My company came very close to missing payroll several times in the dark days but we always pulled it off. In the same period I saw a close partner company reach the point where they were paying partial paychecks (barely above minimum wage) before they finally folded. I also have a friend who went from almost $5m in the bank to almost $1m in debt trying to keep his company afloat.
Bottom line: if it's a one-time (or once-in-a-while) thing where the cashflow just got held up, that's one thing, but if it's been multiple times now, it's time to get out. If they're just waiting on one big payment from a single customer, run out the door. It'll never happen.
But don't burn your bridges. I work with many people who left our company in the "dark days" and have come back now that we're more financially stable.
Bottom line: if it's a one-time (or once-in-a-while) thing where the cashflow just got held up, that's one thing, but if it's been multiple times now, it's time to get out. If they're just waiting on one big payment from a single customer, run out the door. It'll never happen.
But don't burn your bridges. I work with many people who left our company in the "dark days" and have come back now that we're more financially stable.