2 cents:
You can derive valuable info from financial statements. For example:
- Check the cash balance at the end of the last reporting period.
- Check the statement of cash flows for historical cash burn/cash generation for the last reporting period (3/6/12 months).
- Check the footnotes on working capital [update: and credit line] availability and its terms and conditions, if available.
- Cash conversion:
Cash Conversion Cycle (CCC): What Is It, and How Is It Calculated?
If you know which industry the company is in - they have certain characteristics that you can google and use common sense against.
All of the above can be a good start.
Companies with US financial market exposure through public equities or bonds usually file very detailed 10-K (annual report) on the Edgar platform listing various risks. This may not be the case with UK-listed firms and/or those that report under IFRS.