Six Cash Flow Tips for Women Founders From Our Member Dinner

The conversations founders keep behind closed doors found a place at the table. At our members-only dinner in Miami with Fundwell, women opened up about topics that are left unspoken in business.

This time, table talk went beyond marketing and shiny viral moments. On October 22nd, a room full of Entreprenista League members went there, speaking openly about cash flow, profit, payment terms, and those months when your bank account gets a little too quiet.

We called it Cash Flow Confessions. Hosting alongside Entreprenista Approved partner Fundwell, Entreprenista co-founder Courtney Spritzer outlined the night's goal: Talk openly about the numbers no one talks about and leave with a new connection or 2.

Fundwell's Esther Anatian moderated the conversation with Courtney and Mariela Rovito, co-founder and CEO of the luxury sleepwear brand Eberjey. Between them, they've spent 45 years building businesses. When Esther asked each of them for 1 word to describe their relationship with cash flow, they gave the same answer: obsessive.

Here are 6 cash flow tips for women founders we're still thinking about.

1. Know your number before you take the leap

Courtney started her career in corporate finance, so when she and Stephanie Cartin were getting ready to leave their jobs and build their first company, she did the math. They needed $8,000 a month, $4,000 each, to cover rent in New York City.

That became their revenue goal for month 1. Through networking groups and building meaningful relationships, they hit it. And their agency grew from there.

Their discipline still holds today. “Know your monthly expenses so well you can rattle them off,” Courtney advised. “That number tells you the minimum you need to bring in every month to pay every bill. Anything above that number gives you options: reinvest in the business, or pay yourself well.”

2. Profit does not equal cash flow

Mariela and her co-founder, Ali, started Eberjey 30 years ago with $10,000 each and no background in fashion or business. Fashion runs on inventory, so they kept putting cash back into the business while department stores took up to 90 days to pay.

So they got scrappy. They asked vendors for extended terms. They asked specialty stores to pay by credit card, fees and all, so the money arrived up front. Mariela even learned her bank manager's schedule because he would clear her checks the same day. When he wasn't there, it took 3 to 5 days, time she couldn’t afford to lose.

Mariela repeated her hard-earned lesson twice for emphasis:

‍"Profit does not equal cash flow. You can have a profitable business, but if you don't have the cash to support it, you're never going to enjoy the fruits of your labor."

3. Always negotiate your payment terms

Big contracts feel like a win. Courtney's agency learned that large brands often come with 90-to-120-day payment terms, meaning they had to front the money to hire the team before the client paid.

Her tip: Look closely at payment terms from day 1, and always negotiate to shorten them.

Esther emphasized that whether it's a relationship with your banker or asking a store to pay faster, the founders who manage cash flow well are the ones who ask.

4. Diversify before you have to

Heading into 2020, Eberjey relied heavily on wholesale. When stores closed, Mariela went back to tracking every dollar coming in and going out, just as she had in the early years of the business.

The team doubled down on e-commerce, a sales channel they'd already established but hadn't prioritized. Online orders meant money came in as soon as they shipped, giving the business more control over cash flow.

The lesson Mariela took with her? Diversify your revenue channels before you're forced to.

5. Open a line of credit before you need it

Debt carries a stigma, but raising money means giving up equity. Courtney's take? The devil is in the details, so understand exactly what you're signing. Debt is a strong option for a business generating revenue with a clear path to repayment, and you keep your equity.

The best advice she ever received came from her banker: Set up financing while your numbers look strong. That's when you'll have the most options and the best terms.

Her agency opened a line of credit early and didn't draw on it until 2020 during the pandemic. That kind of planning ahead is exactly what Fundwell helps founders do.

‍"When you don't need the money, it is exactly when you should develop those relationships with your bank."

Mariela's path looked different. It took Eberjey about 7 years, and real purchase orders from department stores, to secure its first line of credit. “Bootstrapping gave us freedom,” she said, and the right choice is personal. “Choose what lets you sleep at night.”

6. Build a 3-month cash flow forecast

Mariela's tactical tip for the month ahead was to go home and build a 3-month cash flow forecast. Know what's going out, what's coming in, and whether you can pay every bill.

As Mariela put it, "Even if you have a CFO, it's a founder's responsibility to really know and understand your cash flow."

Why Entreprenista loves partnering with Fundwell

You don’t have to go after funding alone. Fundwell is a business financing marketplace that helps founders find the right capital for where their business is right now. From a line of credit and working capital to funding for a big inventory order, every founder gets matched with options and a dedicated advisor, so no one is on their own.

As Ariel from Fundwell shared at the start of the night, cash flow comes up in almost every conversation their team has with founders. It's also the part of running a business that rarely gets said out loud.

Entreprenista members can get 1:1 support from a dedicated Fundwell advisor to find the right financing for where their business is right now. To learn more, email entreprenista@fundwell.com and let them know you're part of the Entreprenista community.

The best business lessons happen in community

"How can I help you?” is the heart of Entreprenista. Courtney opened the evening with this question, and she and Stephanie ask it every time they meet someone new. This spirit of generosity carried through the night.

And Entreprenista League members felt it when they brought their real business challenges to the table. The conversation was candid, practical, and full of advice from women who've been there.

When one member asked how to protect a wholesale business from customers who can't pay, Mariela emphasized financial discipline. “Hold customers to their payment terms and pause shipments when payments are overdue. It's how you protect your business from getting overextended.”

Another member wanted to know what to cut when cash gets tight. Mariela shared that marketing is often the first to go because inventory and payroll can't wait.

Courtney offered another perspective: Start with where you want your business to be in 1, 3, and 5 years, then work backward to decide what to protect. Cutting marketing can also mean cutting future growth.

And when a member asked how debt and equity could affect a future sale, Courtney encouraged founders to interview potential buyers as carefully as buyers interview them. “Know how much decision-making power you're willing to give up.”

Courtney reminded the room to “surround yourself with people who have been there, done that, so you have good advice as you're navigating these decisions.”

That's the beauty of the Entreprenista League. No one should have to build a business alone. Inside the Entreprenista League, members get access to intimate dinners like this one, plus the founder friends who will cheer you on at every stage. Pull up a seat to the table and join the most supportive community of women founders.