Imagine a business, let’s call it BrightSpark Solutions Ltd, a perfectly respectable SME turning over a healthy few million pounds, staffed by well-meaning professionals who pride themselves on being ‘client-focused’. Driven by the pursuit of excellence and a steadfast work ethic, the BrightSpark team have developed a habit of answering emails at 10pm, reworking deliverables […]
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167. Identity Verification for Directors: A Minor Admin Task That Can Become a Major Headache
It begins innocently enough. You’re a director of an SME and you receive an email explaining that, under new legislation, you must verify your identity with Companies House. It sounds straightforward. Two steps: A login. Possibly a photograph. “No big deal, I’ll sort that later,” you think, sensibly prioritising revenue, staff issues, and suppliers who […]
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166. When Dinosaurs Roamed (and Still Roam) the Accounts department
Every business owner has encountered one at some point along their journey – perhaps even employed one. They’re loyal, deeply knowledgeable about the business, and possess an impressive ability to remember what the bank balance was on the third Tuesday of March in 2017. They’re faintly suspicious of anything described as ‘cloud-based’, print off emails […]
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165. How to Bring Your Dull Management Information (MI) to Life
Management Information (MI) is often seen as dry and technical, filled with unhelpful numbers and jargon; and far too long! But it does not have to be this way. It is not that difficult to prepare MI that can be a powerful tool to enhance strategic decision-making, to help you stay in control of your […]
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164. What You Have Every Right to Expect from Your Management Information (MI)
In today’s data-driven world, management information (MI) is no longer a nice-to-have; it is a must-have. It is the lifeblood of any organisation, providing crucial insights that should drive your decision-making and strategic planning. We all have to prepare annual accounts; but this information will be largely ancient history by the time it is completed, […]
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163. UK Small Business Accounting Software Showdown 2025:
Xero vs. QuickBooks vs. The Rest In today’s digital age, small businesses in the UK have a plethora of accounting software options to help them streamline their financial operations. However, two giants dominate the landscape: Xero and QuickBooks. And the decision is perhaps not quite so clear cut as it used to be. Both packages […]
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162. A Deep Dive into Buying a Business
Introduction Buying a business can be a strategic move to complement and accelerate growth of an existing business you own, a way to diversify your portfolio, or simply to fulfil a lifelong dream of entrepreneurship. However, it is a complex process that requires careful planning and execution. This article will delve into the key steps […]
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161. Signs to look out for which could mean that a fractional FD/CFO might be the right solution for you.
Running a business is rarely easy. Change is the new normal and this brings its own challenges. If you are running a business and there is significant change, these are the sort of signs to look out for that could mean that a fractional FD/CFO is for you: Experiencing financial challenges This is a worrying […]
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160. What are the 4 key benefits of having your own fractional FD/CFO?
These are what we see as the 4 key benefits of having a fractional FD/CFO rather than a full-time permanent member of staff: Expertise – you will get someone who is not only a highly qualified finance expert, but someone who has a wealth of experience garnered from working in many businesses probably going through […]
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159. What are the main differences between a full time and a fractional FD/CFO?
We have already outlined the role of an FD/CFO in this article, whether that is full time, interim or fractional. A fractional FD/CFO provides the financial oversight but they will be supporting multiple businesses – perhaps a day or two per week in each one. In terms of the role and responsibilities, the two are […]
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