The Fractional CFO Show with Adam Cooper

Building Without Funding: Control, Trade-offs, and Capital Discipline What if the best source of funding for your business isn't an investor? What if it's your customers? In this episode of The Fractional CFO Show, Adam Cooper sits down with Tayfun Bilsel, founder and CEO of Clinked, to explore the realities of building and scaling a technology business without relying on external investment. Over the last two decades, the startup world has become heavily associated with fundraising, venture ...

This week, I sat down with Stephen Knight, Founder and CEO of Pimento, to unpack how business can turn marketing from a cost into a profit driver. Some of my favourite takeaways from our conversation: ✅ The #1 mistake SMEs make when hiring marketing help, and how to avoid it. ✅ Why cutting brand spend in a downturn is often a strategic mistake. ✅ How to find the right marketing partner in a sea of thousands of agencies. ✅ How PE-backed businesses can still build brand equity without losing ...

This week, I sat down with Peter Charalambides, CEO of The Upper Room and former Property CEO, for a powerful conversation on how to run a charity with a business mindest. Some of my favourite moments from our chat include: ✅ What Peter learned from starting-up a business and how that shapes his charity leadership today. ✅ Why charities must diversify income streams and the impact of local community. ✅ Financial lessons from the business world on cash flow, benchmarking salaries, and t...

This week, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Mark Jenkins, CEO of The Gap, a platform to help accountants, CFOs, and advisors turn their expertise into scalable value-driven services. Some of my personal highlights from the conversation include: ✅ Why clients struggle to see your worth. ✅ The sweet spot between “art and science” when selling services. ✅ The importance of systemising delivery with repeatable frameworks. ✅ Tools to turn advisory chats into valuable and commercial outcomes...

This week, I had a fascinating conversation with @Rajeev Nandan, founder and CEO of @Pierian, about the evolution of Marketing technology and the impact of AI on digital marketing strategies. We covered: ✅ The move from traditional marketing to AI-driven, data-led strategies. ✅ The transition from a consulting business model to a scalable SaaS offering. ✅ The financial metrics that drive e-commerce success and sustainable growth. ✅ How businesses, big and small, can use AI to improve customer...

This week, I had a fascinating conversation with St John Dalgleish, CEO of Perlon AI, about the reality of building AI-driven solutions that actually deliver results. We explored how Perlon AI went from consulting to product, the challenges of scaling AI in diverse industries, and what the future holds for businesses using AI. 🌟 Some of my favourite parts of our discussion: ✅ Custom AI at scale: The challenges of tailoring AI models across 15 different industries while staying efficient. ✅...

On this one I was delighted to be joined by Erika Robinson, the UK General Manager of Constant Contact, a leading platform for small business marketing solutions. This was a cracking conversation with Erika where we had a wide ranging chat discussing AI tools, career pivots, lean team leadership and some tips on how small businesses can give themselves the best chance of achieving those big ambitions. 🌟 Some of the most interesting parts of our conversation were: ✅Risk vs. reward: How to a...

On this one I was delighted to be joined by Francesca Hodgson, MBA, the successful entrepreneur and Founder of We are Ambition, a business consultancy offering fractional leadership, growth services, mentoring and coaching. This was a fascinating conversation with Francesca where we explored the need for clarity of mind, as it relates to the entrepreneurial journey. 🌟 Some of the most interesting parts of our conversation were: ✅The power of authenticity, how it helps build confidence, and ...