I founded ScaleUpCFO, a leading consulting firm dedicated to providing fractional CFO services to startups and high-growth companies. Our mission is simple: to support entrepreneurs from the moment they incorporate their business to the day they achieve a successful exit. We work closely with VC funds and their portfolio companies, offering tailored financial expertise that fuels growth and ensures sustainable success.

My inspiration to start ScaleUpCFO comes from a deeply personal place. Growing up, I watched my mother run a shoe store in Dalston, London. Despite her hard work and the store's impressive sales, profits were always tight. This experience taught me early on that revenue alone isn't enough—profitability and financial management are essential for long-term success and stability. My mother’s story shaped my understanding of business, and it drives my passion to help founders avoid the financial pitfalls that can undermine even the most promising ventures.

With 20 years of experience in financial management, I’ve seen firsthand how crucial it is for startups to have access to high-quality CFO services. ScaleUpCFO was built on the belief that no founder should have to compromise on financial expertise due to their company’s size or stage. Our team of seasoned professionals brings a wealth of experience in helping companies navigate the complex landscape of funding, growth, and exit strategies.

At ScaleUpCFO, we don’t just offer services—we build partnerships. We’re deeply invested in the success of the companies we work with, acting as an extension of their team. From securing venture capital to managing financial operations, we provide the strategic guidance and hands-on support that founders need to scale their businesses effectively.

Beyond my work with ScaleUpCFO, I’m committed to sharing knowledge and empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs. Whether through mentorship, speaking engagements, or simply offering advice during office hours, I strive to make finance accessible and understandable for all.

I believe that by helping founders master their finances, we can change their businesses—and their lives—for the better. If you're looking for guidance on navigating the financial challenges of scaling your startup, I'm here to help.

6 Red Flags You’re Scaling Too Fast

Growth isn’t always progress.
Sometimes it’s a slow-motion collapse that looks like success.

Here’s what it looks like when speed outpaces structure 👇

1️⃣ Revenue up, profit flat
→ You’re making more but keeping the same — or less.

2️⃣ New hires, no systems
→ Payroll doubles, productivity doesn’t.

3️⃣ Growth funded by overdraft
→ Cash isn’t scaling with sales — debt is.

4️⃣ Delayed reporting
→ You find out what happened after it’s too late to fix it.

5️⃣ Constant firefighting
→ Every win creates three new problems.

6️⃣ No forecast
→ You’re driving fast with your headlights off.

💡 Fast growth feels good — until the numbers stop making sense.

Sustainable scale isn’t about speed.
It’s about stability.

💬 If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re scaling too fast, I can help you find out — before the cash runs out.

Samuel Ajala

I am currently managing partner of Arthur Hamilton Accountancy who officially are now one of the UK’s fastest growing contractor accounting firm. Our team of Chartered Accountants sole purpose is to increase the wealth of our clients, both contractors and business owners.

How:
1. Taxes – We focus on reducing your tax bill (90% take home pay).
2. Profits - We focus on maximising profits.
3. Productivity – We eliminate all paperwork and bookkeeping so you focus on your business.
4. Value – We offer more for less. Our price is not matched, neither is our service.
5. Security - We are one of only a few Accountants that hold networking groups in the city of London for both for contractors to meet potential employers and business people to meet. You will never have to worry about your next contract.

Why?
It's our mission in 2014 to increase the wealth of as many business owners as possible. Why? Because we want to see you live better lives, whether that means more income, more time off, early retirement or simply to give you and your family the lifestyle you deserve.

Download our FREE guide:
Download our FREE guide and discover how many of our contractors go home with 90% of their income.

“A to Z of Contracting”: http://goo.gl/ksnZYu

Helping Founders Scale from $1M to $10M ARR | Bespoke CFO & Financial Operating Systems in 90 Days | Fractional CFO for Founders Ready to Scale Without the Chaos

How to Build a Financial Buffer That Buys You Freedom

Most founders chase freedom — but few ever buy it.
Because freedom in business doesn’t come from revenue.
It comes from reserves.

Here’s how to build a financial buffer that keeps you in control 👇

1️⃣ Structure your reserves
→ Start with a goal of 3–6 months of operating expenses.
Keep it separate — not in your main account. Out of sight, out of spend.

2️⃣ Manage liquidity
→ Hold a mix of instant-access cash and short-term deposits.
You want to earn interest without locking away flexibility.

3️⃣ Stress-test your business
→ Ask: “If sales drop 30% tomorrow, how long can we last?”
Run that scenario quarterly — not after it’s too late.

💡 Cash in the bank isn’t laziness.
It’s leverage.
It lets you say no to bad deals and yes to the right ones.

Freedom isn’t found in bigger revenue.
It’s found in longer runway.

💬 Want a one-page buffer plan template I use with scaling founders?
Comment “BUFFER” and I’ll share it.

Most founders think storytelling wins investors.

That’s the lie.

Here’s the truth: Investors don’t invest in vibes — they invest in numbers they trust.

Let that sink in.

The Math Everyone Ignores:

If your CAC isn’t clear
Your margins aren’t consistent
Your cash runway isn’t tracked
Your forecast isn’t credible

You’re not fundable.

But here’s the brutal part:

Most founders pitch with passion instead of data.

Why?

Because getting the numbers investor-ready is uncomfortable work.

Vision and investor readiness are not the same thing. Confusing them kills term sheets.

Investors pay for clarity, predictability, and discipline.

Every decision should answer:

Would an investor trust this number?

If not, you’re fundraising on hope.

#FounderJourney #Fundraising #InvestorReady #CFOInsights #SaaS #StartupFinance

If you want to protect your culture, learn to spot the problems early.
The first 30 days tell you everything.

Most founders think culture killers are hard to identify.
They’re not.

The red flags show up immediately —
if you’re actually watching.

Here’s what toxicity looks like in the first month:

👉 Victim mentality
Every task becomes an attack.
Every piece of feedback is “unfair.”
There’s always a story — never responsibility.

👉 Constant complaints
Workload, systems, clients, coworkers…
They’re negative about everything except themselves.
You feel the energy shift when they walk in.

👉 Excuses > solutions
Solutions are optional.
Excuses are unlimited.
You give them ownership — they give you problems.

👉 Resistance to accountability
Deadlines slip.
Mistakes repeat.
They argue with expectations instead of meeting them.

👉 Gossiping and triangulation
They bond through negativity.
They divide the team to elevate themselves.
This is the behaviour that quietly destroys trust.

And here’s the painful truth:

A culture killer doesn’t need 6 months to do damage —
30 days is enough.

The moment you see these patterns, act.
Document.
Give clarity.
Set standards.
And if nothing changes, remove them.

Because as someone who works with founders and fast-growing teams every day, I’ve seen it too many times:

Keeping one culture killer costs more than losing five good people.

Your best employees don’t wait for you to fix it.
They just start planning their exit.

Protect your culture early — or repair it later at 10x the cost.

…
What’s the earliest red flag you’ve ever spotted in a new hire?
🔔 Follow Sam Ajala for leadership, culture, and financial clarity insights built for real-world founders.

Most founders think they’re doing well because there’s cash in the bank.

That’s the lie keeping you stressed.

Here’s the truth: Cash in the bank is NOT the same as financial health.

Let that sink in.

The Math Everyone Ignores:

A business doing £300k/month with £240k of expenses doesn’t have £60k of “profit.”

It has maybe £5k–£10k after tax, VAT, debt, and working capital swings.

Run that for 12 months and you’ve “made” £120k–£300k…

…but you feel broke every single month.

But here’s the brutal part:

Most founders don’t have a cashflow problem. They have a cash timing problem.

Why?

Because they’re running their business from the bank balance, not a forecast.

These are not the same thing. And confusing them will keep you permanently anxious.

Buyers, investors, and even your team don’t care how hard you grind.

They care about predictability.

Every decision you make should answer one question:

Does this make my cash position more predictable?

If not, you’re scaling chaos, not a company.

#FounderJourney #Cashflow #Scaling #Forecasting #FounderMistakes #BusinessClarity

Most founders think high revenue = strong business.

That’s the lie.

Here’s the truth: You can be growing fast and still be weeks from running out of cash.

Let that sink in.

The Math Everyone Ignores:

If your receivables are 30 days…
But your payables are 7 days…
And payroll hits every month without fail…

Your cash dies long before your revenue grows.

But here’s the brutal part:

Founders rarely diagnose fragility until the crisis hits.

Why?

Because “growth” feels like safety.

Cash resilience and revenue growth are not the same thing. And confusing them can end your business.

Buyers and investors aren’t impressed by your turnover.

They care about survival capacity.

Every decision should answer:

Does this strengthen my cash resilience or weaken it?

If it weakens it, you’re accelerating towards a wall.

#FounderJourney #Cashflow #ScalingResponsibly #CFOAdvice #BusinessHealth #FinancialClarity

Most founders think they have a sales problem.

Here’s the truth: They have a spending problem.

Let that sink in.

The Math Everyone Ignores:

A business doing £200k/month with £90k in “miscellaneous,” “ops,” and “marketing” spend…

…doesn’t have a growth plan.

It has a leak.

Leaks destroy valuations.

But here’s the brutal part:

Most founders don’t actually know their true cost base.

Why?

Because they rely on bookkeeping, not financial control.

Recording expenses and managing expenses are not the same. And confusing them will evaporate your runway.

Buyers don’t pay for chaos.

They pay for control.

Every decision should answer:

Does this expense directly create margin or value?

If not, it’s not a cost — it’s a tax on your business.

#FounderJourney #Expenses #Profitability #Scaling #BusinessControl #CFOInsights

Most founders think they need more sales.

That’s the lie.

Here’s the truth: They need a new operating model.

Let that sink in.

The Math Everyone Ignores:

The systems that got you to £1M are NOT the systems that take you to £5M.

The difference is not effort.

It’s structure.

But here’s the brutal part:

Most founders keep “muscling through” instead of reengineering.

Why?

Because they’re addicted to hustle, not transformation.

Revenue ceilings and resource constraints are not the same thing. Confuse them and you’ll loop in place for years.

Buyers pay for scalable infrastructure, not heroic founders.

Every decision you make should answer:

Does this make the business scale without extra strain?

If not, you’re building a treadmill, not a company.

#FounderJourney #ScalingUp #Systems #ProcessDesign #BusinessInfrastructure #CFOAdvice

Most founders think revenue solves everything.

That’s the lie.

Here’s the truth: Your revenue is meaningless without cash discipline.

Let that sink in.

The Math Everyone Ignores:

£500k/month means nothing if you burn £520k.

You can “grow” your way into insolvency.

And many do.

But here’s the brutal part:

Founders mistake busyness for financial health.

Why?

Because revenue feels like progress — until the bills hit.

Cash generation and business growth are not the same. Confusing them is how you end up one payroll away from panic.

Buyers pay for durable cash flow, not vanity numbers.

Every decision should answer:

Does this make the business cash richer or cash poorer?

If it’s poorer, you’re scaling bankruptcy.

#FounderJourney #Cashflow #CFOAdvice #Scaling #FinancialClarity #BusinessTruths

The people you make excuses for will be the same people who drain your team.

❌ “They’re going through something”
❌ “They’ll improve with time”
❌ “I don’t want to recruit again”

Stop.

Every excuse you make for the wrong person becomes a burden on the right people.

Here’s what you’re actually allowing:

👉 Your top performers to carry someone else’s workload
And they will—until they resent you for it.

👉 A slow leak in culture
One unchecked behaviour becomes a silent permission slip.
Standards drop quietly, then suddenly.

👉 Negativity spreading through the team
Toxic energy doesn’t stay in one corner.
It infects meetings, communication, client work—everything.

👉 Operational drag
Missed deadlines. Poor handovers. Rework.
All the invisible costs founders forget to count.

👉 Your credibility taking the hit
When you avoid the conversation, your team knows.
Leadership isn’t what you preach; it’s what you permit.

And here’s the part founders hate to admit:

Keeping the wrong person is always more expensive than replacing them.
Always.

The longer you wait, the worse the cultural damage.
The deeper the rot.
The more your A-players start looking elsewhere.

As someone who supports founders and scaling teams every day, I’ll say it plainly:

Protect your standards or you will lose the people who live by them.

Act fast.
Act clearly.
Act like the leader your team wants to follow.

…
How fast do you remove people who drain your team?
🔔 Follow Sam Ajala for leadership, culture, and financial clarity without the corporate jargon.

If you want to protect your team, your culture, and your sanity, document everything.
Everything.

Founders underestimate this until it’s too late.

You don’t document because you’re “being harsh.”
You document because you’re being responsible.

Here’s what you should be recording from day one:

👉 Missed deadlines
Not to punish, to spot patterns.
One slip is human.
Three slips is behaviour.

👉 Attitude issues
Eye rolls. Resistance. Lack of effort.
You can’t correct what you never captured.

👉 Client complaints
Even small ones.
The things they whisper today become formal issues tomorrow.

👉 Behavioural red flags
Gossip. Defensiveness. Blame-shifting.
If you don’t write it down, it becomes your word against theirs.

And here’s the truth I’ve seen again and again working with founders:

Documentation protects your culture
AND
it protects you legally.

Because when things go wrong, everyone suddenly has a perfect memory.
Everyone becomes the victim.
Everyone rewrites the story.

Your notes keep the facts clear.

Your notes justify your decisions.

Your notes protect your team from being dragged into drama.

Most importantly:

Documentation turns leadership from emotional…
into objective.

You’re not “being unfair.”
You’re operating with evidence.

So document everything — early and consistently.

It’s cheaper than conflict.
It’s cheaper than tribunals.
And it’s far cheaper than losing your best people over someone you should’ve managed months ago.

…
How often do you document performance issues in your team?
🔔 Follow Sam Ajala for leadership, culture, and financial clarity built for real-world founders.

❌ “They’ll improve eventually”
❌ “I don’t want to deal with hiring again”
❌ “They’re not that bad”

Stop.

Every month you keep the wrong person, you pay a hidden tax.
And most founders don’t even realise they’re paying it.

Here’s what you’re actually losing:

👉 Team morale
Your best people work twice as hard while the wrong person coasts.

👉 Output
Projects slow down. Standards drop. Everyone adjusts to the lowest performer.

👉 Culture
One underperformer becomes permission for mediocrity.
(Yes—culture dies quietly.)

👉 Churn
Good employees don’t quit the company.
They quit carrying someone else’s weight.

👉 Leadership credibility
When you tolerate the wrong people, your team stops believing in your standards.

The real cost?

💸 More than firing them.
More than replacing them.
More than training someone new.

Because the longer you wait, the more damage compounds.

Your team is watching how you handle this.

Let it slide?
→ You’re telling everyone excellence is optional.

Act decisively?
→ You’re protecting the people who actually move the business forward.

Keeping the wrong person is the most expensive mistake a founder can make.

Hire slow. Fire fast.
Protect your culture or watch it die.

…
How fast do you remove underperformers?
🔔 Follow Sam for leadership, culture, and financial clarity without the fluff.

❌ “It’s not a big deal”
❌ “I’ll address it later”
❌ “They mean well”

Stop.

Your best people are watching how you handle the worst ones.
And silence is a decision.

Here’s what actually happens when you let poor behaviour slide:

👉 A-players start questioning your standards
Top performers hate inconsistency.
If you allow behaviour they’d never get away with, they notice.

👉 They quietly distance themselves
Good people won’t confront you about the problem.
They’ll simply stop bringing their best.

👉 They start exploring options
Not because they want to leave—
but because they refuse to work where mediocrity is protected.

👉 Your credibility takes the hit
Leadership isn’t what you say.
It’s the behaviour you tolerate.

The real cost?

💸 You don’t lose the bad ones.
You lose the good ones who won’t carry them anymore.

As someone who leads teams and supports hundreds of businesses, I’ve seen this pattern too many times:

Founders think they’re avoiding conflict…
but they’re actually creating a bigger one.

Your team is reading every signal you send:

Let it slide?
→ You’re telling them excellence is optional.

Address it fast?
→ You’re telling them this is a place for grown-ups, ownership, and standards.

Leadership is culture.
Culture is behaviour.
Behaviour is accountability.

Protect your A-players by acting like a leader they want to follow.

…
How do you handle poor performance in your team?
🔔 Follow Sam Ajala for practical leadership, culture, and financial clarity without the corporate jargon.

7 Founder Signals That Tell Me You’re Ready to Raise (Before Seeing Your Deck)

After helping founders raise millions, there’s something I’ve learned:

Investors decide faster than you think.
Often before the deck.
Often before the numbers.
Often before the meeting even ends.

There are patterns — and founders who raise consistently display the same signals long before they open their slides.

Here are the 7 signals I look for:

📌 1. Clarity on the problem
When a founder describes the problem with precision, it tells me it’s lived, not researched. The depth always shows.

📌 2. Calm under pressure
Short meetings, difficult questions, unexpected curveballs — their answers become sharper, not longer. Pressure exposes discipline.

📌 3. A founder-shaped problem
They’re solving a pain they’ve lived through. Their obsession sits in the details, not in the slogans.

📌 4. Quiet metrics that speak loudly
Burn multiple under control.
CAC payback measured in months, not years.
NRR above expectations.
When these metrics show up in conversation without being forced, it signals operational maturity.

📌 5. Momentum stewardship
Founders who communicate progress even when they’re not actively raising show a strong command of their own story. Momentum compounds when founders treat it with care.

📌 6. Deck discipline
Clear message. No clutter. Tight narrative.
Founders who can explain “Why this? Why now? Why us?” in fewer than 12 slides usually have clarity everywhere else in the business too.

📌 7. Clean ownership structure
Simple cap tables. Aligned incentives.
Founders who make disciplined early decisions reduce future drag and build long-term confidence.

BIG TAKEAWAY:
Before the model, before the deck, and before the pitch, it’s the founder signals that reveal whether the raise will move quickly. The numbers matter, but the pattern matters more.

If you’re raising, polish your deck… but focus on these signals first. Investors always read between the lines.

—

Hi, my name is Samuel Ajala.
I’m the founder of Arthur Hamilton Accountancy and Scaleup CFO.
I help founders get financially clear and operationally sound — so they can scale with control, not chaos.

Preparing to raise? DM “Ready” and I’ll send you the exact checklist I use with my fundraising clients.

The 3 Numbers That Tell You If You’ll Run Out of Cash

Forget complicated reports.
You only need three numbers to know if your business will survive the next 6 months 👇

1️⃣ Net Cash Flow
→ What’s left after money in minus money out.
If it’s negative for more than 3 months, you’ve got a problem — not a pattern.

2️⃣ Burn Rate
→ How much cash you spend each month to keep the lights on.
Track it weekly, not quarterly.
Cash disappears faster than founders expect.

3️⃣ Runway
→ How long your cash will last at your current burn rate.
Example: £120k in the bank ÷ £30k monthly burn = 4 months’ runway.

💡 The goal isn’t just to know the numbers — it’s to act before they turn red.

Review these three metrics every Friday.
If you can’t explain them in 60 seconds, you don’t have clarity — you have exposure.

💬 I’ve built a one-page dashboard for founders to track these weekly.
Drop “CASH” in the comments if you want the template.

Most founders think lack of revenue causes burnout.

That’s the lie.

Here’s the truth: Burnout happens when you carry the entire business on your back.

Let that sink in.

The Math Everyone Ignores:

If the business needs 60–70 hours of YOU per week to survive…

…you don’t own a business.

You own a shift.

And you can’t sell a shift.

But here’s the brutal part:

Founders wear “I work hard” like it’s a badge of honour.

Why?

Because they optimised their business around themselves, not systems.

Work rate and business ownership are not the same thing. And confusing them will cost your health and your exit.

Buyers don’t pay for your hustle.

They pay for a company that works whether you’re in the room or not.

Every decision you make should answer:

Does this remove me from the centre or keep me trapped there?

If it keeps you trapped, you’re building a golden cage.

#FounderJourney #Systems #ExitPlanning #BurnoutPrevention #Scaling #BusinessDesign

One of the most common things I hear on calls is:

“The numbers look fine… I just don’t feel fine.”

That sentence usually tells me everything.

On paper:
	•	revenue is growing
	•	margins look decent
	•	the business is “working”

But underneath:
	•	decisions feel heavier
	•	risk feels closer
	•	responsibility feels louder

That’s what happens when a business grows faster than clarity.

Growth without clarity doesn’t feel like momentum.
It feels like pressure.

And most founders don’t need motivation — they need visibility.

Hi, my name is Samuel Ajala. I’m the founder of Arthur Hamilton Accountancy and Scaleup CFO.
I help founders turn pressure into clarity so growth stops feeling heavy.

Why Most “Profitable” Businesses Still Go Bankrupt

It sounds impossible, right?
“Profitable” but broke.

Yet I’ve seen it happen — again and again.

Here’s why 👇

Profit ≠ Cash.

Profit is an accounting story.
Cash is reality.

You can show profit on paper while your bank balance is falling.
How?

1️⃣ Timing gaps
→ You record income the moment you invoice it — but the client hasn’t paid yet.

2️⃣ Debt repayments
→ Paying off loans doesn’t show on your P&L, but it drains your bank.

3️⃣ Unpaid invoices
→ You look rich in QuickBooks, but broke in Barclays.

4️⃣ Overdue taxes
→ You’ve “earned” the profit but forgot HMRC wants a slice.

💡 Businesses don’t die because they’re unprofitable — they die because they run out of cash.

So the next time your accountant says “you made a profit,” ask:
Where’s the money?

💬 If you want my “Cash vs Profit” explainer — the same one I use with founders every month — DM me CASHFLOW and I’ll send it over.

Most founders think increasing revenue is the answer.

That’s the lie keeping you stuck.

Here’s the truth: More revenue without margin is just a bigger headache.

Let that sink in.

The Math Everyone Ignores:

A £2M business at 10% net margin = £200k.

A £1M business at 30% margin = £300k.

One is bigger.

One is healthier.

But here’s the brutal part:

Most founders chase top-line because it feels like progress.

Why?

Because they never built a cost structure that scales with them.

Revenue and margin are not the same thing. And confusing them will cost you years.

Buyers don’t pay for your top-line bravado.

They pay for efficiency, discipline, and operational clarity.

Every decision you make should answer:

Does this improve my margin or just my ego?

If it’s the latter… you’re growing for the wrong scoreboard.

#FounderJourney #Profitability #ScalingSmart #HighValueBusiness #CFOInsights #BusinessClarity

Most founders think valuation is about revenue.

That’s the lie.

Here’s the truth: Valuation is about visibility.

Let that sink in.

The Math Everyone Ignores:

Two companies both doing £5M.

One has 12-month forecasts, margin control, clean data, and stable operations.

The other wings it monthly.

One gets 6–8x.

One gets 2–3x.

But here’s the brutal part:

Founders don’t lose valuation because they’re small.

They lose it because they’re unpredictable.

Why?

Because uncertainty terrifies buyers.

Revenue size and valuation strength are not the same. Confusing them leaves millions on the table.

Buyers pay for certainty, not chaos.

Every decision should answer:

Does this make my numbers more predictable?

If not, you’re discounting your own valuation.

#FounderJourney #ExitPlanning #BusinessValuation #Scaling #CFOAdvice #HighValueBusiness

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