Finance in Plain Language

What Investors Ask DefTech Founders: 7 Numbers You Need for Due Diligence

Teams often walk into a round with impressive tech but no financial model and no track record of their numbers. Here are the 7 metrics an investor will ask for at due diligence.

Drone unit cost: how to calculate the real price of a product — from components to engineer hours

The price is often set by gut feel, and the real margin stays a mystery. How to work out the true unit cost — from components to engineer hours and R&D.

The government pays in 60 days, but payroll is monthly: surviving the cash gap

The work under the government contract is done, but payment lands in 60 days. Payroll and components can't wait. How to get through the gap without panic or loans.

Finances of a defense-tech startup: keeping grants, government contracts and commercial sales as one picture

A grant, a government contract and commercial sales all sit in one pot — and it's unclear what belongs to whom or how much the company actually earns. How to pull the whole picture together.

A Business Loan: When It Saves You, and When It Sinks You

A loan is a tool, not a rescue. How to tell the situation where borrowing accelerates your business from the one where it only digs the hole deeper.

What Share of Your Revenue Can Go to Rent

A great location drives sales, but it also eats into your margin. Here's how to figure out what share of your revenue your business can actually afford to spend on rent without ending up working for the landlord.

How to Set a Price So You Don't Work at a Loss

Prices often get set "like the competitors" or "cost plus a bit." That's how you end up selling at a loss without noticing. Here's how to price the right way.

Haulage: the trucks keep rolling but the cash is gone — where the gap comes from

The trucks are on the road, there's plenty of work, yet the account keeps running dry. Why a haulier ends up with a cash gap and how to close it without taking on loans.

Your Store Turns a Profit, But There's No Cash — It's Stuck in Stock

The report shows a profit, but the account is empty. In retail, your money often sits on the shelves as unsold stock. Here's how to spot it and free up the cash.