In this episode of The Know Your Numbers Podcast, Craig Alexander Rattray sits down with Jim McFadzean, Head of Client Management at Lloyds Bank Invoice Finance, where he leads the team specialising in construction sector funding.

Jim brings over 40 years of experience at Lloyds and offers a no-nonsense perspective on what it really takes to run a successful and sustainable construction business. From pay-less notices and paper trails to the vital role of accurate forecasting, this conversation is packed with practical insight for anyone operating in one of the UK's toughest sectors.

This is a must-listen for construction business owners and anyone working with them - from funders to accountants to advisors.

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In this episode of The Know Your Numbers Podcast, Craig Alexander Rattray speaks with David Beveridge, Managing Partner of corporate law firm Macdonald Henderson, about his extraordinary leap from lawyer to law firm owner - during one of the most turbulent times in financial history.

Three months after Lehman Brothers collapsed in 2008, David took the biggest risk of his career: acquiring the firm he worked for with personal guarantees, limited capital, and a burning belief that he could make it work.

David shares what that transition was really like – from legal advisor to leader of people and strategy – and why understanding the business side of law was essential for long-term success. It’s a powerful conversation about resilience, reinvention, and the difference between delivering technical excellence and building something that lasts.

✅ Taking over a law firm at the height of the Great Recession

✅ Buying a business is never just a financial decision - it’s an emotional and personal one too

📢 “I took an absolutely ludicrous risk in acquiring a law firm three months after Lehman Brothers hit the wall.”

02:08 Early Life and Education

📌 Macdonald Henderson website – The award-winning corporate law firm led by David

In this episode of The Know Your Numbers Podcast, Craig Alexander Rattray sits down with Cameron Young, Partner at Business Partnership - one of the UK’s largest independent business brokers - for a frank, funny and eye-opening conversation about selling businesses the right way.

Cameron shares his personal journey from family-run start-up to successful seven-figure sale and now into business brokerage, helping others navigate the same path with honesty and transparency - a rare trait in a sector with a well-earned bad reputation.

If you’ve ever thought about selling your business (even one day), or want to understand how to build real value in what you’ve created, this is a must-listen.

✅ Cameron’s journey from school-hater to top of his class

✅ Don’t try to sell your business alone - it’s a full-time job

“It was like a lightbulb moment: what if this is all just a distraction tactic from our competitors?”

📌 Business Partnership - Honest business brokerage with nationwide reach

In this episode of The Know Your Numbers Podcast, Craig Alexander Rattray sits down with Calvin Bannan, a driven entrepreneur and founder of CB Services Group, a fast-growing heating and plumbing business. Calvin’s journey is one of grit, growth, and transformation, from washing dishes and selling solar panels at 17 to building a seven-figure trades business with a focus on excellence and branding.

With honesty and warmth, Calvin shares the ups and downs of his journey: the hard lessons, the leap of faith to go out on his own, and the moment he realised he was out of his depth. Crucially, he also shares how knowing his numbers - and learning how to run a business properly - has given him clarity, confidence and control.

This is one for anyone who’s ever doubted themselves, worked through the fear, and dared to dream bigger.

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In this episode of The Know Your Numbers Podcast, Craig Alexander Rattray is joined by long-time friend and visionary entrepreneur Chris Newlands, Founder and CEO of Space Aye. Chris is a former Royal Navy accountant and sniper (yes, really!) who’s now changing the world - literally - with a satellite tech platform that’s been called “the most exciting thing to happen in space in the last 10 years.”

Chris has been named the #4 space entrepreneur in the world, behind Musk, Bezos and Branson.

He’s doing it differently. Building differently. Thinking differently.

From tackling wildfires and deforestation to fighting global crime, Chris explains how real-time satellite imagery combined with ground-level intelligence is reshaping how we see and respond to the world’s biggest challenges. Backed by NASA, supported by the UN, and lauded by Interpol, Space Aye isn’t just a tech business, it’s a global mission.

In a conversation packed with ambition, integrity, and practical advice, Craig and Chris discuss the financial lessons behind building a game-changing company, why relationships matter more than pitch decks, and what it means to think really big.

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In this episode of The Know Your Numbers Podcast, Craig Alexander Rattray is joined by Chris Peace, founder of Peace Recruitment and now independent business coach, for a frank and energising conversation about growing, exiting, and what really matters in business.

Chris talks candidly about starting a recruitment company in the depths of the 2009 recession, scaling it to 25 staff and £10 million turnover, and planning a successful exit with military-style precision. From risk-taking and frugality to cash flow discipline and strategic vision, this one’s full of insights every ambitious business owner needs to hear.

He also shares what he’s doing now... coaching other founders to build businesses with less stress, more time, and a whole lot more cash.

✅ Why he launched a business in the middle of a recession

✅ Focus on cash - always!

📢 "I didn’t want to be on the big tanker when the tsunami hit. So I jumped off and paddled my little dinghy in the opposite direction."

📌 Chris Peace on LinkedIn - Independent strategic business coaching

In this episode of The Know Your Numbers Podcast, Craig Alexander Rattray is joined by Shane Lukas, Managing Director of AVN – The Accountants Network, for a straight-talking conversation about how business owners can finally stop feeling overwhelmed by their finances.

Shane shares why so many entrepreneurs are left confused by reports, frustrated with their accountants, and unsure how to use financial data to make better decisions. Together, Craig and Shane break down what needs to change – not just in the numbers, but in the conversations around them.

If you've ever received a report and thought, “What am I meant to do with this?” – this episode is for you.

✅ The disconnect between analytical accountants and big-picture business owners

✅ Most business owners don’t need more reports – they need clearer communication

📢 “Entrepreneurs are big-picture thinkers. They don’t go into the detail – they need that translation to understand how to use the data.”

📌 AVN – The Accountants Network – Tools and training for value-driven accountants

In this episode of The Know Your Numbers Podcast, Craig Alexander Rattray is joined by Jamie Taylor, founder of Taylor Roofs and host of the popular Taylor Talks Trades podcast. Jamie shares his journey from apprentice roofer to building a multi-million-pound business – and the wake-up calls, mindset shifts, and financial lessons he learned along the way.

From realising he didn’t “own a business, just a job” to making the leap into serious financial control, Jamie’s story is one that will resonate with thousands of business owners in the trades and construction world – and beyond.

It’s an episode packed with practical insights, honest reflections, and powerful takeaways about growth, resilience, and what it really means to run a business that works without you.

✅ You don’t need to become an accountant – but you do need to understand your numbers

📢 “You’ve not got a business – you just own a job. That was the best advice I ever got.”

02:48 The Importance of Trades and Apprenticeships

📌 Taylor Roofs – Jamie’s award-winning roofing business

In this deeply important episode of The Know Your Numbers Podcast, Craig Alexander Rattray sits down with Nicola Campbell, Lead Partnership Manager at The Lighthouse Charity, to talk about mental health in the construction sector, business pressures, and the support that’s available to those who build the world around us.

Nicola shares the heartbreaking reality that the construction industry loses two workers every working day to suicide, and explains how Lighthouse Charity provides free, 24/7 support to anyone in the industry – from site workers and subcontractors to business owners, directors, and their families.

This conversation is about more than business – it’s about people. It's a reminder that your mental health matters as much as your financial health, and there is help available when things feel heavy.

✅ The silent pressures that business owners in construction face every day

✅ Suicide is preventable – but we have to talk about it, and offer real support

📢 “We do lose two construction workers every working day to suicide.” – Nicola Campbell

📌 The Lighthouse Charity – 24/7 wellbeing and crisis support for construction workers and business owners

In this episode of The Know Your Numbers Podcast, Craig Alexander Rattray is joined by the dynamic Emma Ross, founder of Ross Commercial Finance. Known for her no-nonsense approach, distinctive personality, and deep lender relationships, Emma is quickly becoming one of the most trusted names in UK commercial finance.

From her early days winning credit card competitions at the bank, to launching her own brokerage and turning it into a profitable, growing business in under a year, Emma’s journey is all about drive, clarity, and backing yourself.

She shares her experiences navigating male-dominated spaces, building a business on trust and service, and why helping her clients tell the right story is key to unlocking funding.

✅ Why commercial finance is all about storytelling – and getting the detail right

✅ Success isn’t just about the numbers – it’s about how you present the numbers

📢 “If you give me a one-liner saying, ‘I flipped a property before,’ how am I supposed to sell that to a lender? But if you tell me what you paid, what you spent, the before and after photos – now we’re building the picture.”

📌 Ross Commercial Finance – Learn more about Emma’s brokerage and services