Getting my business off life support.

Some of you are in a state of crisis whether you’re brave enough to admit it or not.

Cash is running out. Bills are piling up. Customers are slowing down. And worst of all, you don’t know who to turn to—because saying it out loud makes it real.

Honestly… I’ve existed in this space multiple times over the years.

If this was your body breaking down instead of your business, you’d drag yourself to the emergency room. A nurse would wheel you straight into triage to stop the bleeding, stabilise you, and keep you alive long enough to figure out what’s next.

That’s exactly what you need to do for your business right now. This is your triage plan.

Step 1: Identify the Five Levers You Can Pull

Every business can be fixed by focusing on five areas:

1. People – Do you have the right team in place, or are you carrying dead weight?
2. Product – Is what you’re selling good and different enough to stand out?
3. Price – Are you charging enough to survive and thrive?
4. Purchasing – Are you bleeding money on unnecessary costs?
5. Process – Are you running things efficiently, or are you wasting time and effort?

Right now, you don’t have the luxury of fixing everything at once. 

You need to pull the one or two levers that will have the biggest, fastest impact.

Step 2: Get More Customers Immediately

For a cafe struggling with low foot traffic, that might mean:

• Identifying local hot spots (construction sites, apartment blocks, office towers, train stations) and going directly to those people with an offer they can’t ignore.
• Reaching out to office managers, social club organisers, and Facebook community groups with a reason to visit your cafe.
• Fixing your signage to make sure people actually notice you, not just another generic menu board.
• Giving out compelling, time-sensitive offers to disrupt people's routines and get them in the door.

For a restaurant with declining bookings, that could mean:

• Digging into your database of previous customers (your POS system has names and emails of people who already know you).
• Sending a re-engagement email with a strong offer. The first time I did this, we booked out a 60-seat restaurant in one email.
• Running targeted Facebook and Instagram ads to reach the right people instead of hoping they’ll eventually find you

Step 3: Stop Undercharging—Fix Your Pricing

Too many businesses are terrified of raising prices, but right now, you are in triage mode. Small price changes on high-volume products can generate thousands in extra profit without a single extra cost.

Take a cafe doing 200 coffees a day. A 50 cent price increase equals $600 in extra cash per week. That’s over $30,000 a year without changing anything else.

Worried about losing customers? You might lose a handful, but the increased margin will more than make up for it. And in most cases, they’ll come back if your product is good.

Here’s how to do it without backlash:

• Put up a simple, direct notice explaining the price increase. People are used to it by now.
• Anchor pricing by introducing a premium option that makes your standard price look reasonable.
• Increase perceived value by improving service and making sure every customer walks away knowing they got something better than the place down the street.

(this same approach works for nearly any business)

Step 4: Cut Costs Like a Surgeon

Every dollar saved is a dollar that stays in your pocket. Here’s where to start:

• Slash unnecessary inventory. Most businesses stockpile items they don’t need. Order only small volumes often if needed.
• Renegotiate with suppliers. You are not getting the best deal. Even though you think you are. Call every major supplier and ask for a discount.
• Pass on merchant fees. If you’re paying card transaction fees out of pocket, stop. I resisted for years, and when I finally added a surcharge, nobody said a word. That was pure profit back in the business.
• Apply the Netflix Keeper Test for staff. Make a list of absolute superstars—the ones you’d fight to keep. Everyone else is replaceable. It’s brutal, shitty terrible, crappy work that no one ever wants to do but if you’re bleeding money, you have to act fast to survive.

Step 5: Get Ruthless About Complexity

Many businesses think they need to do MORE to survive. Not true.

Chances are that a handful or core products make up the bulk of sales. 

And fewer contribute to the overall profitability of the business. Identify the most profitable products, the easiest ones to make more of and the ones that help differentiate you from competitors. 

Delete as many other products as you can to free up space to do more of what’s working.

Right now, if your business is in the ER, the goal isn’t to become world-class overnight. 

The goal is to patch up the wounds, stop the bleeding, and stabilise so you can fight another day.

Start with the lever that will give you the fastest result. Fix your product, get more customers, increase prices where you can, and cut unnecessary costs.

Then, once you’re breathing again, you can start thinking about long-term fixes.

You don’t need a miracle (stop waiting for one) 

You need to show up, do the work, and make the tough calls.

I hope this helps.