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If fuel prices remain elevated for an extended period, or if New Zealand shifts to higher fuel alert levels, pressure can start to show up quickly in cash flow. Extra costs creep in, margins tighten, and decisions that felt manageable before suddenly feel more urgent.

See the Governments fact sheet on the Fuel Alert Levels and Priority Bands here.

The good news is that financial resilience isn’t about dramatic change. It’s about understanding your position early and making thoughtful, practical decisions that give you options if conditions stay tight for longer than expected. 

Below are some key areas worth reviewing now, while you still have time and flexibility. 

1. Understand where the cash goes in your business 

The first step in building resilience is clarity. Before making any changes, it’s important to have a clear picture of where cash is being used across your business. 

Take time to review: 

• Capital expenditure – what you’re investing in assets or upgrades 

• Tax obligations – upcoming payments and provisions 

• Debt servicing – interest, principal repayments, and timing 

• Owner drawings – what you’re taking out of the business 

• Working capital – stock, receivables, and day to day funding needs 

  
  

When you know where the pressure points are, it’s much easier to decide what can be adjusted or prioritised. 

2. Be proactive with speaking to your bank 

   
   

Your bank is a key part of your resilience plan - and it’s always better to talk early rather than wait until pressure builds. 

Things to consider discussing include: 

• Interest only periods to ease short-term cash flow pressure 

• Retaining existing facilities (e.g., overdraft facility), even if you’re not using them right now 

• Reviewing covenants or repayment terms to ensure they still align with how your business is operating 

  
  

Early conversations help preserve trust and flexibility, giving you more room to move if trading conditions remain tight for an extended period. 

3. Consider tax pooling 

   
   

Tax pooling can be a useful tool for managing cash flow during periods of uncertainty. It allows you to smooth the timing of tax payments while remaining compliant, rather than needing to fund large lump sums at specific dates. 

For many business owners, this can reduce pressure without increasing risk - particularly when cash needs to stay available for daily operations. 

4. Reassess your capital expenditure plans 

   
   

Periods of uncertainty are a good time to pause and review planned capital spend. 

Ask yourself: 

• Does this investment need to happen right now? 

• Can it be deferred without impacting safety, compliance, or core operations? 

• Is there a lower cost or staged option that preserves cash? 

  
  

Deferring nonessential expenditure can free up cash while still allowing you to revisit opportunities once conditions stabilise. 

5. Review inventory management and your purchasing behaviour 

   
   

How and when you buy becomes just as important as what you buy. Periods of sustained cost pressure are an opportunity to tighten inventory discipline and reduce unnecessary cash tied up in stock. 

Consider assessing: 

• Are you holding more inventory than current demand requires? 

• Can purchasing be consolidated or better timed to reduce freight, fuel surcharges, or rush fees? 

• Are there opportunities to renegotiate supplier terms and move to longer payment terms, explore alternative suppliers, or move to just‑in‑time ordering where possible? 

  
  

Optimising inventory levels and purchasing decisions can improve cash flow helping your business stay resilient when input costs remain high.   

6. Tighten receivables and review customer terms 

   
   

Cash tied up in receivables can place unnecessary strain on cash flow. Reviewing how quickly customers pay and on what terms can improve your cash position. 

Think about: 

• Are invoices issued promptly and followed up consistently? 

• Do any long‑standing customers require closer credit monitoring or revised terms to manage risk? 

  
  

Improving receivables discipline and proactively managing customer relationships can accelerate cash inflows, reduce bad‑debt exposure, and strengthen your financial position.  

7. Review your revenue streams 

   
   

Heavy reliance on a single client, contract, or product line can leave your business exposed when market conditions shift or input costs remain elevated. Building more balanced revenue sources can improve stability and reduce risk. 

You could consider: 

• Does a single customer or product account for a disproportionate share of revenue? 

• Are there alternative services, products, or markets you could expand into using existing capabilities with relative ease in the short term? 

• Can customer concentration be reduced by targeting new segments or contract types? 

  
  

Diversifying revenue streams can smooth income volatility, strengthen negotiating power, and help protect your business from market shifts and sudden shocks - supporting longer‑term resilience in a high‑cost environment. 

See our blogs How To Steer Your Business Forward When The Economy Is Changing here, and How Understanding Who Your Customers Are Can Help You To Grow Your Sales here, on how to approach this.  

8. Refocus marketing efforts 

   
   

Marketing investment needs to be deliberate, targeted and closely linked to revenue generation. Reviewing both traditional B2B activity and your online sales capability can uncover more efficient ways to reach customers and convert demand. This may be more important if there is an increase in the fuel alert levels, and customer travel restrictions.  

Think about: 

• Are marketing efforts focused on your most profitable B2B customers or industry segments? 

• Does your website or online sales capability make it easy for customers to enquire, order, or transact without unnecessary friction? 

• Are digital channels being used effectively to support sales, improve customer retention, and reduce reliance on high‑cost in‑person activity? 

  
  

Strengthening marketing discipline and improving internet sales capability can extend reach, lower costs, and create more scalable revenue supporting financial resilience when cost pressures persist. 

9. Review owner drawings 

It’s worth considering: 

• Whether drawings can be temporarily reduced  

• How long adjustments might need to stay in place 

• What personal expenses could be managed differently over this period 

  
  

Even modest changes can make a meaningful difference to business cash flow during sustained cost pressure. 

Unlimit Support 

Building financial resilience isn’t about reacting out of fear. It’s about staying informed, making deliberate decisions, and keeping options open. 

If you require our support to facilitate your financial resilience plan, please get in touch.