Why Profitable Southwest Florida Businesses Run Out of Cash in August

Visitor spending in Lee County runs about 74 percent higher in the winter quarter than in the summer quarter. Your rent, payroll, and insurance do not drop 74 percent in July.

$1.12BLee County visitor spending in January to March 2025
$643Mvisitor spending in July to September 2025, the slowest quarter
74%more money in the peak quarter than the slow one

Source: Visit Fort Myers, 2025 Visitor Tracking Report, Lee County.

That is the whole problem in one line. A Fort Myers restaurant, a Naples landscaper, and a Sarasota boat shop can all post a profitable year and still bounce a payroll in September. Profit is counted over twelve months. Cash is counted every Friday. The gap between them is where Southwest Florida owners get hurt.

The fix is not working harder in the winter. It is a forecast that shows the summer gap in February, collections that bring the money in faster, deposits that put the customer’s cash to work before yours, and a credit line set up while the numbers look good, not after they turn. Ten questions below. Each one is a city and a cash problem.

Four Ways to Work With Dr. Paul

A quick cash forecast, a loan package, a part-time CFO, or the free basics. Choose what fits the size of the problem.

02

Business Plan Writing

The bank or the SBA wants a plan. Dr. Paul writes it with five-year financials and the loan schedule in seven days or less.

Plan writing and prices →

03

Fractional CFO/COO

Cash tight every summer? Dr. Paul reads the numbers with you every month as your part-time CFO, so the gap never surprises you again.

Fractional CFO and COO →

04

Small Business Education

Free guides on cash flow, budgeting, financial statements, and more, written in plain English for owners.

Free guides →

Sold Out and Still Broke

Dr. Paul’s Fabled Forest Business School Series · Book 2, Chapter 11

“Doc!” said Frankie, from the window, flour to the elbows. “You see this? Sold out Saturday. Sold out Sunday. Ran out of sauce at noon. Busiest weekend in the history of the forest. The paper said so.”

“Congratulations,” said Doctor Owl.

Dr. Paul’s take: The chapter asks one question: how can we sell out and still be broke? Every Southwest Florida owner who has had a record March and an empty account in August knows the answer is timing. Busy fills the sales report. Cash fills the bank account, on its own schedule. Dr. Paul’s work here starts with getting those two calendars to line up, through his Organize-Plan-Grow™ Strategy.

Find the Cash Flow Question You Need Answered

Each page is written for one Southwest Florida city, with the season, the lenders, and the examples from that market.

21Cash Forecast

Will Your Fort Myers Business Run Out of Cash?

A thirteen-week cash forecast that shows the shortage before it shows up in the bank account.

22Collections

Cape Coral Customers Paying Late?

Late payers are using your money for free. How to get paid on time without losing the customer.

23Deposits and Terms

Should Your Naples Business Require Deposits?

Deposits fund the job with the customer’s cash, not yours. When to ask, how much, and how to say it.

24Seasonal Cash

Surviving the Off-Season in Sarasota

How much to set aside in the winter to carry the summer, with the math shown.

25Loan Package

Applying for a Business Loan in Venice?

What the lender actually reads, what gets you declined, and how to put the package together right the first time.

26How Much to Borrow

How Much Money Does Your Bonita Springs Business Need?

Borrow too little and you come back hat in hand. Borrow too much and you pay for money you do not use.

27Financing Options

SBA, Bank, or Investor for Your Punta Gorda Business?

Each kind of money comes with different rules. How to pick the one that fits the business and the purpose.

28Investor Pitch

Pitching Investors in Estero?

What an investor wants to hear in the first five minutes, and the numbers that make them stay for the rest.

29More Debt

Can Your Port Charlotte Business Afford Another Loan?

Debt service coverage in plain English. How to know if the next payment fits before you sign.

30Growth Cash

Growing Fast and Broke in North Port?

Fast growth eats cash first and pays you later. How to fund the growth without running dry.

A cash crunch rarely waits. If yours is close, call today.Call or text (321) 948-9588 →

Cash Flow, Collections, and Borrowing, Taught Through Stories

Accounting and Finance for Small Businesses book cover, Dr. Paul's Fabled Forest Business School Book 2

Dr. Paul’s Fabled Forest Business School Series · Book 2

Accounting and Finance for Small Businesses

Cash flow, the cash reserve, receivables, and borrowing each get their own chapter, told through one Fabled Forest owner at a time with the arithmetic shown. Written for the owner who is good at the work and tired of guessing about the money.

Get Book 2 on Amazon →

Cash Flow and Funding Questions From Southwest Florida

Why is my business profitable but always short on cash?
Because profit and cash are counted differently. Profit adds up a whole year. Cash is what is in the account this week. In a seasonal market, the winter profit arrives months before the summer bills. A cash forecast shows the gap ahead of time so you can set money aside, collect faster, or line up credit before you need it.
Which Southwest Florida cities does Dr. Paul serve?
All of Lee, Collier, Sarasota, and Charlotte counties, including Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, Sarasota, Venice, and Port Charlotte. Most of the work happens by phone and video.
Can Dr. Paul help me get a business loan?
Dr. Paul does not lend money. He prepares what lenders read: the business plan, the financial projections, and the loan package, and he helps you decide how much to borrow and from whom. His plans have helped clients fund more than $100 million in projects.
How much cash should a seasonal business keep in reserve?
Enough to cover your fixed costs through the slowest stretch of the year, plus a cushion for a storm or a slow season. For many Southwest Florida businesses that means three to six months of fixed costs. The exact number comes from your own monthly history, which is the first thing Dr. Paul builds with you.

Find the August problem in February.

Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA

Business Consultant, Author & Educator | 14+ Years | 1,000+ Clients Served

DBA, National University MBA, Focus in Finance, Webster University Serving Southwest Florida from Deltona, FL

Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA is a business consultant, author, and educator, and the founder of Quality Business Plan. He works with owners across Southwest Florida, the rest of Florida, and the country on business planning, financial modeling, fractional CFO services, and the everyday problems of businesses that depend too much on their owners. He is the creator of Dr. Paul’s Organize-Plan-Grow™ Strategy, author of numerous published books on Amazon including Dr. Paul’s Fabled Forest Business School Series, and publisher of over 1,000 business-focused videos on YouTube. He has taught as an adjunct college instructor and teaches in Florida public schools.

14+
Years Experience
1,000+
Clients Served
$100M+
Projects Funded
1,000+
YouTube Videos

This page is for general educational purposes only. It is not legal, financial, tax, accounting, or other professional advice. Market figures are cited to their sources and change over time. The Fabled Forest and its characters are fictional. For decisions about your own business, consult a qualified professional.