You’re paying yourself nothing and it’s still not enough

When effort is not the issue

If you have cut your own drawings to zero and the business still cannot meet supplier, tax or wage bills, the issue is usually the model, not your effort. ASIC notes that cash flow pressure, overdue tax or super, unpaid suppliers and reliance on personal funds are common warning signs of financial difficulty for a business under strain. ([asic.gov.au](https://www.asic.gov.au/about-asic/news-centre/articles/helping-small-business-directors-respond-early-to-financial-difficulty?utm_source=openai))

That matters because delay narrows your options. ASIC says directors should act straight away, review the records and get advice early, because a company may be insolvent when it cannot pay debts as they fall due. Waiting can turn a cash problem into a deeper trading risk for everyone involved. ([asic.gov.au](https://www.asic.gov.au/about-asic/news-centre/news-items/what-to-do-if-your-small-business-faces-financial-difficulty?utm_source=openai))

Check the last few jobs

Start with the last few jobs, not the whole year. Reconcile what each job was sold for against labour, materials, subcontractors, plant, rework and any unpaid variations. If the price looks fine overall but the jobs still lose cash, the business may be winning work on paper and losing money in practice. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/guide/guide-to-managing-cash-flow?utm_source=openai))

Do this with a simple gross margin check for each job, then compare the result with the hours you actually worked for free. If owner effort is the hidden cost that turns the job negative, the answer is not more unpaid hours. It is a different pricing or scope model. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/guide/guide-to-managing-cash-flow?utm_source=openai))

Source: Official guidance

Build the 13-week forecast

Build a 13-week cash forecast. A cash flow statement tracks money coming in and going out, and business.gov.au says you can use a template to create a forecast with estimated figures for future periods. Put the opening bank balance first, then map wages, tax, suppliers, debt repayments and expected receipts. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/finance/cash-flow/set-up-a-cash-flow-statement?utm_source=openai))

Do not use the forecast to prove that everything will work out. Use it to see the week the bank balance tips, the creditor that can wait and the bill that cannot. ASIC says early action preserves more options, and that a rescue pathway is more useful before debts grow and confidence falls. ([asic.gov.au](https://www.asic.gov.au/about-asic/news-centre/articles/helping-small-business-directors-respond-early-to-financial-difficulty?utm_source=openai))

List debts and compare options

Next, list every debt and its due date. Separate tax, super, wages, trade creditors, finance, rent and any personal guarantees. Then mark which ones are already overdue, because the order of pressure tells you where the business is actually exposed. ASIC recommends reviewing debts and cash flow together, not as separate problems. ([asic.gov.au](https://www.asic.gov.au/about-asic/news-centre/news-items/what-to-do-if-your-small-business-faces-financial-difficulty?utm_source=openai))

Once you can see the stack, compare restructuring options before things get worse. ASIC says the main corporate insolvency paths include small business restructuring, voluntary administration, liquidation and receivership. Which one fits depends on viability, timing and creditor pressure, so the important move is to ask before the business runs out of room. ([asic.gov.au](https://www.asic.gov.au/for-business-and-companies/companies/company-deregistration-and-winding-up/wind-up-an-insolvent-company?utm_source=openai))

Decide the next move today

If the numbers show the business cannot carry your pay, treat that as a turnaround signal. Put the last three jobs, the current creditor list and the next 13 weeks of cash needs on one table. That gives a clearer picture of whether you need a pricing reset, a payment reset or a formal restructure. ([asic.gov.au](https://www.asic.gov.au/about-asic/news-centre/articles/helping-small-business-directors-respond-early-to-financial-difficulty?utm_source=openai))

Do that today, then call CRP about turnaround support. Bring your job margins, cash forecast and debt list so an independent professional can help you decide the next step without promising an outcome. The point is to act before more unpaid work, more overdue bills and fewer options make the problem harder to unwind. ([asic.gov.au](https://www.asic.gov.au/about-asic/news-centre/articles/helping-small-business-directors-respond-early-to-financial-difficulty?utm_source=openai))