When revenue slows suddenly — as it has for many UAE businesses this year — the question stops being “are we profitable?” and becomes “do we have cash next week?”. Profit is an opinion; cash is a fact.
Build a 13-week cash forecast
The single most useful tool in a downturn is a rolling 13-week cash flow: every expected receipt and payment, week by week, updated every week. It turns vague anxiety into a clear view of the tightest week ahead — and buys you time to act before it arrives.
Then protect the runway
With the forecast in hand: chase receivables actively, talk to suppliers early about terms, separate essential from deferrable spend, and keep your bank informed rather than surprised. Decisions made six weeks early are choices; the same decisions made in the tight week are emergencies.
Written during the 2020 slowdown; the cash discipline holds in any downturn.