Finance expert shares practical cashflow tips for growing businesses

Managing cashflow is one of the hardest parts of running a growing business, and one of the biggest reasons scale-ups stall or fail. 

With a career spanning global finance, start-ups, and FTSE 100 corporations, Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam, founder of The FD Consultant, draws on his experience running his own business over the past five years. He has spent years helping start-ups and scale-ups across the UK navigate the financial pressures of growth. 

Romesh was recently interviewed by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) on how to manage cashflow effectively. Here, he shares five key lessons for keeping growth sustainable. 

1. Plan growth carefully and sustainably

“Growth should be effective, aligned with revenue and profit goals, and well planned,” says Romesh. Expansion without strategy can quickly drain cash and create risk. 

2. Understand your cash runway

Knowing how long your cash will last allows you to act before problems arise. “It’s much better to spot an issue months in advance than to be blindsided,” Romesh explains. 

3. Implement rigorous cost management

Scaling usually means higher spending. “Step by step, does your spending align with your objectives?” Romesh asks. Set budgets, approve discretionary spending, and regularly review costs to prevent cash shortages. 

4. Maintain accurate, rolling cashflow forecasts

Forecasts should project inflows and outflows regularly and reflect reality. “Update your forecasts often, don’t just wait for year-end. They should guide your decisions, not just impress investors,” Romesh says. 

5. Tackle late payments and optimise collections

Late payments are a major burden for growing businesses. Romesh advises: “Set clear payment terms, chase overdue invoices promptly, and consider flexible billing options such as subscriptions or early payment discounts to protect your cash.” 

Romesh recently appeared as a panellist at ICAEW’s Scale-Up Live 2025 event, held at Chartered Accountants’ Hall. The event brought together members for insight, inspiration, and discussion on key challenges facing scaling businesses. Joined by fellow experts Anne Allibone and Carl Moore, Romesh shared practical advice on finance, growth strategy, and overcoming common scale-up hurdles. 

The FD Consultant was set up by Romesh five years ago. The firm supports start-ups and scale-ups across the UK with part-time finance director support, board advice, and mentoring. To find out more, visit www.thefdconsultant.com

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