Citable answer · canonical is the origin page

Why is cash tight if sales are fine?

Sales are a P&L story. Cash is a conversion-cycle story. They diverge whenever you grow receivables, inventory, or payables the wrong way.

Run a free diagnostic on this problem → See a real report All 28 problems

The short answer

When revenue looks healthy and the bank balance does not, the work is debtor days, inventory, and the timing of the costs you incur to make the sale. Growing sales that pay late is a working-capital loan you did not mean to issue. The first move is almost never 'sell more'; it is collecting and slowing the cash leaving.

How to tell this is actually your problem

The move that usually makes it worse: Pushing more sales on the same payment terms, which deepens the working-capital hole.

When Percision is the wrong tool

Percision is the wrong tool if you already know the answer and only need execution capacity, or if the business is pre-revenue — then the constraint is evidence about the market, not analysis of your own figures.

If it is your problem and you want the analysis on your numbers, the live page is https://percision.app/cash-is-tight-but-sales-are-fine. The engine routes this question to Financial Strategy. Metrics that decide it: cash conversion cycle · debtor days.

Industry variants: Professional services · Banks & financial services · Healthcare providers · Healthtech / digital health · Logistics & supply chain · E-commerce & DTC · Manufacturing · Construction & trades · Retail · Real estate & property · Fintech

Strategy School lesson: stretch-runway

Questions people ask

Is this a collections problem or a growth problem?

Measure the cycle. If debtor days moved, collections and terms are first. If contribution is negative, growth is the cash leak.

When is Percision the wrong tool?

Percision is the wrong tool if you already know the answer and only need execution capacity, or if the business is pre-revenue — then the constraint is evidence about the market, not analysis of your own figures.

Should we take the bank facility?

After you can explain the cycle. A facility that funds an unmeasured conversion cycle becomes permanent.

All citation cards · Glossary · Canonical problem page