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You shouldn’t be surprised to discover that Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro, Hugh Jackman, Gary Oldman among many other Oscar-winning actors and actresses bear a grudge against Finance Directors. It’s easy to understand why. For although the likes of Streep and Oldman have achieved fame, fortune and critical acclaim, they can usually only inhabit one […]

If you’re looking for a quick way to cut costs, boost efficiency and improve productivity then consider outsourcing one or more of your business’ support processes. Outsourcing has many benefits and can give you a greater competitive edge in your market. It allows you to tap into a large international talent pool and benefit from […]

Managing cash flow is critical to the success of any business. Get it right, and shareholders, creditors, and employees are happy. Get it wrong, and the company could end up on the ropes like Carillion. Cash flow problems can beset even profitable companies, particularly those experiencing rapid growth. So, how do you protect your company […]

A funny thing happens on January 4th. It’s the day traditionally when people decide the mammoth New Year goals they set with such high hopes well and truly suck. They look in the mirror and see that despite FOUR DAYS of exercising and dieting they are still not marathon or beach-ready. By January 5th, the […]

Imagine this: the co-founder of a multi-million-dollar HR management software company with almost 500 employees likes to micromanage to the point he and not the HR department has sole approval over employee benefits. Likewise, when any of those hundreds of employees requests time off for holidays, it’s he and not the HR department that says […]

When your company is facing yet another cash flow crisis caused by late paying customers, it can be hard to believe there might be a solution. But there are steps you can take to overcome the problems delinquent payments cause and to avoid them happening again. Late payments are something that hundreds of thousands of […]

Santa Claus, now in his 1,747th year, reveals for the first time how his part-time Finance Director helped Christmas Inc. claw back from near-disaster. “Last year we were hit by so many problems. Money problems. Health and safety issues. Capital funding problems. Bad PR. The lot. Fake News “Someone posted a story on Facebook last […]

On the first day of Christmas, my part-time FD gave to me an introduction to business reporting and advice on creating a business strategy.  On the second day of Christmas, my part-time FD gave to me more ways to attract money, an introduction to business reporting and advice on creating a business strategy. On the third day of […]

What do Sir James Dyson, the Mercedes F1 team, Pixar, Google and the airline industry have in common? They’re hugely successful, yes, but the thing that links them is they never shy away from the ‘F’ word—Failure. Instead, they face and learn from their mistakes, errors and mishaps. So says Matthew Syed, award-winning Times journalist […]