Shared Container vs Full Container: The Real Cost-Benefit Breakdown
Every few weeks, a client asks me some version of the same question: should we wait until we can fill a full container, or ship a smaller, shared load now? It sounds like a logistics question. It isn’t. It’s a cash flow question wearing a shipping container’s clothes. After more than two decades working inside […]
Vetting Overseas Suppliers – What I Learned Standing on Factory Floors in China
I’ve lost count of the exact number, but it’s somewhere around nineteen trips to Chinese manufacturing regions over the course of my career. Nineteen sets of jet lag, nineteen rounds of tea ceremony small talk before getting down to business, and nineteen opportunities to learn that almost everything useful about vetting overseas suppliers is invisible […]
Fractional CFO for Importers and Exporters: Why Contacts Matter More Than Spreadsheets
If you’re searching for a fractional CFO for importers and exporters, here’s the honest answer most advisors won’t give you: the numbers only tell half the story. The other half lives in your network. When clients come to me about scaling internationally, the conversation usually starts with numbers: margins, freight costs, exchange rates, lead times. […]
What Does a Fractional CFO Actually Do All Day? A Realistic Look for UK Business Owners
You’ve probably heard the term. Maybe a fellow business owner mentioned their “fractional or outsourced CFO” in passing, or you’ve seen it discussed in UK entrepreneur communities and startup forums. You nodded along, but the honest question lingering in the back of your mind is: what does that person actually do? It’s a fair question. […]