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In-depth financial analyses by sector — with worked examples that show where SME owners leave margin, cash flow or tax room on the table.

IT / Margin

Why fixed-price deals in IT projects make a loss more often than you think

Fixed-price projects deliver less margin than the quote promises. Five causes, and how to measure margin per sprint with earned value.

E-commerce / Margin

Why a hardware reseller pays tax on profit it does not have when memory prices rise

When DRAM prices rise, the books show a high margin on the old purchase price — while the cash for restocking falls short.

Cash flow / Growth

Why a profitable installation company gets stuck at the bank as soon as it grows faster than its profit allows

An installation company funds every euro of growth with 23 cents of working capital. When the overdraft facility is maxed out, and what the bank sees then.

E-commerce / Returns

Why a fashion webshop with 40 percent returns makes nothing on an extra order

Returns eat into margin in a way the revenue figures do not show. Worked example: contribution per order as the return rate rises.

SaaS / Cashflow

Why a SaaS company with a healthy LTV/CAC runs out of cash as soon as it grows faster

A SaaS company with an LTV/CAC of 3.6 runs out of cash in month 7. How to calculate the payback period and the cash dip — and what to do about it.

Manufacturing / Purchasing

Why a machine builder on fixed prices loses its margin to a steel price rise between quote and purchase

Steel up from €640 to €750 per tonne. What that does to a fixed-price order of €400,000, and how to close the open steel position.

Cash flow / Receivables

What the ECB rate rise costs a technical wholesaler that gives its customers 52 days to pay

ECB rate at 2.50 percent. Worked example: what that costs a wholesaler and why the payment term weighs more heavily than the rate itself.

Tax / CIT

Why a transport company in a loss-making year keeps paying its provisional corporate income tax assessment every month

Making a loss due to diesel and the HGV toll, yet still paying corporate income tax (VPB) every month on last year's profit. What comes back, and when.

Tax / Investment

What a manufacturer loses by postponing a heat pump until 2027 for the higher Energy Investment Allowance

The EIA rises from 40 to 45.5 percent in 2027. Worked example: whether waiting pays off or you are better off investing now.

KPIs / Controlling

How an IT services firm reads the Rule of 40 when its margin drops from 15 to 9 percent in a growth year

Growing 24 percent, margin down from 15 to 9 percent. How to read the Rule of 40 then, and what it tells you about the quality of growth.

E-commerce / Import

Why an importing wholesaler sees a 39 percent margin on an item that yields 25 percent after freight, import duty and currency

The books show 39% on the purchase price — but after freight, import duties and exchange rate, 25% is left. How to calculate landed cost per SKU.

Projects / Margin

Why a machine builder only sees at invoicing that a 2,400-hour project took 2,870

A 470-hour overrun that was already there at the quote stage. How to see it in week 12 rather than at the final settlement.

Wholesale / Inventory

Why a technical wholesaler pays €98,000 every year for €396,000 of stock that has not moved in twelve months

Stock that has not moved in twelve months costs a quarter of its purchase value each year in interest, space and obsolescence. This is how to calculate per batch whether clearing it pays off.

Projects / Extra work

Why a machine builder with 5 million in project revenue does €300,000 of extra work every year that never makes it onto an invoice

6 percent of revenue in extra work is carried out and never invoiced: €300,000, 112 percent of profit. What is acceptable and how to measure it.

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