The Fractional CFO Show With Adam Cooper podcast

The Fractional CFO Show with Adam Cooper

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Cost Optimisation for Sustainable Growth 37:42

13 hari yang lalu37:42

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37:42

This week, I sat down with @Alistair Roman, Founder and Managing Partner of @Cost Optimisation Consultancy, to explore cost optimisation for small businesses and discuss how you can reduce costs in your business sustainably. We discuss the model that Alistair has developed - the cost transformation maturity map - why most businesses fail to retain cost savings, and explore how SMEs can build cost efficiency into their company culture. 🌟 Some of my favourite parts from our conversation: ✅ How Alistair helped John Lewis drive major cost efficiencies - and what smaller businesses can learn from it. ✅ Understanding the difference between cost optimisation and cost savings and why one is more sustainable. ✅Why Finance Teams must be front and centre leading cost optimisation efforts, regardless of their size. ✅ How cost optimisation fuels growth rather than just being a defensive strategy. ✅ How SMEs can leverage technology to streamline finance and operations. ACCA Scale Up Success Article: https://www.accaglobal.com/content/dam/ACCA_Global/professional-insights/Scale-up/pi-scale-up-success-SMEs.pdf Alistair Roman Contact Details: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alistairroman/ Website: https://www.costoptimisationconsultancy.com…

The Fractional CFO Show with Adam Cooper

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Scaling AI Solutions for Business Impact 34:45

5 weeks yang lalu34:45

34:45

This week, I had a fascinating conversation with St John Dalgleish , CEO of Perlon AI , about the reality of building AI-driven solutions that actually deliver results. We explored how Perlon AI went from consulting to product, the challenges of scaling AI in diverse industries, and what the future holds for businesses using AI. 🌟 Some of my favourite parts of our discussion: ✅ Custom AI at scale: The challenges of tailoring AI models across 15 different industries while staying efficient. ✅ From consulting to SaaS: How Perlon AI transitioned from strategy consulting to a scalable AI product. ✅ AI adoption & scepticism: How businesses are embracing AI—and the fears they still have. ✅ The AI future: Where AI is heading in 2025 and how businesses should prepare. Business Book Bonus: https://www.hubspot.com/startups/podcast https://mistral.vc/the-product-market-fit-show/ https://www.saastr.com/podcasts/ The Road to Conscious Machines by Michael Woolridge: https://amzn.eu/d/07iIzKN James by Percival Everett: https://amzn.eu/d/gCDVYb2…

The Fractional CFO Show with Adam Cooper

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From Startup to Category King 36:20

8 weeks yang lalu36:20

36:20

On this one I had the pleasure of speaking with Paul Sherratt , founder and CEO of gloveglu – an innovative brand that’s reshaped the goalkeeping product category with products sold in 55 countries and over 1.1m followers on social media. This conversation was a real lesson to me in entrepreneurial courage, strategic pivots, and turning challenges like Brexit and COVID into opportunities for growth. Paul’s journey from a corporate career to creating a globally recognised brand is inspiring, and definitely a great conversation to start the new year with. 🌟 Some of my highlights from our discussion were: ✅ Leap of faith: How Paul managed the risk of starting again at 50, remortgaging his house to go all in on gloveglu. ✅ Turning obstacles into opportunities: How Brexit and COVID shaped his business strategy. ✅ Category creation: Building a market where none existed and the benefits of becoming the “category king” in a niche category. ✅ Scaling smartly: Leveraging existing B2B relationships before pivoting to a successful B2C model. ✅ R&D insights: The role that product development played, and how Paul used quiet periods to innovate and stay ahead of the competition. Paul’s story is packed with lessons for anyone looking to scale a business, navigate uncertain times, or simply turn a great idea into reality.…

The Fractional CFO Show with Adam Cooper

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From Finance to Strategy: Supporting Small Businesses with Big Ambitions 31:30

12 weeks yang lalu31:30

31:30

On this one I was delighted to be joined by Erika Robinson , the UK General Manager of Constant Contact , a leading platform for small business marketing solutions. This was a cracking conversation with Erika where we had a wide ranging chat discussing AI tools, career pivots, lean team leadership and some tips on how small businesses can give themselves the best chance of achieving those big ambitions. 🌟 Some of the most interesting parts of our conversation were: ✅Risk vs. reward: How to assess the financial and personal risks of a career pivot. ✅Emerging tools: The newest AI-powered tools and technologies transforming small business marketing. ✅Cultural alignment: Balancing a US company ethos with the expectations of UK customers and stakeholders. ✅Future-proofing your career: Staying adaptable and continually learning to navigate evolving career landscapes. ✅Lean team leadership: Scaling operations with a small team and external support while maintaining effectiveness. ✅Market differences: Understanding and adapting to the specific needs of UK small businesses compared to the US market. ✅Transitioning mid-career: Key differences between the corporate, entrepreneurial, and startup environments that shaped Erika’s leadership style. A sneak peek for you here below with Erika giving some words of advice on how small businesses should start thinking about and experimenting with AI.…

The Fractional CFO Show with Adam Cooper

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The Power of Networking for Financial Success with Lizzie Phillips 35:37

14 weeks yang lalu35:37

35:37

On this one I was delighted to be joined by Lizzie Allen Phillips , the founder of IWant2Network , who is on a mission to become London's number one premium business networking organization with her networking group, IWant2Network. This was a fascinating conversation with Lizzie where we discussed the power of networking for financial success. 🌟 Some of the most interesting parts of our conversation were: ✅Common networking mistakes and how to avoid them; ✅Addressing imposter syndrome and other common networking fears; ✅Cost-effective networking strategies for start-ups and small businesses; ✅Managing follow-ups and maintaining meaningful connections over time; ✅Turning networking connections into long term collaborations or partnerships; ✅How to identify and approach the right networking opportunities for small businesses. Business Book Bonus: Zero to 100: The Gold Standard of Global Networking - https://amzn.eu/d/cYgOrjj We Can All Make It - https://amzn.eu/d/3efQ8sj…

The Fractional CFO Show with Adam Cooper

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Clarity of Mind on the Entrepreneurial Journey 38:58

16 weeks yang lalu38:58

38:58

On this one I was delighted to be joined by Francesca Hodgson, MBA, the successful entrepreneur and Founder of We are Ambition, a business consultancy offering fractional leadership, growth services, mentoring and coaching. This was a fascinating conversation with Francesca where we explored the need for clarity of mind, as it relates to the entrepreneurial journey. 🌟 Some of the most interesting parts of our conversation were: ✅The power of authenticity, how it helps build confidence, and acts like a rocket ship for motivation; ✅The work that Francesca has been doing around the promoting of mental resilience as a positive tool to achieve your goals. ✅How everything is fighting for our attention and clarity of mind allows you to engage and articulate what it is that you're doing; ✅That it all starts with values and taking time to understand what matters to you and in what order, can really help inform why we do what we do; ✅Why coaching and mentoring combined can be such a powerful way to help people understand what is important to them and what to prioritise to execute their vision; Business Book Bonus: Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE: https://amzn.eu/d/4l3ZZOM Trillion Dollar Coach: https://amzn.eu/d/5WEHeVS…

The Fractional CFO Show with Adam Cooper

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Smarter Growth with Design Thinking 38:17

21 weeks yang lalu38:17

38:17

On this one I was very pleased to be joined by @Jon Reay and @Tim Seddon, the Co-Founders OF @Room 42, a start-up that facilitates effective change and innovation through the use of Design Thinking based programmes, to help businesses tackle the most challenging of live business problems. I really enjoyed this conversation with Jon and Tim where we dived into how they went on the journey to start Room 42 and specifically how they have seen Design Thinking used to improve Financial Performance. 🌟 Some of my favourite parts of our conversation were: ✅ How, if you can break up and disrupt day to day thinking, it provides the opportunity to inspire different interactions that can be the key to unlocking new thinking and ideas; ✅ How, if you get the right direction of travel, with a small team, Design Thinking can offer opportunities for small businesses to leapfrog larger competitors; ✅ Having a CFO or Finance professional within any change management program from the outset is really critical to help projects succeed more quickly; ✅ Their experience of imposing change top down, leads to a demotivated business that's struggling to adapt to change, while engaging with everyone leads to a much more highly motivated and agile business; ✅ How one of my favourite books, Douglas Adams, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy helped inform both their company name and their approach to business.…

The Fractional CFO Show with Adam Cooper

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The Art of Finance 37:58

23 weeks yang lalu37:58

37:58

On this one I was very pleased to be joined by Emilia De Stasio, CFA , the Founder & COO at Artscapy , the wealth management platform dedicated to art collecting. I really enjoyed this conversation with Emilia where we explored her background in Finance, her love of Art and her journey over the past 4 years as she has co-founded Artscapy, a platform dedicated to the needs of art collectors. 🌟 A flavour of some of my favourite parts of our conversation: ✅ Emilia’s personal passion for art and its importance to her both in terms of its mental wellbeing effects and her desire and mission supporting this aspect of society; ✅ How, contemporary art provides both some of the best performing returns in the passion asset space along with real downside protection; ✅ How Emilia’s banking background has informed her approach to valuing art and the approach that they are taking at Artscapy; ✅ The marrying of the technology with the Advisory service that a higher value wealth management service demands; ✅ The benefits Emilia has found in having a strong network of mentors and peers to share ideas around the challenges in scaling the business. Business Book Bonus Recommendation - Let My People Go Surfing by Yvonne Chouinard: https://amzn.eu/d/ivgkRRA…

The Fractional CFO Show with Adam Cooper

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Trapped in the Data Black Hole? Time to Upgrade! 41:51

25 weeks yang lalu41:51

41:51

Click the link below for the Limited time 2 for 1 offer mentioned on the pod: Life Ready Pathway In this first episode of the new season, I’m thrilled to be joined by Suke Ridler , the CEO and founder of My LifeJars , a company that assists in organising documents and passwords to access during life and after death. In this conversation, Suke and I discuss her journey from acoustic engineer through to winemaker, sheep breeder, and then on to becoming a start up founder. 🌟 Some of my favourite parts of our conversation were: ✅Suke’s inspiration taken from her near death experience that had a profound effect on her and led to her initial designs of My LifeJars to ensure that no one had to suffer through the same experience she went through; ✅The need for a roadmap so that everyone can get what they need to keep the business going on a day-to-day basis and in terms of if something happened in an emergency; ✅How running your business is a bit like driving a car and if something were to happen to you how to ensure, if someone else has to take the wheel they are not without a GPS!; ✅How Suke’s experiences led to her realising the need to go with the flow around having to intermingle personal and business life; ✅The first step mindset, and how in life we just have to be prepared to take that step and then see how the path opens up. A sneak peek for you below with Suke explaining why data protection and organisation are so important for small businesses today. An insight into Suke’s fascinating life story and her personal mission to launch a company that is doing important work for Solopreneurs and Small Businesses Owners.…

The Fractional CFO Show with Adam Cooper

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Navigating Change - Strategies For Small Businesses 36:55

36 weeks yang lalu36:55

36:55

I was delighted to be joined by @Alice Olins, Career Expert, Coach and Trainer, and the Founder of the @Step Up Club, an organisation that works with individuals and teams to help them fulfill potential, navigate and embrace change. This was an impactful conversation with Alice where we explored change and how small businesses can best navigate it. 🌟 Some of the most interesting elements were: ✅How, leadership through communication and openness is such an important part of successful change; ✅The importance of having a deep understanding of the stakeholders or the people involved in any change; ✅During times of change, be the Leader where people follow your vision, not because you're telling them to, but because they really believe in you as a person; ✅The value of appointing change agents within the company to help activate change and mitigate some of the barriers that inevitably come up through the process; ✅The importance of making sure there are points in the timeline where you stop, measure and articulate where you are at in the lifecycle of the project to maintain the impetus.…

The Fractional CFO Show with Adam Cooper

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Considerations starting a business as a 2nd career 38:54

37 weeks yang lalu38:54

38:54

I was very pleased to be joined by @Russell Rich, one of the senior partners at @Lubbock Fine, a leading firm of chartered accountants and tax advisors, where Russell heads up the sports, media and entertainment desk. I really enjoyed this conversation with Russell where we explored a situation familiar with many these days, noticeably some considerations when starting up a business as a second career. 🌟 Some of the most interesting elements were: ✅ How, when externally financing, Investors will want you to have some skin in the game; ✅ How as an entrepreneur, you've got to focus on working in the business and on the business at the same time; ✅ How forecasting and mapping out a business plan is key - to the point that you do best case, mid case and worst case scenarios; ✅ The need to generate sufficient income and importantly cash flow to cover all those benefits that were previously paid by your employer.; ✅ The need for good accounting at the start because otherwise it doesn't matter how great the opportunity is or the business model, those things will fail.…

The Fractional CFO Show with Adam Cooper

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The Importance of Wellbeing at Work 34:35

38 weeks yang lalu34:35

34:35

In this one, I'm excited to be joined by Chris Cummings , the Group CEO and Founder of Wellbeing at Work World , an organisation on a mission to make wellbeing a strategic priority for every business. I really enjoyed this conversation with fellow Centaur Media Plc alumni Chris, discussing his journey over the past 10 years, inspired by personal circumstances, to fly the flag for the importance of wellbeing at work. 🌟 Some of the most interesting elements were: ✅The impact that true wellbeing can have on a business if leadership takes it seriously and its embedded into the culture; ✅How the integral parts of wellbeing are free - inclusive culture, authentic leadership and being a decent person don’t have to cost anything; ✅The effect that COVID had on this area, as it became a topic that was at the front of everyone's minds, and the challenge to ensure we build on the progress made; ✅Chris’ advice to have a forum where you listen to your employees and if there is a clear trend that many employees are saying to you, act on that and move forward with it; ✅And Chris’ belief, based on global trends that further UK legislation may be imminent, so the importance of embracing and being part of it so we can develop legislation that works for small business.…

The Fractional CFO Show with Adam Cooper

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Effective Marketing Plans for Small Business Owners 42:30

39 weeks yang lalu42:30

42:30

In this one, I'm delighted to be joined by Helen Cox , a Chartered Marketer, and Founder of Helen Cox Marketing , a marketing consultancy specialising in advising professional service firms on their marketing and business development. In our wide ranging conversation, Helen and I cover all that you need to know about the benefits of effective marketing plans for small business owners. 🌟 Some of my favourite parts were: ✅ Understanding Helen’s marketing planning framework – specifically the six key elements of her planning wheel; ✅ How to marry a Client’s financial and business objectives and ensure that there is an alignment between the two; ✅ How we get very focused on the minute detail but don’t strategically think about why we're doing what we’re doing; ✅ Why it’s vital to ensure that marketing plans are an agile piece of work, iterations throughout the year, rather than an unchanging document; ✅ How to do client competitor analysis to understand how they position themselves, what services they're promoting, how they talk to their clients. Business Book Bonus Section: The Digital Marketing Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-digital-marketing-podcast/id373596600…

The Fractional CFO Show with Adam Cooper

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Mindful Onboarding for Small Businesses 37:00

40 weeks yang lalu37:00

37:00

In this one, I'm delighted to be joined by @Wenceslyne Ong, the Founder of @Elite LVL, a business operations consulting firm with a world-class customer onboarding and continuous improvement framework, helping cost conscious businesses scale. In this broad ranging conversation, Wenceslyne and I cover all that you need to know about having a strategic and mindful approach to staff onboarding in small and growing businesses. 🌟 Some of my favourite parts were: ✅ How the experience at companies such as Google and Fed Ex inspired Elite’s onboarding mindset; ✅ Why small companies should focus on experience to compete with the larger multinationals; ✅ How onboarding is part of an holistic approach to treating employees in the right way; ✅ How the employee’s individual culture should be considered when onboarding; ✅ Why having a great onboarding program increases staff retention by 82%.…

The Fractional CFO Show with Adam Cooper

1
New Founders Finance Considerations 38:05

41 weeks yang lalu38:05

38:05

In this episode, I’m thrilled to be joined by Chris Lang, the Founder of Flash Partners Limited, a company that provides in-sourced finance functions for small and medium sized companies in the marketing communications industry. In this conversation, Chris and I explore what new founders and startups need to consider from a finance perspective and provide some tips and tricks that startups and small businesses need to consider around finance. 🌟 Some of my favourite parts were: ✅ Chris’ mantra that cash is king and how it is the unexpected bill that can often be a company’s downfall; ✅ How running both a 12-week and an annual cash flow forecast will help to manage those short and longer term cash flow bumps in the road; ✅ The signalling that HMRC are making that Corporation Tax will be coming payable more frequently than the current annual payment dates; ✅ How it is the company stage in its life and growth cycle that determines the complexity of a business’s systems, processes and management reporting; ✅ The importance and need for timesheets as soon as you have people employed to work on client work, so you understand what is going into what you are selling Business Book Bonus: https://mooreks.co.uk/annual-survey/…

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