A small business is only as good as its business plan. Whether your business is making a profit or struggling to break even, there may be ways to improve the business plan so that it can run at an optimal level.

Business plans cover all aspects of operating the business, including the goods or products sold, the location (or even whether there is a physical location), and where the inventory comes from. Staffing and hours of operation are also covered in the business plan.Once your business has been operating for a while, it's important to evaluate your business plan to see where it can be improved. You may be able to find ways to lower your overhead or increase your sales as you assess how the business has functioned up until now.

Some of the improvements you want to make will require you to invest more money into the business. Sometimes, you have to spend money in order to grow the business. Here are some improvements that may cost you money initially, although they will pay off later.

Expanding to a bigger space

If you've maximized your current space to the point where you don't have space for the entire inventory your customers want to buy, it may be time to expand. This could mean renting a larger part of your current space or moving to a bigger space that will accommodate your needs.

Hiring adequate staff

When you don't have enough staff to handle customer needs, you will lose customers. Although it is tempting to run the cash register and stock shelves yourself, you are better served by finding staff that are willing to work hard to make your business work.

Marketing the business

If no one knows you exist, you won't make any sales. Marketing is complicated, so even if your business plan does include marketing, you can always improve on that part of things. To really maximize your marketing, you may need to use others' expertise, which will add further cost initially, but earn you more profit in the long run.

Getting top quality inventory at the best possible price

Whether you're buying office supplies or buying new inventory, it's worth comparison shopping every so often to make sure you're getting the best possible products at the lowest possible prices. New suppliers could become available at any time, or prices could come down at suppliers you already checked out. Price breaks can either be passed along to customers, which may increase sales, added to your profits, or put toward expanding your inventory.

If your current cash flow and profits aren't enough to allow you to pay for these improvements up front, a merchant cash advance can get you the cash you need to move your business forward. Repayment is flexible and depends on your daily Visa and MasterCard sales. Many businesses qualify for thousands of dollars even with less than perfect credit.

Apply now with Quikstone Capital Solutions to see how much cash you can qualify for. It may be just what you need to jumpstart your business.