Tomorrow morning, thousands of founders will sit down with a fresh notebook, a sharp espresso, and a dangerous amount of optimism. They will write down “The Number.” For many of you reading this, that number is £5 Million. It is the “Great Leap Forward” from the £1M–£2M plateau. It represents safety, status, and the transition…
Happy Christmas Eve! The Year-End Reckoning is officially over. Put down the spreadsheets, turn off the notifications, and pour yourself a drink. You’ve earned the break. But before you settle in for the annual viewing of The Great Escape, I have one final, positive mandate for you. The festive lull—that peaceful, reflective week between Christmas…
Hello, and welcome back The Year-End Reckoning- Part 5. Many businesses appear profitable on paper, but an uninvestable business due to debt hides serious structural risks that investors spot immediately. While your P&L may look impressive, your Balance Sheet could be a red flag, making it difficult to secure funding or sell your company. Last…
Working capital management is one of the biggest hidden challenges for growing Tech, Media, and Creative businesses. Hello, and welcome back to our Year-End Reckoning. If your company, particularly in the Tech, Media, or Creative sectors, is sailing past £1M but struggling to push through the £5M revenue ceiling without panic, I have a sobering…
🎄 The Year-End Reckoning: Part 3 Q4 cashflow management is one of the biggest hidden challenges for tech firms, media agencies, and arts organisations. It’s Week Three of The Year-End Reckoning. We’ve torn apart your budget and scrutinised your audit prep. Now, let’s talk about a problem unique to our sectors: Cashflow Volatility. For Tech…
If your audit is a painful six-week scramble, you are paying a premium—but you can reduce audit fees and stress with a Fractional CFO. The Year-End Reckoning: Part 2 It’s Week Two of The Year-End Reckoning. If last week’s post made you panic about your budget, this week’s subject should make your wallet and your…
Goal-Based Budgeting is the antidote to the incremental lie that cripples scaling businesses. Too many £1M–£10M enterprises rely on last year’s numbers plus a percentage, but this approach starves ambition. The Year-End Reckoning: Part 1 It’s late November. The Christmas planning has begun, the office party logistics are underway, and every founder I speak to…
Excel AI for finance is one of the most powerful tools your business can leverage—but only if you stop using it for trivial calculations and start using it to stress-test your strategy. A scaling business, typically those with £1M- £10M in annual revenue, is sat on a strategic superpower but uses it for triviality. It’s…
Private equity debt lessons are clear in the Toys ‘R’ Us story: excessive leverage can strangle growth and block strategic pivots. The Corporate Autopsy, Vol. VI: Toys ‘R’ Us — The Finale Stop letting infrastructure shackles anchor your growth. We conclude our Corporate Autopsy series by dissecting a tragedy known to every parent and business…
Undifferentiated finance is one of the biggest hidden risks for scaling businesses facing global competitors. The Historian’s Ledger, Vol. VI: The Cornish Mining Bust, Late 19th Century We conclude The Historian’s Ledger by looking to a spectacular, cautionary lesson from British industrial history, focusing on a catastrophic industrial collapse that speaks directly to every scaling…