Questionnaire for SMEs
Section 1: Demographic Information
1. Name of the SME:
2. Owner/Manager Name:
3. Sector of Operation (e.g., Retail, Manufacturing, Services, Agriculture):
4. Number of Employees:
5. Annual Turnover (approx.):
6. Years in Operation:
Section 2: Cash Flow Management Practices
7. How do you track your cash inflows and outflows?
Manual Ledger
Accounting Software
Spreadsheet
Other (please specify): __________
8. How often do you review your cash flow?
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Quarterly
9. What are the primary sources of cash inflow for your business? (Select all that apply)
Sales Revenue
Loans
Grants
Investments
Other (please specify): __________
10. What are the main areas of cash outflow? (Select all that apply)
Inventory Purchases
Salaries and Wages
Rent
Utilities
Other (please specify): __________
Section 3: Challenges in Cash Flow Management
11. Rate the following challenges based on their impact on your cash flow
Rating Scale:
Rating
Description
1
No Impact
2
Low Impact
3
Moderate Impact
4
Significant Impact
5
High Impact
Please tick (✓) the appropriate rating for each challenge:
Challenge
1
2
3
4
5
High Inflation
☐
☐
☐
☐
☐
Unstable Exchange Rate
☐
☐
☐
☐
☐
Limited Access to Credit
☐
☐
☐
☐
☐
Poor Financial Literacy
☐
☐
☐
☐
☐
Manual Cash Management Systems
☐
☐
☐
☐
☐
12. Have you experienced cash flow shortages in the past year?
Yes
No
If yes, please describe the circumstances: __________
Section 4: Financial Literacy and Access to Credit
13. How would you rate your financial literacy?
[ ] Low
[ ] Moderate
[ ] High
14. Have you sought external financing in the past year?
Yes
No
If yes, what type of financing did you seek? (e.g., bank loan, microfinance, etc.): __________
15. What challenges did you face in accessing credit? (Select all that apply)
High Interest Rates
Strict Lending Conditions
Lack of Collateral
Other (please specify):
__________
Section 5: Recommendations and Improvements
16. What strategies do you believe could improve cash flow management in your
business? __________
17. What support do you think is necessary from financial institutions or the government
to enhance cash flow management for SMEs? __________
Interview Questions for SME Owners/Managers
1. Can you describe your experience managing cash flow in your SME?
2. What specific challenges have you encountered in cash flow management?
3. How do you keep track of your cash inflows and outflows? Can you describe your
process?
4. In your opinion, how has the economic environment in Zimbabwe affected your cash
flow management?
5. Can you share an experience where cash flow shortages impacted your business
operations?
6. How do you perceive your financial literacy in relation to managing your business's
cash flow?
7. What types of external financing have you explored, and what was your experience
with the process?
8. How do you handle late payments from customers or issues with suppliers?
9. What improvements would you suggest for financial institutions to better support
SMEs in managing cash flow?
10. What additional resources or training would help you in improving your cash flow
management practices?
11. How do you foresee the future of your business in terms of managing cash flow amid
economic challenges?
12. Are there any specific tools or software you wish you had to help with cash flow
management? If so, what are they?