What’s the first thing directors usually ignore when cashflow gets tight?

For most directors, it isn’t a bounced payment or a legal letter. 

It’s things like: 

• Paying HMRC late just once 
• Relying on next month’s invoices 
• Using personal money to plug gaps 
• Avoiding certain emails altogether 

By the time formal action starts, the pressure has usually been building for months. 

What was the first sign for you that something wasn’t right?