Understanding your numbers and what they can help you achieve

Running a business can pull you into a familiar rhythm: win the work, deliver the work, then find the next piece of work. When you’re caught in that “sell, do, sell” cycle, making time to understand your finances can feel like another task competing for your attention.

At GoodShip*, we know that pressure. We also know how much depends on having a clear picture of your numbers. They help you decide whether you can recruit, invest in an idea, bring in specialist support or give yourself the space to plan ahead. They can also reveal when a busy business needs to change how it prices, spends or gets paid.

That’s why we’re helping bring together Liverpool Chamber’s next Navigate Knowledge Sharing session, Numbers, on Tuesday 20th October. It’s an opportunity for founders, business owners and leadership teams to step back, ask questions and explore the financial decisions behind running and growing a business.

Understanding the business behind the numbers

Turnover is often the number we talk about most, but it only tells part of the story. A business can be winning more work while facing tighter margins, rising costs or longer waits for payment. Growth can create pressure when you need to pay people and suppliers before the money from customers arrives.

Understanding your numbers means being able to connect them with what is happening in your business. Are you pricing your work in a way that covers the time and resources it takes to deliver? What commitments are coming up? How much room do you have to invest? What would happen if a major customer paid late?

Those questions matter whether you’re starting out or leading an established organisation. Building regular financial habits and knowing when to ask for support can help you make decisions earlier, with a clearer understanding of your options.

Bringing different perspectives into the room

We’ve brought together six speakers whose experience spans corporate finance, taxation, investment, funding and business growth.

Adam Brighouse from DSG brings a corporate finance perspective, helping us explore financial planning and what the numbers reveal about the strength and value of a business. Thinking about value can help guide the way you build your company long before a sale, acquisition or investment becomes part of the plan.

Darren Griffin from RSM brings specialist knowledge of tax and R&D. His perspective will help connect innovation and investment with wider financial planning, particularly for businesses developing products, technology and new ideas.

Sue Chambers from River Capital will bring insight into finance for growth. We’ll explore when debt can be a useful tool, what a business needs to understand before taking it on and how funding should connect with a realistic plan.

Terry Cheesman from Ziliant Tax adds further experience in tax and R&D, bringing another perspective on the relationship between innovation, taxation and financial management.

James Ryan from UMi helps businesses navigate commercial finance and understand their funding options. He’ll contribute to the conversation about finding suitable finance and understanding how it fits into the wider needs of a business.

Carmel Dickinson from Worthy brings a perspective on growth, decision-making and purpose, helping keep the discussion connected to the realities of running a business and the opportunities we can create for others.

Together, these perspectives will give attendees the chance to consider their questions from different angles and identify where further support could be useful.

What good can our numbers do?

For GoodShip*, this conversation also connects directly with purpose and impact. Financial understanding helps us make deliberate choices about the kind of business we want to build and how we put our resources to work.

That might mean paying people fairly, paying suppliers on time, investing in training or creating an opportunity for someone at the start of their career. It could mean buying from local businesses, supporting a community organisation or setting aside resources to develop an idea with a wider social benefit.

Some of those choices require investment. Others begin with understanding where money is already going and whether that spending reflects your priorities. Financial resilience can help a business sustain its commitments to people and communities over time.

We want to make room for that discussion at Numbers: what are our finances enabling us to do, and how can better decisions help us create a positive impact?

Who should attend?

This session is for founders, business owners, managers and team leaders across Liverpool City Region, particularly those working in professional services, creative and tech businesses, including startups and scale-ups.

You might be getting to grips with your finances, considering funding, planning to recruit or trying to understand why growth isn’t translating into more available cash. You may already have financial support in place but want a broader perspective on your next stage of development.

Bring the questions you’ve been meaning to ask. The aim is to help you leave with practical ideas, a clearer sense of what matters in your business and useful connections to people who can support you.