I've got some exciting news to share. On Tuesday 3 November, I'll be on the Funding & Finance stage at the Festival of Entrepreneurs at the NEC Birmingham, delivering a session called The numbers that matter.
It's a real privilege to be part of the line-up. Around 200 speakers are taking part across four stages, including Sir Liam Fox, Sir Richard Harpin, Ray Kelvin CBE, Piers Linney MBE, Juliet Barratt, Alla Ouvarova and Thomas Robson-Kanu, and thousands of founders and business owners will be there across the two days.
Why this topic?
Here's something I see all the time. Business owners aren't short of numbers. Xero, bank feeds, reports and dashboards give you more information than ever before. What you're short of is the time to work out which of those numbers actually deserve your attention.
So the important stuff gets missed. A business looks profitable on paper but keeps running short of cash. A decision to hire gets made on gut feel because nobody's quite sure what the figures are saying. The business grows, but not in a way that makes it any stronger.
In my experience, the answer to most of the big questions (can I afford to recruit, should I invest, what happens if we lose our biggest customer) is usually already sitting in your accounts. You just need to know where to look.
What I'll be covering
The session sits under the Festival's Funding Readiness theme, and it's all about financial planning for growth.
If you're thinking about raising money, whether that's a bank loan, an investor or a grant, here's something worth knowing. Funders and investors don't wade through every line of your accounts. They focus on a small number of critical metrics, and they want to see that you understand them too.
I'll be talking about three areas:
Forecasting. How to build a forecast that's realistic, and that a funder will take seriously.
Cash flow management. Why profit and cash are not the same thing, and how to stop growth draining your bank account.
Financial visibility. Knowing where your business stands at any moment, so you can show your growth potential with confidence rather than hope.
And even if funding isn't on your radar yet, these are the same numbers that tell you whether your business is genuinely ready to grow.
My aim is simple. If you walk out of the session with one number you check every month that you weren't checking before, it will have been worth your 35 minutes.
Where it comes from
The session builds on themes from my book, The Three Pillars of Smart Finance. I wrote it for business owners rather than accountants, and it's all about turning your accounting information into real insight, planning how your growth will be funded, and making your business less dependent on one person (often you).
It also draws on two seasons of our podcast, Giving You More Than Numbers, and the honest conversations I've had with guests and listeners along the way.
Come and find me
Please don't just watch and leave. Come and find me afterwards. Bring me the financial question that's been keeping you up at night, and I'll tell you which number holds the answer.
The details
What: The numbers that matter with Paul Barnes
Where: Funding & Finance stage, Festival of Entrepreneurs, NEC Birmingham
When: Tuesday 3 November 2026, 1pm to 1.35pm
Cost: Free, but you'll need to register
Can't make it to the NEC? That's no problem at all. Give us a call on 01827 780550 and we can talk through your numbers one to one.
I hope to see you there.
Paul
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