How High Debt Levels Can Stifle Business Growth

Carrying excessive debt can be a huge burden for any business. While some debt is often necessary, especially for young companies, having too much of it can severely limit a business’s ability to grow and thrive over the long-term. Let’s take a closer look at some of the key ways that high debt loads can restrict growth potential.

1. Less Cash Flow for Reinvestment

One of the biggest issues with having too much debt is that it eats up cash flow that could otherwise be used to fuel growth. Think of cash flow like the lifeblood of a business – it’s the money coming in the door that keeps things running.

When a large portion of cash flow has to go towards making debt payments every month, that leaves much less to reinvest into things like:

• Research and development
• Expanding operations
• Hiring more talent
• Entering new markets
• Marketing and advertising
• General capital expenditures

Essentially that cash flow is trapped servicing the debt rather than being put towards productive investments for the future. This can really slow down the pace at which a company can expand.

Over on r/smallbusiness, many users echo this sentiment. As one commenter put it: “Excessive debt destroyed my ability to grow. Once I paid down the debt, it was like a weight had been lifted and opportunities appeared that had been previously out of reach.”

2. Higher Interest Costs

In addition to diverting cash flow, high debt loads also come with higher interest costs. The more debt financing a business takes on, the higher its credit risk generally is, which translates to higher interest rates. This dynamic can become a vicious cycle where companies take on more debt to compensate for lack of growth, but the debt itself makes growth even harder.

As one Quora user explained: “High interest costs are like friction that slow your momentum. And the more debt you have, the higher the friction and the more momentum you lose.” Paying 15%, 20% or even 30% interest can be extremely difficult, especially for smaller companies with tighter margins.

3. Inflexibility & Lack of Liquidity

Excessive debt also reduces a company’s financial flexibility and liquidity – two key assets for a growing business. Having strong liquidity and financial flexibility allows companies to quickly pursue new opportunities, pivot when needed, and access capital on reasonable terms.

However, the more leveraged a company is, the less flexibility it has. Most debt agreements come with covenants and restrictions on things like:

• Taking on additional debt
• Making major capital expenditures
• Paying dividends or buying back shares
• Making acquisitions
• Expanding operations too quickly

These restrictions are designed to reduce risk for lenders, but they can hinder management’s ability to run the business and restrict strategic options. Having less liquidity also makes it harder to access additional financing if and when it’s needed to fund growth.

4. Vulnerability to Downturns

Lastly, excessive debt exposure makes companies much more vulnerable to industry downturns and economic recessions. Companies with heavy debt loads often have higher fixed costs and less of a cushion to withstand any temporary disruptions to cash flows. As a result, minor stumbles can quickly spiral into major issues like default or bankruptcy.

According to data analysis in this Harvard Business Review article, excessive debt tripled the odds of bankruptcy for companies during the Great Recession. That level of vulnerability can understandably make management excessively short-term focused. Instead of concentrating on long-term strategic investments, they have to obsess over meeting the next interest payment or debt maturity.

When Does Debt Reach Excessive Levels?

So when does business debt cross the line from productive financing to growth-inhibiting burden? There’s no one-size-fits all threshold, but according to most financial experts, warning signs include:

• Debt-to-equity over 1.5x: This ratio compares total liabilities to shareholder equity. Higher numbers indicate greater reliance on debt financing. Over 1.5x is generally seen as a warning sign.[]
• Debt service coverage under 1.5x: This ratio looks at cash flow vs. debt obligations. Under 1.5x means over two-thirds of operating cash flow is going just to service debt costs. []
• Interest coverage under 3x: This ratio compares EBITDA to interest expenses. Below 3x is often a red flag that financing costs may be unmanageable. []

Of course, acceptable ratios vary widely by industry, so it’s critical to benchmark against peers. But in general, exceeding those thresholds indicates excessive financial risk and vulnerability.

Strategies for Reducing Excessive Debt

For companies currently over-leveraged, the path forward is to reduce debt to more sustainable levels. Common strategies include:

Pursuing an Operational Turnaround

The best way to fix an over-leverage problem is simply to improve the business’s earnings power. This allows companies to organically grow cash flows and pay down debt out of operating profits. Executing a successful turnaround plan involves things like:

• Cutting unnecessary costs
• Fixing working capital management
• Right-sizing asset bases
• Focusing on higher margin products and customers

Essentially, companies have to narrow their focus on optimizing profit drivers rather than pursuing growth for growth’s sake. There may be some short-term pain, but restoring positive cash flow generation makes balance sheet improvement possible.

Renegotiating Terms with Lenders

If lenders won’t agree to renegotiate, bankruptcy becomes inevitable. But in many cases, banks and creditors prefer to amend terms rather than force defaults. Renegotiating for things like reduced interest rates, longer maturities, loosened covenants or even partial debt forgiveness can provide much-needed financial breathing room.

Pursuing Strategic Divestitures

Selling off non-core assets is a fast way to raise cash and pay down debt. Divestitures allow overleveraged companies to focus on their core business while improving their balance sheets. The key is selling assets that are not central to the long-term growth strategy so that the impacts on earnings are minimized.

Seeking New Capital Infusions

Sometimes the only way out of an excessive debt burden is to pursue new capital – either debt or equity. This dilutes ownership for existing shareholders but may be necessary as part of a comprehensive restructuring plan. New money can allow companies to refinance existing debt on more manageable terms.

Key Takeaways

Excessive debt reduces free cash flow available for growth investments, increases vulnerability to downturns, and limits management’s strategic flexibility. Warning signs of over-leverage include high debt-to-equity ratios, low interest coverage, and excessive amounts of operating cash flow going to service debt. For companies currently over-burdened by debt, potential fixes include improving operations, renegotiating with lenders, selling non-core assets, or seeking fresh capital infusions.

Bringing leverage down to more moderate levels may require short-term pain but allows management to focus on long-term strategic growth rather than just surviving the next debt maturity. Ultimately, balance sheet stability and financial flexibility provide the foundation for sustainable business expansion.

Resources

Articles

• How Debt Can Impact Small Business Growth
• The Impact of Debt Structure on Risk and Growth
• Weighing the Pros and Cons of Debt Financing

Videos

• How Much Debt is Too Much for Business Growth?
• Excessive Debt Can Paralyze a Business