Need honest advice from business owners and investors.
There are already 3 people interested in investing.
I currently run a food business with strong potential and proven sales history, but we’ve been experiencing cash flow strain due to operational gaps, delayed obligations, and expansion pressure. Sales are still coming in, but managing timing, payables, and working capital has honestly been difficult lately.
I’m considering bringing in an investor/partner to help stabilize operations, improve systems, and give the business room to grow properly instead of constantly operating under pressure.
I also genuinely want to ask: would investors even consider putting money into a business that’s currently struggling with cash flow?
The business itself isn’t “dead” — it still has customers, sales, branding potential, and opportunities for growth — but finances became messy during scaling and operational stress. I know investors usually look for clean systems and stability, so I’m trying to understand if businesses in situations like this are still investable if the fundamentals are there.
For those who’ve experienced this:
What made a struggling business still worth investing in?
What would make you walk away immediately?
Is it smarter to seek an investor, or focus on fixing operations first before involving someone else?
What matters more to investors: profitability potential or clean financial structure?
Would appreciate honest insights, especially from founders or investors who’ve been through similar situations