What is the subtle difference between ‘just about’ and ‘only just’? [closed]

I'm curious about the difference between sentences 1 and 2:

1. The company is just about ticking over.
2. The company is only just ticking over.

I guess the first describes a better situation than the second, doesn't it?
But different people seem to have different opinions on this.

As Wayfaring Stranger pointed out in the comments, ticking over means "continuing to work".

Just about ticking over means "almost ticking over" or "very close to ticking over". The phrase carries a connotation of anticipation; it implies that the company may be ticking over in the near future.

Only just ticking over actually has two possible meanings: "barely ticking over"¹ and "recently ticking over"². The first meaning has a more pessimistic connotation: the company is ticking over, but it could be doing a lot better, and it could stop ticking over at any time. The second meaning is more neutral; it's just a statement about when something happened.

Which situation is "better" depends on which meaning of only just you pick, as well as your expectations for the future.