British entrepreneur and investor Matt Haycox has repeatedly emphasised resilience as the most vital currency in business. Having rebuilt his career after major setbacks, he now outlines five tangible rules for building a business that not only survives but thrives in uncertain times.
Prioritise Cash Flow Before Growth
Haycox insists that too many founders chase future headlines rather than today’s reality. In the UK, new data from Intuit QuickBooks report 47% of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) report cash-flow challenges in 2025, and over half expect costs to keep rising. He says: ‘If you don’t have the cash coming in, you don’t have a business, it’s a hobby with bills.’ His turnaround was grounded in shifting focus from growth hype to unit economics and recurring revenues.
Build Skill-Sets That Withstand Failure
Drawing on his public setbacks, Haycox views failure not as a catastrophe but as a curriculum. ‘I learned more from losing everything than I ever did from success,’ he says. In a 2025 survey from Bibby Financial Services, 72% of UK SMEs reported limiting capital investment due to cash-flow constraints, emphasising the need for operational strength when markets shift. For Haycox, the most resilient founders build muscle in sales, operational discipline and budget control before chasing big leaps. Through his business consulting work, Haycox helps founders apply these principles in practice, focusing on leadership discipline, cash management and strategy under pressure.
Balance Risk With Caution
While growth often demands bold moves, unchecked risk kills more businesses than timidness, Haycox warns. ‘You can’t scale what you can’t support,’ he advises. According to The VentureCity Global VC Benchmark Report for Q2 2025, global funding rose to about $115 billion, a 29% year on year increase. Yet deal counts fell by the same margin, and the average deal size climbed to $19.2 million. The report notes that while more capital is available overall, it is flowing into fewer, more scrutinised deals, confirming Haycox’s view that investors now prioritise proven performance over speculative growth.. He argues founders must ask: if this fails, do I have the skills and cash to recover? If the answer is no, the growth is risky.
Diversify Model Without Losing Focus
In an era where sectors shift rapidly, from hospitality to fintech to AI, Haycox himself has moved across industries. He believes diversification of income streams is smart, but only if each arm aligns with a core strategy. ‘Diversity is protection; chaos is not,’ he says. Late payments remain a heavy burden in the UK: 62% of small businesses reported unpaid invoices in 2025 in a study by Intuit QuickBooks, with average debts around £21.4k, underscoring the risk of relying on one vertical. For Haycox, having multiple revenue sources mitigates shock without diluting strategy.
Lead With Authenticity And Transparency
Rather than hiding setbacks, Haycox has built trust by sharing them openly. ‘People don’t want perfection,’ he observes. ‘They want proof you’ve lived what you’re teaching.’ His philosophy aligns with changing audience preferences: LinkedIn posts featuring genuine reflections from business leaders now earn up to 47% higher engagement than polished success stories, according to LinkedIn and Edelman’s 2025 Global B2B Thought Leadership Report. This level of openness matters not just for image, but for commercial credibility.
Why These Rules Matter Now
Heading into 2026, the business environment remains volatile. UK data from business spend management platform Pleo shows more than half of businesses expect 2025 to be tougher than the last year and 37% of finance leaders admit their business lacks agility. At the same time, global venture capital is shifting: large rounds dominate, while early-stage deal numbers are falling, placing extra pressure on business fundamentals. For entrepreneurs who built only for growth, the squeeze is real. Haycox’s rules tackle this shift head-on: focus on cash, build skill, manage risk, diversify intelligently and lead honestly.
These five rules from Matt Haycox reflect what he calls his ‘commercial truths’: build cash-flow first, fine-tune your skills, take calculated risks, diversify intelligently and lead honestly. By sticking to these principles, entrepreneurs can build businesses that endure rather than trend. In a time of turbulence and change, his message is clear: resilience is not optional, it’s foundational.
