Practice News

At Lombard we believe that growth is one of the most exciting stages in the life of any business, but it also brings new challenges. As turnover increases, teams expand and operations become more complex, business owners need better information to make informed decisions. Unfortunately, many SMEs co…

At Lombard we believe that one of the biggest differences between businesses that continue to grow and those that eventually lose momentum is how often they step back and question the way they operate. Many SME owners spend most of their time serving customers, managing staff and solving day-to-day…

At Lombard we believe one of the most overlooked threats to profitability is not a lack of sales, but a failure to recover the true cost of delivering products and services. Many SME owners focus on winning new business, increasing turnover and maintaining customer relationships, yet give far less a…

At Lombard we believe one of the defining characteristics of successful businesses is that they identify issues before they become expensive problems. Many SME owners only examine their financial performance closely when something has already gone wrong. Sales have fallen, cash flow has tightened, m…

At Lombard we believe one of the biggest misconceptions in business is that being busy automatically means being successful. Many SME owners measure progress by the number of enquiries received, projects completed, staff employed or hours worked. While these are all signs of activity, they do not ne…

At Lombard we believe one of the greatest challenges facing a growing business is maintaining a clear understanding of its financial position. In the early stages, many SME owners know almost every customer, invoice and expense personally. Decisions are often made quickly because the owner has direc…

At Lombard we believe growth is often treated as an automatic sign of progress, but expansion can create serious financial pressure when the underlying processes of a business are not ready to support it. More customers, more orders, more staff and more activity may look like success from the outsid…

At Lombard we believe one of the more frustrating realities for SME owners is that profitability does not always translate into financial freedom. A business can be profitable on paper, trading well and building momentum, yet still struggle to fund the next phase of growth. Owners often assume that…

At Lombard we believe overheads are one of the easiest parts of an SME to lose sight of because they usually do not rise in one obvious jump. They tend to grow quietly through a series of decisions that each seem reasonable at the time. A new software subscription, an extra outsourced support servic…

At Lombard we believe one of the most misleading signals in business is strong revenue. On paper, rising sales figures can make a business look healthy, ambitious and successful. Owners may feel reassured by a full order book, growing turnover and a busy team. Yet strong revenue does not always mean…