Cash flow is one of the first things business owners worry about. The instinct is often to look at revenue or costs, assuming there must be “too little coming in.” But more often, the real strain comes from how money leaves the business.
Late approvals, ad hoc payment runs, and manual reconciliations create uncertainty – even when the bank balance looks healthy. Owners and directors may end up making decisions with incomplete information, chasing paperwork, or wondering why cash seems to disappear overnight.
When minor mistakes become major problems
As teams grow, payment routines often evolve naturally. Bills are manually entered, approvals are requested face to face, payroll is processed close to deadlines, and reconciliations are done when there’s capacity.
This informal approach can work when the business is small. But as it grows, small gaps start to have a big impact:
- Approvals slip through the cracks
- Multiple people touch the same task
- Cash leaves without anyone seeing the full picture
Before long, decisions become reactive instead of proactive. What feels like a cash flow problem may actually be an operational one – a lack of clear, repeatable processes.
Creating predictable payment flows
The solution is relatively straightforward: introduce structure. By reviewing invoices, grouping them into scheduled payment runs, and completing authorisations in good time, businesses gain predictability.
Finance teams can see exactly what’s due, directors understand the impact on cash before funds leave the bank and last-minute surprises become much less common.
How the right tools can help
With the right platform, businesses can manage payments in a structured way while staying in control of outgoing funds.
For example, Mimo, which integrates with Xero, can automate the majority of the workflow:
- Select invoices due for payment
Bills sync straight from Xero into Mimo and are grouped into a single run. - Internal review by a senior team member
Oversight ensures correct coding, due dates, supplier details, and cash impact before anything reaches the bank. - Review before finalisation
Directors can check, ask questions, or make adjustments with full visibility. - Authorise payments
Funds are released securely – no manual uploads, ABA files, or spreadsheet juggling.
This approach offers clear benefits:
- Significant time savings – fewer touchpoints, no duplicate entry
- Reduced risk of errors – automatic syncing and double-checks
- Automatic reconciliation – payments match bills in Xero
- Clear audit trail – every review and approval is logged
- Everything in one place – payments, bills, and supporting info stay linked
The process becomes controlled, visible, and easier to manage, freeing up time for leading the business instead of chasing paperwork.
Get in touch
If you want to see how a structured payment routine could work for your business, or if you have cash flow problems you would like to discuss in more detail, get in touch with cloud accounting manager, Luke Irving, by clicking the button below.
Luke can review your current processes, show you how to simplify payments and help you gain full visibility and control over cash flow.
