The 3 Phases Every Failing Business Goes Through (And How to Escape) | Ep 222

The 3 Phases Every Failing Business Goes Through (And How to Escape) | Ep 222

From Strategy Meets Finance by Steve Coughran

March 24, 2026 · 16 min · Episode 222

About this episode

Steve Coughran discusses the three phases that every failing business goes through and how to identify and address them early.

How much cash is hiding in your business? See if you qualify for a Free Financial Health Check Financial Intelligence Toolkit Most businesses don’t fail overnight. They go through the same three phases, and most owners don’t realize what’s happening until it’s too late. It starts with a strategy that quietly stops working, then margins get squeezed, and eventually cash runs out. Steve breaks down these three phases and shows how to spot them early so you can fix the real problem b...

People in this episode

Host: Steve Coughran

Topics covered

  • business failure
  • financial health
  • business strategy
  • cash flow
  • management

Keywords

  • business phases
  • financial health check
  • cash management
  • strategy
  • margins

More episodes of Strategy Meets Finance

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Strategy Meets Finance podcast page.