In 2018, BP decided it no longer wanted to be an “oil giant” – associated with greed and pollution. Instead, according to its new mission statement, it was dedicated to “reimagining energy for people and our planet. We want to help the world reach net zero and improve people’s lives.” These weren’t just words. BP […]
Author archives: charlie
Did you miss these?
It’s been a wonderful few days… After such a disrupted Christmas last year, I’ve loved being able to celebrate with friends and family. But now everything’s quiet… And I’ve snuck into my home office, to do a bit of work. Since you’re reading this email, it looks like you’re doing the same! Like me, you’re […]
Don’t cancel your Christmas party. It makes no financial sense
Recently, the government caused confusion and some mirth by encouraging people to work from home, while allowing companies to have Christmas parties. And a certain alleged Christmas party last year at 10 Downing St has become a political hot potato. So please believe me when I tell you, I was planning to write this email […]
How much should you spend on financial management?
I recently read a post on LinkedIn, where a business owner explained exactly how much he spent on his finance function. In the previous company he owned, he invested just 1% of his turnover in financial management. As a result, he had no budget… no cash flow forecast… no monthly management accounts… no hard financial […]
20% more profit – with this small tweak
I recently came across a crazy fact… If NASA sent a rocket to the moon, and at launch it was one degree off course, it would be just 92 feet off course a mile into the air. It doesn’t sound too terrible… …But that rocket would never reach the moon, because it would end up […]
The secret to cutting costs in your business
Recently, we wanted to recruit a new team member. We approached two recruitment firms. The one which was our first choice charged double the price of the other firm. The difference amounted to thousands of pounds. So what would you have done? Would you have swallowed the higher cost, to find the right person… …Or […]
The illusion of cost control
“It cost me a fortune!” A business associate of mine was incredulous. A few weeks ago, she’d told her 10-year-old that he could order a particular toy from Amazon. But the kid had apparently taken that as blanket consent to buy whatever he liked, and ordered a whole range of goodies – amounting to £370. […]
We’re going north (and south)
I’ve recently been in discussions with a potential client in Leeds, who’s looking for outstanding financial management for their company. It doesn’t sound unusual… …But for us it is, in one way at least. Before the pandemic, we normally only worked with companies within 50 miles of us. Even though we are – and always […]
We nearly lost our company. Now we’ve sold it for millions
A few months ago, we helped one of our clients sell the company they founded for several million pounds. Any company owner would celebrate an exit that size. But in this case, the achievement was truly monumental…. “Just a few years earlier, we would never have imagined we’d be able to sell!” marvels one of […]
Why you shouldn’t rush to replace your accountant
A few years ago, an organisation I know lost its financial director. When they went through his files, the other directors were shocked to discover that none of it made any sense… At least, none of it made any sense to them. The company’s financial information was recorded and organised in a completely idiosyncratic way. No […]
