Scaling Business Operations

Sales isn’t magic. It’s math. But if your revenue isn’t growing, chance are... It’s not your product. It’s your system. Let me explain. The fastest-growing companies don’t have “better closers.” They have better processes. Here’s what top 1% sales teams do differently: 1. They multiply, not guess. Revenue = Leads × Conversion Rate × Deal Size × Retention Change one variable → growth. Change all four → rocket fuel. That’s not a hack. That’s math. 2. They stop pitching and start listening. The best reps talk 30% of the time. The rest? They listen for gold. People don’t buy when they understand. They buy when they feel understood. 3. They don’t chase. They qualify fast. 🚫 Endless demos 🚫 Chasing low-fit leads ✅ Score prospects early ✅ Cut the dead weight ✅ Focus on buyers who are ready now Time is your most expensive resource. Guard it. 4. They don’t sell the product. They sell the cost of inaction. A great pitch isn’t about what you do. It’s about what your buyer loses by doing nothing. Paint the pain. Then make your offer the obvious solution. 5. They follow up with purpose. 80% of deals close after follow-up #5. But most reps quit after #2. Win the deal by staying in the game. And bring value every time you follow up. If you want sales that scale without burning out your team: • Stop relying on heroics. • Start building systems. • Track the right KPIs. • Make it easy for buyers to say yes. Revenue isn’t a mystery. It’s a repeatable machine. If you build it right. Want your team to sell smarter, faster, and at scale? Let’s make that happen. I'm hosting a free training for founders & CEOs. "How to Accelerate Sales Growth For Your Business" Thu June 26th, 12 noon Eastern / 5pm UK time Join me: https://lnkd.in/dnjfFDuF ♻️ Repost to help a founder in your network. Follow Eric Partaker for more sales growth strategies. P.S. Want a PDF of my Sales Growth Cheat Sheet? Get it free: https://lnkd.in/dcgvWeMv 📌 Our next cohort of The CEO Accelerator starts July 23rd. 20+ Founders & CEOs have already enrolled. Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/dRwv7nJF

5 Inventory Management Strategies for Streamlined F&B Operations In F&B operations, inventory management isn’t just a backend process—it’s a critical factor that impacts costs, waste, and customer satisfaction. Let’s dive into 5 proven methods tailored for F&B businesses: ⸻ 1. FIFO (First In, First Out) • What It Means: Oldest inventory is used or sold first. • Why It’s Critical in F&B: Ensures product freshness, reduces spoilage, and minimizes waste. • Example: A restaurant uses vegetables delivered on Monday before those delivered on Wednesday to maintain freshness in dishes. ⸻ 2. LIFO (Last In, First Out) • What It Means: The newest inventory is used or sold first. • When It Works: Useful for bulk storage setups or items that are easier to access when newly added. • Example: In a bar, the most recently delivered cases of beer stacked on top are used first. ⸻ 3. CIFO (Cost In, First Out) • What It Means: Inventory with the lowest cost is used or sold first. • Why It’s Useful: Optimizes profit margins by prioritizing lower-cost inventory. • Example: A QSR uses discounted cooking oil bought in bulk first before switching to a pricier batch. ⸻ 4. EFO (Expiration First Out) • What It Means: Items nearing expiration are prioritized for use or sale. • Why It’s Non-Negotiable: Essential for preventing food waste and ensuring compliance with health standards. • Example: A cloud kitchen ensures sauces with a “use by” date of May 15 are consumed before those expiring on June 1. ⸻ 5. DIFO (Damage First Out) • What It Means: Damaged or compromised goods are dealt with first. • Why It Matters: Saves storage space, minimizes losses, and salvages value where possible. • Example: A bakery discounts slightly dented cake boxes for quick sale before displaying perfect ones. ⸻ 💡 Why These Matter for F&B Operations: Efficient inventory management directly affects food costs, customer satisfaction, and sustainability. Whether you run a restaurant, QSR, or cloud kitchen, choosing the right approach ensures smooth operations and maximized profits. ⸻ 📣 What About You? • How do you manage inventory in your F&B operations? • Have you tried a combination of these methods to optimize your process? 👇 Let’s exchange ideas and help each other improve operations in the F&B space! #InventoryManagement #F&BOperations #RestaurantManagement #FoodWasteReduction #SupplyChain #EfficiencyMatters #CostOptimization #SustainabilityInF&B #OperationalExcellence #FoodIndustryInsights #QSRManagement #CloudKitchenStrategies #PerishablesManagement #FoodSafety #ProfitabilityTips

We scaled Chatbase from a side project to a $6M ARR startup. No sales team, no VCs, just product‑led growth. Here is the full strategy for scaling to millions purely through product-led growth. 1. 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀. Look for time sinks, spreadsheets, and hacked-together workflows that people already pay to solve. Don't try to invent smth never seen before if this is your first startup. You're either a genius or it's not going to work, and it's most likely the latter. 2. 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝗩𝗣 𝗶𝗻 3 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀. Your only goal here is to have a Stripe button on a landing page. Anything more is just procrastination. 3. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴. Talk like a friend showing progress, not a founder pitching. 4. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘄𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀. This will reduce churn of your users and increase long term trust. Your MVP should be very small and very reliable. 5. 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 100 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀. DM people in niche communities who've complained about the exact problem you solve. Create value-first posts: "Built this tool that [solves X problem], looking for 5 testers..." 6. 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 “𝗮𝗵𝗮” 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.  Every extra click is a tax on conversion. Simplify the path from signup → value. 7. 𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁. Users willing to talk are basically paying to be your focus group. Treat them well. 8. 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁? 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 (𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘁). Jump on calls, watch them screen‑share, ask why they almost didn’t buy. 9. 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗽𝘀. Partner with the influencers other influencers copy.  Talk about your growth for more growth. 10. 𝗦𝗘𝗢 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. Blog today so Google sends users tomorrow, next month, and next year. FYI, PLG doesn't mean staying small. You can always add a sales team and move upmarket later. This will be much easier with all the learnings from self-serve customers. This is what we're doing now on our way to $100M ARR.

Most owners don’t need “better books.” They need a better mirror. Your bookkeeper might be solid. Clean reconciliations. No glaring errors. But here’s the truth: that’s table stakes. What owners really need is someone to help them see their business clearly. → What’s really driving (or draining) cash? → Are price increases overdue or would they hurt the pipeline? → Can we afford to hire or is it just a seasonal bump? → What’s the ROI on a new location vs. doubling down where we are? These aren’t bookkeeping questions. They’re strategic ones. But without a clear financial model and a strategic partner who can walk you through it, you’re stuck guessing. Or worse, stuck trusting your gut when the stakes are too high. This is why so many businesses are turning to Fractional CFOs. They need to know more than what just happened. They need help deciding what happens next.

I spent a decade sacrificing everything for my first company (health, family, even my honeymoon). Now, as a dad of three, I'm building my 2nd company completely differently. Here's how: == I used to work 16-hour days, weekends, and holidays. Now? • I work 8-5. • I don’t work weekends. • I take a month-long family trip every summer. Here’s how I made it happen: == 1. Redefine success. During my first startup, success meant hustle and hyper-growth at any cost. Now, success is about building a business that: • Lasts 50+ years. • Stays profitable from day one. • Protects my health and relationships. == 2. Set non-negotiable boundaries. I made a rule when I started @useonward: I work 8-5, Monday through Friday. That’s it. Busyness is no longer a badge of honor. Setting boundaries make you sharper, more creative, and more present as a leader. == 3. Choose a business model that aligns with your life. I picked B2B SaaS because it’s: • High-margin, low-cost, scalable. • Free from the relentless pace of retail or DTC. • Purely remote—no office, no commute. == 4. Go all-in on remote work. Tools like @loom, @NotionHQ, and @asana allow us to: • Document processes async. • Communicate clearly & concisely. • Build process & systems that run without me. The goal? A business that doesn’t depend on me 24/7. == 5. Optimize for longevity, not burnout. During my first company, there were no days off. Now, it’s about properly integrating family & work. Take the long family trip - empower your team but stay on top things. Burnout isn’t proof of dedication. It’s a leadership failure. == 6. Give yourself permission to build differently. The old me would’ve called these boundaries lazy. But here’s the truth: boundaries make you better. The goal isn’t to grind endlessly. It’s to create a company that works for you—not the other way around. == Building a startup doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your health, family, or happiness. Follow Josh Payne for lessons on scaling profitably, creating balance, and building a business you love.

Clearly defining a company's final product before choosing the type of medical cannabis to produce is essential. This strategic step influences numerous aspects of the business, from production to compliance, and ultimately determines success in the competitive medical cannabis sector. 1. Product Definition and Market Positioning: A thorough understanding of the final product aids in carving out a niche in the market. Various forms, such as tinctures, oils, edibles, or dried flowers, cater to different patient needs and medical conditions. Defining the product early on ensures that the production process aligns with the intended therapeutic use and branding strategy. 2. Strain Selection and Production Process: The choice of cannabis strain directly impacts the final product's properties. For example, high-CBD strains may be more suitable for oils and tinctures intended to treat anxiety or epilepsy, while high-THC strains could be used for pain management. The cultivation, harvesting, and extraction methods will also vary depending on the end product, so a clear vision is key to streamlining these operations. 3. Compliance and Certification Requirements: The regulatory landscape for medical cannabis is strict and varies greatly by jurisdiction. Defining the final product informs the level of compliance required. Different certifications may be necessary for products consumed orally versus those applied topically. Additionally, GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) compliance can be tailored to the needs of the production facility. 4. Testing and Quality Assurance: Different products require specific testing protocols to ensure safety and efficacy. For instance, products intended for inhalation need different tests compared to those meant for oral ingestion. Setting a clear product goal allows the company to establish accurate testing protocols and invest in the appropriate lab equipment. 5. Supply Chain Management: A well-defined final product helps align the supply chain. Whether sourcing particular cannabis strains or investing in specialised extraction machinery, having a clear end goal ensures that upstream and downstream processes are efficient and cost-effective. 6. Patient Safety and Efficacy: Ultimately, patient safety is a priority in medical cannabis. By defining the final product early on, a company can develop accurate dosage guidelines, ensure consistent potency, and avoid contamination risks. This precision helps maintain patient trust and reduces the likelihood of product recalls or adverse events. Defining the final product before production is pivotal. It ensures a more efficient, compliant, and patient-focused approach, supporting the company's market position while upholding the industry's highest standards for safety and efficacy. #medicalcannabis #cannabisindustry #strategy Picture ©Carl Haffner 2024

Most founders want to scale their company. But no one teaches you how to do it after you’ve found product–market fit. So let me break it down based on what I’ve seen work inside the fastest-growing brands: 1️⃣ Processes Beat Hustle In the early days, you can sprint your way through everything. But to scale, speed = systems. If something works, document it. Then delegate it. If you don’t build repeatability, you’ll become your own bottleneck. 2️⃣ Distribution Over Product At scale, the best product doesn’t win. The best-known one does. You need traffic, eyeballs, and demand on tap. That means: – Paid media that scales – Organic that compounds – Partnerships that open new doors 3️⃣ People Are Multipliers Hiring gets harder as you grow. The cost of one wrong hire? Months of momentum lost. Bring in people who: – Make decisions without hand-holding – Scale themselves through others – Fit the stage you’re in, not just the resume 4️⃣ Let Go to Grow You can’t scale AND control everything. Let go of the landing page. The inbox. The ops calls. Scale only happens when you create leaders, not just helpers. 5️⃣ Cash Is King (Still) Most founders scale too fast—and run out of oxygen. Tidy unit economics > flashy growth.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗘𝗥𝗣 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹? 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵, not the business transformation it truly is. Listening to my network, there seems to be a rush to complete ERP migrations, as fast as possible, with SAP S/4HANA plans driving most of it. But an ERP system is more than just an IT upgrade. It’s a chance to redesign how your business operates and build a solution architecture that supports agility and innovation. While necessary, these migrations often become redundant without proper alignment to business goals. Something, I've seen happen! Here some get rights to consider: ◉ 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 Ensure that IT and business leaders are on the same page. ERP systems serve broader business objectives, such as innovation, improving procurement strategies, and enhancing supplier relationships. ◉ 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀. Instead of getting caught up in the technology itself, be clear about the business benefits you'd like to achieve. New ERP functionality can be of support to achieve goals like efficiency, cost reduction, and agility. ◉ 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗱-𝘁𝗼-𝗲𝗻𝗱 Don't just migrate complex, outdated processes but streamline them end-to-end. Reevaluate processes for efficiency and desired outcomes. ◉ 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 - 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 ERP migrations often fail due to poor user adoption. Beyond training, invest in communication & ongoing support showing the value and relevance of the system to users. ◉ 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀-𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 ERP impacts every area of the business, so cross-team collaboration is essential. Involve stakeholders from finance, procurement, IT, and operations ensures the system meets everyone’s needs. ◉ 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 - 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲 An ERP system is only as good as the data it processes. Ensure that data is clean, consistent, and reliable before migration. Dirty or incomplete data is one of the biggest challenges post-go-live. ◉ 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 Choose an architecture which allows for future-proofing and integration of new features, scalability and integration. Business models evolve, and your ERP must evolve with them." ◉ 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 - 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 Don’t rush an implementation. ERP migrations are complex and require time to integrate properly. A phased approach allows for troubleshooting and mitigates a risk for failure. ❓Any other "get rights" i missed and you would add from your experience. #erp #businesstransformation #migration #sap4hana

Bridging the "Manufacturing Valley of Death." If you're building a hardware startup, you already know: prototyping is hard, but scaling to production is where most ventures die. After helping dozens of hardware founders, I've seen one stage consistently kill great products: the transition from prototype to mass production. Why is this stage so so so brutal? You’re stuck in manufacturing no-man’s-land: ✅ Too big for prototype shops (their unit costs explode beyond 100 units). ✅ Too small for traditional contract manufacturers (they want 10,000+ units). ✅ Facing a 5–10x cost jump for tooling, molds, and compliance testing. ✅ Every delay cascades—supply chain hiccups, redesigns, and cash burn pile up fast. 1 day becomes 1 week becomes 1 month and so on... This is the "Valley of Death"—where startups hemorrhage money, time, and morale before reaching real customers. How to Survive (and Even Thrive, maybe): 1️⃣ Find a "Bridge" Manufacturer Look for CMs specializing in low-to-mid volume (500–10k units) with soft tooling or modular assembly. 2️⃣ Use Hybrid Prototyping Combine 3D printing, CNC, and hand assembly to defer expensive tooling until you validate demand. 3️⃣ Secure Flexible Funding Crowdfunding, pre-orders, or strategic investors who understand hardware’s scaling risks. 4️⃣ Design for Manufacturing (DFM) EARLY Involve manufacturing experts before your first prototype to avoid costly redesigns later. 5️⃣ Expect (and Budget For) Delays Assume your first production run will have 30% higher costs and 2x the timeline you planned. The Bottom Line: Crossing the hardware "Valley of Death" requires planning, partnerships, and patience. The startups that survive are the ones who: Treat scaling as a core risk (not an afterthought). Raise more capital than they think they’ll need (because they will). Build relationships with manufacturers before they’re desperate. If you’re in this phase now—keep pushing. The other side is worth it. What is your best tip for surviving the manufacturing valley of death? #Manufacturing #Electronics #Nearshoring #ContractManufacturing

You don’t have to be ready for everything. But with the tax authorities going digital at full speed, staying still is not an option. It’s becoming a bit of a boring platitude. But whenever I talk to tax leaders, I hear that tax audits remain very complex to handle. They take a lot of time and resources. As the tax authorities step up their game by combining the data obtained from multiple tax domains, they have a better understanding of the taxable position of multinationals and the inconsistency in reported positions across the different tax domains. Furthermore, tax authorities tend to take more aggressive positions, sometimes contrary to the aspired cooperative relationship. Needless to highlight here that most tax authorities are transforming their way of working (and auditing) at the speed of light. Tax teams need to take action. The good thing is that you can be proactive about controversy management. It’s called audit-readiness. Here is what leading teams do: 1 - They double down on process excellence, focus on controls, governance, and audit trails, for all tax operations (reality check: more and more the focus of tax inspectors is on the process rather than on individual filings and values) 2 - They invest in operationalising processes by installing workflow engines 3 - They document all their transactions and work, contemporaneously 4 - They have a structured repository for all things tax, unlocking instant data readiness 5 - They connect the dots between their operations across all tax verticals like CTX, IDT, WHT, TP, CBCR, even stat accounts (reality check: yes, the tax authorities are also doing consistency checks across your different filings and reportings) 6 - They track risks knowing that tax is non-binary (always grey) and continuously work on mitigation 7 - They standardise and automate audit management and leverage learnings 8 - They build relationships with the tax authorities 9 - They double down on world-class collaboration between all stakeholders involved, including local finance and external advisors 10 - They invest in AI bots that can e.g. automate the management of incoming questions from the tax authorities