be bleeding red ink

be bleeding red ink

To be struggling financially, as of a business; to be consistently losing money. Red ink was traditionally used when indicating withdrawals from a business account. If our company is still bleeding red ink like this at the end of the quarter, we'll be in real danger of going bankrupt.
See also: bleeding, ink, red
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

be bleeding red ink

JOURNALISM
If a company is bleeding red ink, it has severe financial problems. Even large companies are bleeding red ink. The company reported huge losses for the year ended March 31, but vowed that after three straight years of bleeding red ink, the worst is behind them. Note: This expression comes from the practice in the past of using red ink to fill in entries on the debit side of a book of accounts.
See also: bleeding, ink, red
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
See also:
  • seed money
  • like nobody’s business
  • like nobody's business
  • business woman
  • go about (one's) business
  • go about your business
  • open for business
  • punctuality is the soul of business
  • How's business?
  • Keep your shop and your shop will keep you
References in periodicals archive
Tsyga further said that the company cannot be bleeding red ink like this and they have to think about ways to develop assets that they do have in a more effective direction.