- Liquidate what you can: Stock, unused inventory, equipment, cars, toys.
- Access credit lines: Pull cash from cards, extend overdrafts.
- Make it untouchable: Treat this account like an oxygen tank. You don’t breathe from it unless absolutely necessary.
Yes, it feels scary. Yes, it goes against every instinct. But this is about survival. This fund is your oxygen supply. It buys you time and clarity.
If you’re not in crisis yet but can feel it coming, start now. Build your parachute while you still have altitude. And once it’s there, don’t touch it until you have to.
Why This Works
When you have oxygen, everything changes:
- You sleep better. You know your family won’t be left stranded.
- You stop reacting. You can ignore turbulence instead of flailing at it.
- You gain leverage. Panic makes you weak; breathing space makes you strong.
- You reset the game. From a position of survival, you can think about strategy again.
It’s amazing how much easier it is to face down angry suppliers, negotiate with banks, or restructure deals when you know your kids’ school fees or your mortgage payment aren’t hanging by a thread.
What Comes Next
Once your oxygen mask is secure, then you can help others. Suppliers, creditors, and chasers come next. But now you’re handling them from a position of strength, not desperation.
I’ll go into that in my piece on “How to Handle the Chasers.” For now, the only thing you need to burn into your brain is this:
Cash is oxygen. Without it, nothing else matters. With it, turbulence is just noise.
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The Cashflow Paradox
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