What Good Management Information Looks Like at Different Stages of Growth
By Paul Gibbins on Jul 15, 2026 12:18:46 AM
Does Management Information Need to Change as a Business Grows? There is a common assumption that management information is something a business grows into: that a smaller business can run on instinct and a bank balance, and only needs proper reporting once it reaches a certain size. Secantor's expe …
Why Governance and Accountability Break Down in Growing SMEs
By Paul Gibbins on Jul 9, 2026 9:00:00 AM
What is really causing the breakdown? Most owner-managed businesses do not have a governance problem caused by complexity. They have one caused by informality. Meetings do not happen with any real structure, or do not happen at all. Directors are managing performance without management information t …
Cashflow Forecasting for SMEs: The Three Conversations Every Business Owner Needs to Have
By Paul Gibbins on Jun 29, 2026 8:00:01 AM
The Three Cashflow Forecasts Every Owner-Managed Business Should Have in Place Most businesses that run into cashflow problems are not unprofitable. They are poorly informed. The bank account looks reasonable in the morning but by Friday, after payroll, a supplier payment and an unexpected VAT deman …
Why Business Owners Often Can't See Their Biggest Opportunities
By Paul Gibbins on Jun 22, 2026 3:17:02 PM
How Being Too Close to Your Business Can Hide Profit Opportunities, Cash Flow Improvements and Growth Potential Most successful business owners know their businesses better than anyone else. They know their customers, products, suppliers, staff and market. Many have spent years, and often decades, b …
The Value of a Critical Business Friend
By Paul Gibbins on Jun 19, 2026 9:45:00 AM
Why Every Growing Business Needs Independent Challenge, Accountability and Perspective Many owner-managed businesses reach a point where continued progress becomes increasingly difficult, despite having capable leadership, committed employees and a strong understanding of their market. Growth slows, …
Markup vs Margin: What's the Difference and Why Does It Matter?
By Paul Gibbins on Jun 17, 2026 3:02:05 PM
Markup vs Margin Explained Many SME business owners use the terms markup and gross profit margin interchangeably.
The Hidden Cost Of Growth: Why Successful Businesses Become Harder To Run
By Paul Gibbins on Jun 11, 2026 8:36:22 PM
Why Does My Business Feel Harder To Run As It Grows? It is a question that many successful business owners eventually ask themselves, even if they never express it quite so directly.
Why Every SME Business Should Have a Finance Director
By Paul Gibbins on May 18, 2026 10:00:00 AM
Why Every SME Business Should Have A Finance Director As SME businesses grow, financial management becomes significantly more complex. What may once have been manageable using basic bookkeeping and annual accounts often becomes insufficient as turnover, staffing, operational complexity and commercia …
The Benefits of Management Accounting: Why Every SME Business Should Use Management Accounts
By Paul Gibbins on May 13, 2026 10:00:00 AM
What Are the Benefits of Management Accounting for SMEs? Many SME businesses reach a point where basic bookkeeping and annual accounts are no longer enough to support effective decision-making. As businesses grow, financial management becomes more complex: margins become harder to monitor, cash flow …
When Does An SME Need A CFO?
By Paul Gibbins on May 11, 2026 4:47:34 PM
When Does An SME Need A CFO? As businesses grow, financial leadership requirements change. What works for an owner-managed SME at one stage of growth may become insufficient as the business becomes larger, more complex or more ambitious. Many SMEs operate very successfully with a strong Finance Dire …