Archive for July 2026

The Financial Impact of Taking on the Wrong Type of Customer
At David Johnston we believe that not all revenue is equal. In the pursuit of growth, many SMEs operate on the assumption that every new customer is a good customer. Sales targets are met, turnover rises and the order book looks…

Top 5 Financial Warning Signs That Your Growth Strategy Needs Reviewing
At David Johnston we believe that growth should be a deliberate strategy, not simply an outcome that happens to a business. Many SMEs pursue expansion with energy and ambition, adding customers, staff and services year after yea…

The Hidden Cost of Waiting Too Long to Increase Your Prices
At David Johnston we believe that pricing is one of the most powerful and most neglected financial levers available to SME owners. Many businesses review their costs regularly, negotiate hard with suppliers and watch their overhea…

How Poor Capacity Planning Can Reduce Profit Long Before Sales Slow Down
At David Johnston we believe that many profit problems in growing businesses begin long before they appear in the accounts. One of the most common and least understood causes is poor capacity planning. Capacity is the amount of…

At David Johnston we believe that the quality of decisions made in any business is directly linked to the quality of the information behind them. Every day, SME owners and managers make choices about pricing, hiring, investment, stock levels and customer relationships. Some of these decisions are mi…

At David Johnston we believe growth should make a business stronger, not unnecessarily more complicated. As SMEs expand, additional customers, employees, products and systems naturally increase the level of financial management required. However, there is an important difference between necessary co…

At David Johnston we believe one of the biggest challenges facing growing SMEs is not generating more sales, but managing the cash needed to support those sales. Many business owners assume that if revenue and profits are increasing, the business will naturally become financially stronger. In realit…

At David Johnston we believe one of the most dangerous assumptions in business is that more sales will solve underlying financial problems. For many SME owners, the instinctive response to pressure is to chase additional turnover. If cash is tight, the answer seems to be more customers. If margins f…

At David Johnston we believe many SMEs underestimate how closely operational reporting and financial performance are connected. Reporting delays are often seen as an internal inconvenience rather than a commercial risk. If stock reports are late, project updates are incomplete or management informat…

At David Johnston we believe growth can be one of the most exciting phases in a business, but it is also one of the easiest times to lose financial control. When an SME is expanding, attention naturally shifts towards sales, recruitment, delivery, systems and customer demand. That is understandable….