Practical Ways to Release Cash, Reduce Financial Pressure and Strengthen Your SME

Your business is making sales.

Customers are buying.

Invoices are going out.

Your turnover might even be increasing.

But there's a problem.

You never seem to have enough money available.

You check the bank account and wonder:

• Why are we constantly waiting for customers to pay?
• Why is so much money tied up in stock?
• Why do suppliers need paying before our customers pay us?
• Why does growth seem to make cash flow worse?
• How can we be profitable but still struggle to pay our bills?
• Where has all the money gone?

These are common working capital challenges.

And they can affect businesses that appear successful on paper.

The good news is that improving working capital doesn't always require more sales, more customers or additional borrowing.

Sometimes the solution is to release cash that's already tied up in your business.

Let's look at how.

What Is Working Capital?

Working capital is a measure of the short-term financial resources available to your business.

The standard calculation is:

Working Capital = Current Assets − Current Liabilities

Current assets commonly include:

• Cash and bank balances.
• Money owed by customers.
• Stock and inventory.
• Other short-term assets.

Current liabilities commonly include:

• Money owed to suppliers.
• Short-term loans and repayments.
• Tax liabilities.
• Other amounts due within the next 12 months.

Working capital helps you understand whether your business has sufficient short-term assets to cover its short-term liabilities.

However, it's important to recognise that working capital is not the same as cash available in the bank.

A business can have positive working capital but still experience serious cash shortages.

How to Calculate Working Capital

Let's look at an example.

Imagine an SME has the following financial position:

Current Assets Amount

Cash in bank £15,000

Customer invoices outstanding £60,000 Stock £35,000

Total Current Assets £110,000

Now look at its liabilities.

Current Liabilities

Amount Supplier balances £45,000

Tax liabilities £15,000

Short-term loan obligations £10,000

Total Current Liabilities £70,000

Working capital:

£110,000 − £70,000 = £40,000

The business has positive working capital of £40,000.

That might sound healthy.

But look more closely.

Only £15,000 is actually in the bank.

Another £95,000 is tied up in unpaid customer invoices and stock.

If suppliers and employees need paying before that money is converted into cash, the business could still face financial pressure.

Positive working capital doesn't automatically mean good cash flow.

What's the Difference Between Working Capital, Cash Flow and Profit?

These three terms are connected, but they measure different things.

Profit

Profit measures financial performance over a period.

Broadly, it reflects revenue less relevant expenses under the applicable accounting rules.

Cash Flow

Cash flow measures money moving into and out of the business.

Working Capital

Working capital measures the difference between current assets and current liabilities at a particular point in time.

Here's a simple example.

Your company completes a £20,000 project.

The customer has 60 days to pay.

You've already paid £12,000 in labour and materials.

The project may have generated a positive gross margin.

But the customer hasn't paid yet.

That unpaid invoice forms part of your trade receivables.

Meanwhile, your cash has already gone out.

That's why profitability, cash flow and working capital must be managed together.

Why Working Capital Matters to SME Owners

Working capital affects your ability to operate without constant financial pressure.

It influences whether you can:

• Pay employees on time.
• Pay suppliers.
• Purchase materials.
• Maintain stock levels.
• Meet tax obligations.
• Recruit staff.
• Invest in equipment.
• Accept larger contracts.
• Fund business growth.
• Handle unexpected costs.

Poor working capital management can force an owner to spend more time worrying about money than developing the business.

And the frustrating part?

The business may already have enough sales.

The problem is that cash is tied up for too long.

12 Common Causes of Poor Working Capital

1. Customers Taking Too Long to Pay

You've delivered the service.

You've issued the invoice.

But the customer hasn't paid.

The longer payment takes, the longer your business funds the work.

2. Invoicing Too Late

A completed job that isn't invoiced promptly delays the entire payment process.

3. Weak Credit Control

Overdue invoices aren't chased consistently.

Customers learn that late payment has little immediate consequence.

4. Too Much Stock

Money is tied up in products or materials that aren't selling quickly enough.

5. Slow-Moving or Obsolete Inventory

Stock may appear as an asset but be difficult to turn into cash at its recorded value.

6. Paying Suppliers Too Quickly

You may be paying suppliers in seven days while customers take 60 days to pay you.

7. Poor Payment Terms

Customer payment arrangements may not reflect the upfront costs of delivering the work.

8. Rapid Business Growth

Additional sales may require more stock, labour and materials before customers pay.

9. Poor Pricing

Low margins make it harder to build cash reserves and absorb payment delays.

10. Unprofitable Customers

Some customers consume significant resources but generate insufficient financial return.

11. Inaccurate Financial Information

If you don't know what customers owe, what suppliers are due or how much stock you hold, you can't manage working capital effectively.

12. No Cash Flow Forecast

You may understand today's financial position but have no idea what will happen over the next 13 weeks.

15 Practical Ways to Improve Working Capital

1. Reduce the Time Customers Take to Pay

One of the most effective ways to release cash is to collect customer payments sooner.

Imagine your business generates £600,000 in annual credit sales.

Your customers take an average of 60 days to pay.

If you could reduce that to 45 days, how much cash might you release?

Average daily credit sales:

£600,000 ÷ 365 = approximately £1,644

Reduction in collection period:

60 − 45 = 15 days

Potential cash released:

15 × £1,644 = approximately £24,660

That's almost £25,000.

Not from winning another customer.

Not from increasing your prices.

But from collecting existing sales sooner.

This is an illustrative calculation assuming relatively stable sales and receivables.

Faster customer payments can release significant working capital.

2. Invoice Immediately

This sounds simple.

But many SMEs delay invoicing.

The job finishes on Friday.

The invoice goes out the following Wednesday.

The customer then receives 30 days to pay.

You've unnecessarily extended the payment cycle.

Introduce a rule:

When work is completed and billable, the invoice is issued promptly.

Where appropriate, automate the process.

3. Review Your Customer Payment Terms

Don't automatically offer every customer 30, 45 or 60 days.

Ask:

Why do we offer these terms?

Are they commercially necessary?

Do they reflect our costs?

Are we effectively financing our customers?

For some businesses, shorter payment terms may be appropriate.

For others, deposits or staged payments may work better.

Any changes should respect existing contracts and applicable payment requirements.

4. Request Deposits Where Appropriate

Imagine a window installation company.

The business needs to purchase £6,000 of materials before starting work.

If the customer pays nothing until completion, the business funds the materials.

A properly agreed deposit could reduce that pressure.

Deposits won't suit every business or contract.

But where appropriate, they can improve the timing of cash receipts.

5. Introduce Stage Payments

For larger projects, consider agreed milestone payments.

For example:

30% on booking.

40% at an agreed project milestone.

30% on completion.

The percentages are illustrative and must be suitable for the work and contractual arrangements.

This can reduce the amount of cash your business needs to fund before receiving payment.

6. Improve Credit Control

Don't wait until invoices are significantly overdue.

Create a consistent process.

For example:

Before the due date: Confirm invoice receipt and resolve queries.

On the due date: Check payment status.

After the due date: Follow up professionally.

If still unpaid: Escalate in line with agreed terms and applicable law.

Assign responsibility.

Measure overdue balances.

Make collection part of normal business management.

7. Review Your Debtor Days

Debtor days indicate how long customers take to pay on average.

A common calculation is:

Average Trade Receivables ÷ Credit Sales × Number of Days

For example:

Average trade receivables:

£50,000

Annual credit sales:

£400,000

Calculation:

£50,000 ÷ £400,000 × 365 = approximately 46 days

Now ask:

Could we reduce this to 35 days?

The answer may reveal an opportunity to release cash.

Use consistent figures, including consistent treatment of VAT, when calculating the measure.

8. Review Stock Levels

Stock can absorb enormous amounts of working capital.

Consider a business holding:

£100,000 of stock

But only:

£60,000 is required to support normal demand.

The remaining £40,000 may represent an opportunity to reduce future purchasing or sell excess stock.

However, stock cannot always be converted into cash immediately or at its recorded value.

Review:

• Fast-moving stock.
• Slow-moving stock.
• Obsolete stock.
• Minimum stock requirements.
• Supplier lead times.
• Seasonal demand.

The objective is to hold enough stock to serve customers without unnecessarily tying up cash.

9. Improve Stock Turnover

Stock turnover measures how efficiently inventory is being sold or used.

One common calculation is:

Cost of Goods Sold ÷ Average Inventory

Suppose:

Annual cost of goods sold:

£300,000

Average inventory:

£75,000

Stock turnover:

4 times per year

That means the business turns over its average stock approximately four times annually.

Improving stock turnover may reduce the amount of money tied up in inventory.

But don't reduce stock so aggressively that you lose sales or disrupt operations.

10. Negotiate Better Supplier Payment Terms

Imagine:

Your customers pay after 60 days.

Your suppliers require payment after 14 days.

You're funding a 46-day timing gap before considering stock and other costs.

Where commercially appropriate, negotiate supplier terms that better match your customer payment cycle.

For example:

14 days → 30 days

That may improve cash availability.

But supplier relationships matter.

Don't simply start paying late without agreement.

And consider whether early-payment discounts are financially worthwhile before giving them up.

11. Review Your Largest Suppliers

Start with the suppliers receiving the most money.

Ask:

Can payment terms be improved?

Could purchasing be consolidated?

Are we ordering too much?

Are we receiving agreed discounts?

Can we reduce waste?

Are alternative suppliers available?

A small improvement with a major supplier may have a larger impact than dozens of minor cost reductions.

12. Improve Profit Margins

Working capital and profitability are closely connected.

Suppose you sell a service for £1,000.

Your direct delivery costs are £900.

That leaves only £100 before overheads.

Even if customers pay promptly, there's little financial headroom.

Improving margins can help the business retain more cash over time, assuming the additional profit is converted into cash.

Review:

• Pricing.
• Labour costs.
• Material costs.
• Productivity.
• Waste.
• Discounts.
• Unbilled extras.
• Customer profitability.

More turnover at poor margins isn't necessarily the solution.

13. Stop Unbilled Additional Work

This is particularly important for trades, construction, cleaning and service businesses.

A customer requests:

“Can you just do this extra bit?”

The team agrees.

Additional labour and materials are used.

But nobody records or invoices the extra work.

The business spends cash without recovering the associated revenue.

Introduce a process for:

Recording variations.

Approving additional work.

Agreeing prices.

Invoicing promptly.

14. Forecast Working Capital Before Growing

Business growth often increases working capital requirements.

Imagine a commercial cleaning company wins five new contracts.

That's good news.

But the business needs:

• Additional employees.
• Cleaning materials.
• Equipment.
• Transport.
• Supervisory time.

Those costs may arise before customers make their first payments.

The company could become more profitable in the longer term while experiencing immediate cash pressure.

Before accepting significant growth, ask:

How much cash will we need before the additional revenue is collected?

15. Create a Rolling 13-Week Cash Flow Forecast

Working capital is a balance sheet measure.

But you also need to understand when cash will move.

A rolling 13-week forecast helps you see:

• Expected customer receipts.
• Supplier payments.
• Payroll.
• Tax.
• Loan repayments.
• Planned expenditure.
• Expected closing cash balances.

This helps you identify potential cash shortages early.

Working capital management and cash flow forecasting should work together.

Understanding the Cash Conversion Cycle

One of the most useful measures for working capital management is the cash conversion cycle.

It measures how long cash is tied up in the operating process.

The standard formula is:

Cash Conversion Cycle = Inventory Days + Receivable Days − Payable Days

Let's break that down.

Inventory Days

How long stock is held before being sold or used.

Receivable Days

How long customers take to pay.

Payable Days

How long the business takes to pay suppliers.

Example – Calculating the Cash Conversion Cycle

Imagine a business has:

Inventory Days: 40

Receivable Days: 50

Payable Days: 30

Calculation:

40 + 50 − 30 = 60 days

In this simplified example, the operating cycle ties up cash for approximately 60 days.

Now imagine the business improves:

Inventory days from 40 to 30.

Receivable days from 50 to 40.

Payable days from 30 to 35 through agreed supplier terms.

New calculation:

30 + 40 − 35 = 35 days

The cash conversion cycle has reduced from:

60 days to 35 days.

That's a 25-day improvement.

The business may need significantly less working capital to support the same level of activity.

Why the Cash Conversion Cycle Matters

A shorter cycle generally means cash is tied up for less time.

That can help:

Reduce borrowing requirements.

Improve liquidity.

Support growth.

Reduce financial pressure.

Increase flexibility.

But there are trade-offs.

Reducing stock too far can affect service levels.

Pressuring customers can damage relationships.

Delaying suppliers beyond agreed terms can damage trust and supply continuity.

The objective is to improve the cycle sustainably.

How to Release £25,000 of Working Capital – A Worked Example

Let's imagine an established SME with:

Annual credit sales: £600,000

Average customer payment period: 60 days

Average stock: £40,000

Average supplier payment period: 25 days

The owner is regularly worried about cash.

Rather than immediately borrowing more money, the business reviews its working capital.

Action 1 – Reduce Debtor Days

The company improves invoicing and credit control.

Average collection time falls from 60 to 50 days.

Potential cash released:

£600,000 ÷ 365 × 10 = approximately £16,438

Action 2 – Reduce Excess Stock

The company identifies slow-moving inventory and improves purchasing.

Average stock investment falls by:

£5,000

Assuming the reduction is realised through sales or lower replacement purchases, this can release or avoid tying up cash.

Action 3 – Improve Supplier Terms

The company negotiates a longer payment period with selected suppliers.

Suppose this reduces cash paid during the transition by:

£4,000

The actual effect depends on purchase volumes and payment timing.

Total Potential Working Capital Improvement

Improvement Illustrative Cash Benefit

Faster customer collections £16,438 Reduced stock investment £5,000

Agreed supplier payment changes £4,000 Total£25,438

That's approximately £25,000 of potential cash benefit.

Without necessarily increasing turnover.

Without necessarily taking on debt.

Without necessarily recruiting more staff.

The figures are illustrative, and actual results depend on payment behaviour, stock realisation and supplier arrangements.

Sometimes the cash you need is already tied up inside your business.

Can You Have Too Much Working Capital?

Yes.

More working capital isn't automatically better.

For example, a business might hold:

£150,000 of stock

when it only needs:

£80,000

The additional stock increases current assets, but it also ties up cash.

Similarly, very large trade receivables can increase reported working capital while creating collection risk.

The objective isn't simply to maximise the working capital figure.

It's to maintain an appropriate level of liquidity while using business resources efficiently.

Can Negative Working Capital Be Acceptable?

Sometimes.

Certain businesses collect customer payments before paying suppliers.

That can produce negative working capital while the business operates successfully.

For example, some subscription, retail and high-turnover businesses may have favourable payment timing.

But negative working capital can also indicate serious financial pressure.

The important questions are:

Why is it negative?

Can the business meet its obligations?

Is the position sustainable?

Don't judge financial health from one number alone.

Working Capital Management for Different SME Sectors

Construction and Trades Businesses

Common challenges:

• Materials purchased before customer payment.
• Subcontractor costs.
• Stage payments.
• Retentions.
• Unbilled variations.
• Project delays.

Practical improvements:

• Agree appropriate deposits and milestones.
• Forecast cash by project.
• Control variations.
• Invoice promptly.
• Monitor customer payment behaviour.

Commercial Cleaning Companies

Common challenges:

• Monthly payroll.
• Customers paying after 30–60 days.
• Equipment and supplies.
• New contract mobilisation costs.

Practical improvements:

• Review payment terms.
• Forecast staffing costs before accepting contracts.
• Invoice on time.
• Monitor contract profitability.
• Control additional unbilled work.

Professional Service Businesses

Common challenges:

• Unbilled work in progress.
• Long payment terms.
• High salary commitments.
• Customer concentration.

Practical improvements:

• Bill work promptly.
• Use retainers where suitable.
• Review client profitability.
• Improve credit control.
• Monitor utilisation and outstanding invoices.

Retail Businesses

Common challenges:

• Excess inventory.
• Seasonal stock.
• Slow-moving products.
• Supplier commitments.

Practical improvements:

• Improve stock forecasting.
• Reduce obsolete stock.
• Review buying patterns.
• Negotiate suitable supplier terms.
• Monitor gross margins.

Recruitment Companies

Common challenges:

• Contractor payroll before customer payment.
• Long credit terms.
• Large customer balances.
• Irregular placement revenue.

Practical improvements:

• Monitor debtor days closely.
• Forecast weekly payroll.
• Review customer credit exposure.
• Agree suitable terms.
• Plan funding requirements.

Five Working Capital Numbers Every SME Owner Should Monitor

1. Net Working Capital

Current Assets − Current Liabilities

Shows the overall short-term balance sheet position.

2. Debtor Days

How long customers take to pay.

3. Inventory Days

How long stock is held.

4. Creditor Days

How long the business takes to pay suppliers.

5. Cash Conversion Cycle

How long cash is tied up in the operating process.

These measures can help you identify where working capital improvements may be possible.

What About the Current Ratio?

The current ratio is another commonly used liquidity measure.

Current Ratio = Current Assets ÷ Current Liabilities

Using the earlier example:

Current assets:

£110,000

Current liabilities:

£70,000

Current ratio:

1.57

That means the business has approximately £1.57 of current assets for every £1 of current liabilities.

But the ratio alone doesn't tell you how quickly those assets can be converted into cash.

What About the Quick Ratio?

The quick ratio is a stricter measure of short-term liquidity.

A common calculation is:

Quick Ratio = (Current Assets − Inventory) ÷ Current Liabilities

Using the same example:

Current assets:

£110,000

Inventory:

£35,000

Current liabilities:

£70,000

Calculation:

£75,000 ÷ £70,000 = 1.07

This excludes inventory, which may take longer to convert into cash.

Neither ratio should be used in isolation.

How to Create a Working Capital Dashboard

A simple monthly dashboard could include:

Measure Current Month

Previous Month Target

Net working capital

Debtor days

Inventory days

Creditor days

Cash conversion cycle

Overdue customer invoices

Available cash

Lowest 13-week forecast balance

You don't need complicated reporting.

You need reliable information that supports decisions.

How Often Should You Review Working Capital?

For many SMEs:

Weekly: Cash position, overdue customer invoices and upcoming payments.

Monthly: Working capital measures, stock levels, payment trends and financial performance.

Quarterly: Supplier terms, customer credit policies, larger process improvements and strategic funding requirements.

If the business is under significant financial pressure, more frequent monitoring may be necessary.

Seven Working Capital Mistakes to Avoid

1. Focusing Only on Turnover

More sales don't automatically improve cash availability.

2. Ignoring Customer Payment Behaviour

Late payments can absorb significant working capital.

3. Holding Too Much Stock

Excess inventory ties up cash.

4. Paying Suppliers Without Reviewing Terms

You may be using cash earlier than commercially necessary.

5. Confusing Profit With Cash

A profitable business can still have insufficient liquidity.

6. Growing Without Forecasting the Cash Requirement

Expansion may increase working capital needs before additional receipts arrive.

7. Not Reviewing Financial Information

You can't manage what you don't understand.

A 30-Day Working Capital Improvement Plan

Week 1 – Understand Your Position

Gather:

• Current bank balances.
• Outstanding customer invoices.
• Overdue debts.
• Supplier balances.
• Stock valuations.
• Short-term liabilities.
• Cash flow forecast.

Calculate your working capital position.

Identify where cash is tied up.

Outcome: A clearer understanding of your working capital.

Week 2 – Improve Customer Collections

Review:

• Invoice timing.
• Payment terms.
• Overdue invoices.
• Customer disputes.
• Credit control.
• Deposits and staged payments.

Agree specific actions.

Outcome: A plan to collect customer payments more efficiently.

Week 3 – Review Stock and Suppliers

Examine:

• Stock turnover.
• Slow-moving stock.
• Purchasing practices.
• Supplier payment terms.
• Major supplier relationships.
• Upcoming purchasing commitments.

Identify realistic improvements.

Outcome: Less unnecessary cash tied up in operations.

Week 4 – Introduce Ongoing Controls

Create a working capital dashboard.

Set targets for:

Debtor days.

Stock levels.

Supplier payment timing.

Cash conversion cycle.

Link these to your 13-week cash flow forecast.

Outcome: A repeatable working capital management system.

Ten Questions Every SME Owner Should Ask

1. How much working capital does our business currently have?
2. How much money do customers owe us?
3. How much of that debt is overdue?
4. How long do customers take to pay?
5. How much cash is tied up in stock?
6. Are we paying suppliers before customers pay us?
7. Could our payment terms be improved?
8. How much additional working capital would growth require?
9. What does our 13-week cash flow forecast show?
10. What practical changes could release cash over the next 30 days?

These questions can reveal opportunities that aren't obvious from looking at the bank balance.

Improving Working Capital Is About Creating Financial Freedom

Good working capital management can help your business:

Reduce financial pressure.

Improve cash availability.

Fund growth more sustainably.

Reduce unnecessary borrowing.

Make better decisions.

Build resilience.

Create more freedom and choice for the owner.

That's the real objective.

Not simply improving a financial ratio.

But creating a business with greater control over its money.

Stop Assuming More Sales Will Solve Your Cash Problems

Sometimes more sales are exactly what a business needs.

But sometimes the business already has sufficient sales.

The problem is:

Customers aren't paying quickly enough.

Stock levels are too high.

Supplier payments are poorly timed.

Margins are too low.

Growth is consuming cash.

Financial information isn't being reviewed.

Before spending more money trying to generate additional turnover, understand where your existing cash is going.

You may discover that improving working capital is one of the fastest ways to strengthen your business finances.

Want to Improve Working Capital in Your SME Business?

I'm Kim Wheatley, a business coach and mentor helping SME business owners across Essex and the UK.

I work with business owners who want greater control of their businesses, including:

• Cash flow.
• Working capital.
• Profitability.
• Pricing.
• Business processes.
• Sales.
• Growth.
• Financial performance.
• Accountability.

Working capital problems are often connected to operational decisions.

How quickly you invoice.

How effectively you collect payments.

How you manage stock.

How you price your services.

How you plan growth.

How you manage costs.

Business coaching can help you identify these commercial and operational issues, develop practical improvements and maintain accountability for putting them into action, alongside specialist financial advice where appropriate.

Book Your Free Business Growth Accelerator Meeting

If your business is generating sales but money always seems tight, let's look at what might be happening.

During a Free Business Growth Accelerator Meeting, we can discuss:

• Your current working capital challenges.
• Customer payment patterns.
• Outstanding invoices.
• Supplier arrangements.
• Stock and purchasing.
• Profit margins.
• Cash flow forecasting.
• Business growth plans.
• Opportunities to release cash.

The objective is to identify practical steps that could improve your financial position and give you greater control over your business.

Book Your Free Business Growth Accelerator Meeting Today.

Frequently Asked Questions About Working Capital

What is working capital in a small business?

Working capital is the difference between a business's current assets and current liabilities. It helps measure the short-term financial resources available to support operations.

How do you calculate working capital?

Subtract current liabilities from current assets. For example, if current assets are £100,000 and current liabilities are £70,000, working capital is £30,000.

How can a small business improve working capital?

Practical approaches include collecting customer payments sooner, invoicing promptly, reducing excess stock, improving supplier terms, controlling costs and forecasting cash requirements.

Can a profitable business have poor working capital?

Yes. Profit can be tied up in unpaid invoices, stock and other assets, while the business still needs cash to meet immediate obligations.

What is the difference between working capital and cash flow?

Working capital measures current assets less current liabilities at a point in time. Cash flow measures money entering and leaving the business over a period.

What is a good working capital ratio?

There isn't one universal target. Appropriate levels depend on the industry, business model, customer payment terms, stock requirements and financial risks.

What is the cash conversion cycle?

The cash conversion cycle measures the time cash is tied up in the operating process. It is commonly calculated as inventory days plus receivable days minus payable days.

How can I reduce debtor days?

Invoice promptly, agree clear payment terms, resolve disputes quickly, use consistent credit control and review customers' payment behaviour.

Does reducing stock improve working capital?

Reducing unnecessary stock can release cash or reduce future cash requirements. However, stock reductions should be balanced against customer demand and operational needs.

Can increasing sales make working capital worse?

Yes. Growth can require additional stock, materials and labour before customers pay, increasing the amount of working capital required.

Should I pay suppliers as late as possible?

You should manage supplier payments according to agreed terms and commercial considerations. Deliberately paying late without agreement can damage relationships, disrupt supply and create additional costs.

Can a business loan improve working capital?

Suitable finance may help address a temporary funding gap, but borrowing increases obligations and doesn't solve underlying profitability or operational problems.

How often should I review working capital?

Many SMEs benefit from reviewing key cash and debtor information weekly and broader working capital measures monthly.

What's the quickest way to release cash from a business?

That depends on where cash is tied up. Collecting overdue invoices, invoicing completed work and reducing unnecessary expenditure may produce relatively quick improvements, while stock and supplier changes can take longer.

Can a business coach help improve working capital?

A business coach can help identify commercial and operational issues affecting cash, establish better management routines and support implementation, alongside specialist accounting or financial advice where necessary.