Revenue growing strongly. Profit healthy. Cash getting tighter. This is the working capital trap, and it kills more businesses than poor profitability ever will. Why Profitable Businesses Run Out of Cash Strong sales growth. Good margins. Healthy P&L. Then suddenly the bank calls about the overdraft, suppliers are chasing payment, and payroll looks uncomfortably tight. What happened? Growth consumed cash faster than profit generated it. Working [...]

Private equity investors see hundreds of opportunities every year. Most don't progress beyond initial discussions, not because the business model is poor, but because the financial infrastructure isn't investor-ready. Last year, I worked with a CEO navigating their first experience with PE backing. Their testimonial tells the story, but behind those results is a lesson every ambitious business owner should understand: PE readiness isn't just about [...]

Amongst all the Budget changes, one stood out as genuinely positive: a significant expansion of the Enterprise Management Incentive (EMI) scheme, effective from April 2026. For growing businesses competing for talent, this could be a game-changer. What makes EMI schemes powerful: 🔵 Employees pay Capital Gains Tax (not income tax) on gains - potentially saving over 20% in tax for higher earners 🔵 Companies can reward [...]

According to McKinsey & Company, only 1 in 5 companies believe they have a high-quality strategy. More strikingly, the performance gap between those with and without one has more than doubled over the past 20 years. If you're among the 80% who feel your strategy could be stronger, you're not alone, but you're also leaving serious money on the table. There's a steep curve between the [...]

Weighing the Pros and Cons for Strategic Business Expansion When it comes to scaling a business, one of the most pivotal decisions leaders face is whether to acquire another business or to continue growing organically. It’s a classic conundrum: both routes have their distinct advantages and challenges. Many businesses will be considering their preferred direction right now - given this quarter being traditionally busy for M&A. [...]

Funding for Entrepreneurs As my children are now at the latter stages of their education, and both are focussed on business, it interests me to compare their outlook with my own at a similar age. And they're poles apart! One of the most striking contrasts is the much greater emphasis on entrepreneurship. Perhaps born out of societal changes, a more connected world and certainly born out [...]

AI is increasingly forming part of our daily lives. What was once a buzz word – especially used in pitches to potential investors or forming vague suggestions in the boardroom – is now more than an abstract concept – for want of a better word it truly is “a thing”. It is estimated that over 40% of businesses worldwide are actively using AI in their operations, [...]

Leadership changes at Amazon, Citi, and countless other businesses are reshaping entire organisations. But why do some transitions re-energise companies whilst others create chaos? Having guided leadership transitions in my career, I've witnessed what separates the successful newcomers from those who stumble. It's rarely about their strategy. It's about forming relationships of trust and intelligently navigating those critical early months. The Make or Break First 100 [...]