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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Soundbite: A FD/CFO is a highly experienced finance profession who is responsible for the strategic financial management of the business. What does this really mean? We can view this as two main areas: Tactical – Helping you understand where the business is – right now: this is the crucial task of ensuring that the finance […]

It is all too easy to make assumptions, isn’t it? And, as I found out to my cost, doing this can come back to bite you. More specifically, when asked what Tectona does, my answer is usually something along the lines of: “Tectona provide part time finance directors/CFOs to owner managed businesses who don’t need, […]

Discounts can be a powerful tool for businesses, but there are also some perils for the unwary. Here are 5 of them: Discounting … Can erode brand value: If you offer discounts too often, customers may start to see your brand as being less valuable. This can make it more difficult to charge full price […]