Archives June 2026

Customers are the lifeblood of any business, so it’s vital you can keep generating leads and retaining your existing customers.

But doing so is often a concern for businesses, with more than one in three companies saying that generating new business is their biggest worry.

We spoke to two small business owners and asked them to share their experiences of growing their customer base.

Here’s what we cover:

1. Get to know your prospects and customers

There’s a lot of talk about personalisation and customer insight. That’s because it works.

Understanding your customers’ needs can lead to better insights into your audience and allows you to develop services that are matched to your clients’ needs.

It can also help you stand out from your competitors, something that Alice Boden understands. She’s managing director of Teeny Greeny, which supplies organic microgreen grow kits—although when she spoke to Sage Advice for this article she was managing director of Bodice of Holt, which offered a home delivery service for fruit and vegetables.

She said: “We know our customers really well and know their preferences so we can tell them when certain things are coming—when they’re in season and in stock. Our service is completely personalised to their needs.

“This is where we have an advantage over bigger suppliers. I have a good relationship with our customers and I know the business. Because I source the produce and pack the boxes, I know exactly what’s happening and can provide a fully personalised service.”

And it’s not just consumers who like this approach. It also works for business clients too.

Mike Cockburn, director at Sogno, a positive psychology coaching company, said, “It’s important that we understand what our clients are trying to achieve: their mission, their goals. Then we look at how we can accelerate that and customise our services to meet their needs. It leads to a more balanced relationship.”

2. Divide your time: support existing clients and look for new work

In simple terms, there are two ways to get more business—win new business or get your existing customers to spend more. It’s important to ensure you don’t focus on one at the expense of the other, as both are important for growing your customer base.

Mike said, “We do have a lot of repeat business and feel we offer the most value with long-term clients. But you need to keep bringing in new business too. Old business can falter if budgets change or people move on, so it’s important to look for new opportunities. You need to start a relationship early, so that it’s mature enough to deliver new business when your other work is completed.”

3. Offer great customer service

To keep your existing customers coming back, it’s important you offer great customer service. In fact, research shows that 78% of people have walked away from a sale as a result of poor customer service.

But if you get it right, it has a positive impact on your customer base and your bottom line. Loyal customers are worth up to ten times the amount they originally spend.

Take the time out to evaluate your customer service, make sure you respond to your customers quickly and keep an eye on social media so you can offer great service online too. Your customer numbers should grow as a result.

4. Make the most of your networks

Ask a business owner where their customers come from and most will tell you that word of mouth is their main source.

Recommendations from others are valuable: “It’s the idea of social capital – the value of relationships,” said Mike. “If I know people that they know, then there’s an implied trust.”

Most of his clients come from networking, something he’s passionate about.

“I think people sometimes equate networking with sales and prospects can be sensitive to a sales approach. But if you recognise that only so many contacts will go on to be clients, then it reduces the pressure. The work we do is based on trust and openness so the way we make contact is a good opportunity to demonstrate that. I meet up with loads of people and if I can help, they remember that. That can open new doors.”

Alice agreed. “Networking is really useful. It’s not just about selling, it’s about what you can do for people.”

5. Look for partnerships with other businesses

Your ideal customer will already have relationships with other businesses and this offers a great opportunity.

By partnering with other firms which offer complementary services, you can not only reach a new audience but also potentially offer more to your customers.

It’s something that Bodice of Holt were looking into when Sage Advice spoke to Alice when this article was originally published: “There’s a body development firm in Bath, which offers personal training and nutrition advice. Part of their service is to help their customers to understand what they should be eating when they’re training, which includes fruit and vegetables. They are recommending us to their clients – and we’re looking at delivering directly to the gym once a week.

“It’s about looking around and keeping your eyes peeled for opportunities. Be open to new ideas and speak to people to see if they’re interested.”

Social media has revolutionised the way customers and businesses can share information and have conversations.

From online customer service to using social media to get insights into your audience, there are now excellent opportunities for businesses to reach out via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other networks. Which ones work for you will depend on your business, your audience and the way you like to communicate.

7. Think big

If you’re a small business, can you work with a big company? The simple answer is yes.

But many small companies find it intimidating to make contact. Mike has had a range of big clients, from Greggs to Kia, and said it’s worthwhile approaching large corporates.

“Our success with clients goes back to developing a network of long-term connections. But small businesses now have more opportunities to work with big clients. I think that’s changed since the credit crunch. Big corporates may have been suspicious of smaller businesses in the past but they now recognise that they offer value and have lower costs too. There is less prejudice now.”

8. Play to your strengths

It’s definitely worth testing a range of marketing approaches and seeing what works. But remember that every business is different, so you may find that some approaches don’t work. Don’t be afraid to drop these.

9. Adapt as your business grows

It’s important to keep trying new ways of reaching your audience and don’t automatically reject things that might not have worked in the past.

As your company becomes established, you may find your customers come from different sources. This is why it’s important to keep track of business analytics and your financials.

“We get new customers from a wider mixture of places as the business has grown,” said Alice. “We’ve been going for about two years and at the start, it was through friends and family. Now we get people through word of mouth, advertising and from attending markets. We also get people through Google and the website.”

10. Measure what works for you

As you try out new approaches, be sure to monitor where your customers come from and which sources offer the most value.

You can then keep refining your approach or scale up activities that work to grow your customer base further.

This article was first published in October 2017 has been updated for relevance.

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Growth is a tricky business. Companies must continuously strive to identify new growth opportunities to achieve long-term business success.

That’s why it is essential for your business to develop fresh insights that will ultimately help to generate ideas that the competition has failed to see.

This fascinating subject is what we cover in this article, as follows:

Ideas are the lifeblood of business

Ideas range from big and audacious to small and modest, and they’re the lifeblood of a business, so none should be dismissed out of hand.

Sometimes a small change of angle is all it takes to turn an idea into a viable proposition.

Investing in a robust process for the “front end of innovation”—the early work of generating and shaping ideas—improves both the quality and quantity of the ideas you produce, and keeps everyone involved engaged.

So how do you turn those ambitious ideas into real growth opportunities?

Start with market research

The first step is to draw up a shortlist of competitors, and market research is invaluable here.

The more you learn about your competitors—what they sell, where, and to whom—the clearer your picture of whether you’re competing in the same space, or missing growth opportunities they haven’t spotted either.

Modern research goes well beyond a spreadsheet of rivals: digital tools, customer reviews, social listening, and search data all help reveal what people actually want and where the gaps are. (More on putting AI and data to work below.)

Four growth strategies: the Ansoff Matrix

Once you understand your market, it helps to think about growth systematically.

One of the most enduring tools for this is the Ansoff Matrix, developed by Igor Ansoff in 1957.

It maps four growth strategies against two variables—your products and your markets, each either existing or new—ranging from lower to higher risk. (Don’t forget to work out how you’ll manage that growth, too.)

Market penetration: existing products, existing markets

Increasing market penetration is probably the least risky growth approach—though risk is always relative.

It’s considered lower risk because you’re dealing with known factors: your existing products and your existing markets.

The watch-out is complacency. If you’re blind to changes around you, such as new products and services from competitors, you can miss your customers’ changing needs and end up losing ground.

Market development: existing products, new markets

Market development means selling your existing products into new markets.

It carries more risk than market penetration, because expanding into a new market can involve investment with no guarantee of a profitable return.

But because you’re using existing products, there are no product development costs, which helps to keep the risk in check.

Product development: new products, existing markets

Sometimes called product or service innovation, this means introducing something new to the customers you already have.

It takes investment of time and money, and you may need to train staff so customers get the best advice on the new product. The key is in-depth knowledge of who your customers are and what they need—focusing on existing customers lets you learn what offering will land best.

And not every new product or service demands significant capital investment.

Diversification: new products, new markets

Diversification is generally seen as the riskiest strategy: new products and new markets at once, so you have no experience of either the product or the customers likely to buy it.

The upside is first-mover advantage—if no one has met this need before, you can establish yourself as the leader well ahead of the competition, which usually lets you charge a premium.

Make AI and data part of your process

Whichever strategy you choose, base your decisions on solid data rather than gut feel. It markedly improves your chances of success.

What has changed since this article was first published, back in 2018, is how much data is now within reach of even small businesses, and how much of the analysis can be automated.

AI tools, in particular, can take on a lot of the heavy lifting at the front end of innovation:

• Market and competitor research: summarising reports, tracking competitors and pulling together a market picture far faster than doing it by hand.
• Customer insight: analysing reviews, support tickets, surveys and social media to surface the unmet needs and recurring problems that point to opportunities.
• Idea generation and testing: acting as a sounding board to expand, refine and pressure-test ideas before you commit resources to them.
• Forecasting: modelling demand, pricing and cash flow scenarios so you can compare your options with more confidence.

There are two cautions, though.

First, AI works best alongside real conversations with customers, not instead of them—the tools surface patterns, but judgement and direct contact still decide what’s worth pursuing.

Second, your insight is only as good as your data, so it’s worth getting your underlying numbers—sales, costs, customer information—clean and in one place.

Good accounting and business software makes that far easier, and increasingly comes with built-in analytics and AI features of its own.

Build the right team

Even the best growth strategy needs the right people behind it. As you grow, you may need to recruit to handle the extra demands. But don’t just fill the skills gap. Look for people who will thrive in your culture and add to it, not only those who tick the technical boxes.

Hiring has changed in recent years. Many roles are now hybrid or remote, which widens your talent pool well beyond your local area, but also means thinking harder about how culture, communication and collaboration work across a distributed team.

Skills shortages in several sectors have made the strongest candidates harder to find and keep, so it pays to be clear about what makes your business a good place to work.

But recruitment is only half the picture.

Put people-management practices in place to retain both new and existing staff, so you grow together as a team rather than churning through hires. And don’t overlook the talent you already have: with the current pace of change—AI included—upskilling and developing your existing team is often quicker and cheaper than hiring from scratch, and it helps people feel invested in where the business is heading.

Keep an eye on your finances

If you’ve got plans on the table to chase new opportunities, keep a close eye on your finances. As we’ve covered, you may need extra funding to pay for the new products or services you’re taking to a new market.

Make sure your finances are in good shape and stay on top of your cash flow. Keeping everything ticking along smoothly frees the business to focus on its goals for growth.

And remember: whether you’re going for superfast growth or a slower, steadier path, the same thinking and planning still applies.

The combination of sharp insight, sound data, the right team and healthy finances is what turns an ambitious idea into sustainable growth.

Final thoughts

Growth doesn’t have to mean taking big risks or reinventing your business overnight.

Often the strongest opportunities come from looking more closely at what you already have—your existing customers, your products, your data—and asking where the gaps are.

The Ansoff Matrix gives you a framework for thinking about that systematically, and AI now makes it far easier to do the research and analysis that used to take weeks. Of course you can combine the two together easily by asking AI to apply the Matrix to your business.

Whatever direction you choose, the fundamentals stay the same: understand your market, back your decisions with data, invest in the right people, and keep your finances in good shape.

The businesses that grow sustainably aren’t necessarily the boldest. They’re the ones that plan well, act decisively, and keep adjusting as they learn.

This article was first published in January 2018 and has been updated for relevance.

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Want to start a business? You’re not alone. Around 832,000 new companies were set up in the UK in 2025, according to the NatWest and Beauhurst New Startup Index—part of a wave of activity that has pushed the total number of active companies to a record 5.66 million.

If you want to join their numbers, you’ve come to the right place.

Here’s what we cover in this article:

Starting steps

Planning for a new business is one of the most important stages if you want to succeed–especially with rising costs and a competitive market to navigate.

But don’t procrastinate.

Take your business idea to market, test it and iterate it if necessary, as that’s a great way to see if people are interested in what you are selling to them.

So, whether you’re starting your business because of a personal passion, a gap in the market or simply because you want to work for yourself, get ready to take the first steps towards making it a reality—read on for some useful advice as you begin your exciting journey of starting and running your own business.

The basics of starting a new business

Before you dive in, it’s worth getting your ducks in a row first. By doing that, you will give your business a fighting chance of succeeding.

When starting a new business, you’ll need to register with HMRC. Most companies set up as a sole trader, partnership, or limited company.

Choose a name for your business, but check with Companies House and on Google to see if it’s not already in use. If you use a name that’s the same as another business, you could get in trouble over trademark issues, or for “passing off”—a situation where it can be implied (even if it’s unintentional) that you’re attempting to benefit from another business’ reputation.

Once you’ve got a name, it’s not a bad idea to buy the website domain name for your company, and to register accounts on social media. Even better, this is another way in which you’ll typically discover if there’s another entity with the same or a similar name.

You’ll need to put a system in place so you can manage your cash flow, costs, and tax payments once you start trading. Using accounting software can help your business stay in check and keep you on top of your finances. Unsurprisingly, Sage has everything you could ever need, including Sole Trader Free—which as its name suggests, costs nothing!

It’s also worth finding an accountant, who will help you stay on top of your tax requirements and other financial elements. Accountants also hand out business advice, which can be a game changer. After all, they spend all day talking to business owners. They’ve seen it all, and are always happy to share because your success is ultimately their success, too. (Tip: Take a look at the Sage Accountant and Bookkeeper Directory.)

If raising finance is a requirement for your business—or even if it isn’t—you’ll need to create a business plan. This living document will help you with your planning and keep your business focused as you work to build it. More on that below.

Legalities you need to know about starting a business

If you set up as a limited company, there’s now an extra step to be aware of.

Since 18 November 2025, all company directors and people with significant control must verify their identity with Companies House under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act. For a brand-new company, you’ll complete this as part of incorporation, so it’s worth factoring in before you file.

Another thing to bear in mind is that, these days, software isn’t just a convenience.

For many businesses it’s a legal requirement.

Under Making Tax Digital (MTD), VAT-registered businesses already keep digital records using MTD-ready software, and file their returns using the software.

Since April 2026, the same approach has applied to income tax for self-employed people and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000, dropping to £30,000 from April 2027 (and £20,000 in April 2028).

In practice, that means submitting quarterly updates through MTD-compatible software, and then submitting a digital tax return using the software—rather than facing a once-a-year scramble with spreadsheets. So, it pays to choose the right tool from day one.

It’s worth keeping an eye on your turnover: once it exceeds the VAT registration threshold (£90,000 as of 2026), you’ll need to register for VAT within 30 days. This is definitely something to discuss with an accountant if you’re getting anywhere near that level, because the timing can be problematic. You could be left out of pocket if you’re not charging VAT on your invoices.

Expert advice on planning a business

Working with experts when planning a business can help you to get off on the right footing.

As previously highlighted, an accountant can assist you with your tax affairs and a bookkeeper can help you manage your books, leaving you to focus on building and growing your business.

When deciding on the right legal structure for your business, it’s worth seeking advice from a solicitor or an accountant.

For some businesses, this might be a straightforward option.

However, if you have plans to trade in numerous countries, you will have international tax and legal issues to consider, making things more complex. Don’t rush into making a decision. Do your research, seek advice, then put your plans into play.

Expert advice can also come in the form of getting help when it comes to creating important documents such as a business plan—see below for more details on why having one can really help your business.

How do you find a winning business idea?

Finding the perfect idea can be a tricky affair.

For some people, it can be as simple as turning a passion, hobby or skill set—such as fitness, baking or social media management—into a business idea. Some people might be trained by their employer and realise they can take those skills into a new business.

For others, though, the desire might be there to create a business but pinning down an idea is a bit harder.

One way to come up with a business idea is to study growing trends.

Assess current business trends, read industry-specific research, talk to friends and family, see what’s happening in the news, and speak to people working in the industry you want to start up in.

AI chatbots can speed up that research too—helping you summarise market reports, test ideas and spot gaps—though they work best alongside real conversations with potential customers, not instead of them.

For your business to flourish, you’ll need to come up with an idea that solves a problem, has a unique selling point and is something people are willing to pay for. Without that, your company won’t last very long. And remember, a great business idea isn’t enough to succeed—you need to back it up with planning, application, dedication, and hard work.

How to write a great business plan

If you want to give your business a fighting chance of succeeding, it helps to have a business plan in place.

By creating a business plan, you will have a practical framework that will guide your hard work, enthusiasm and skills, and keep you focused.

You will use the document to map out your company’s strategic goals, strengths and weaknesses, purpose, and unique selling point. It will also help you to achieve clarity on the market you want to sell to and the companies you will be competing against.

By using your business plan to create milestones for your company, you can set targets that will keep you moving in your bid to build and grow your firm.

Another tool that can assist you is a Business Model Canvas—a one-page business plan that can help your company simplify its planning in a way that is highly visual.

For step-by-step guidance, read our guide to creating business plans and develop a document that will help you to stay on top of things.

Starting different business types

Want to create a business but need advice that’s tailored to your target market? We’ve created a series of industry-specific articles that will help and save you time.

Food and drink businesses

Got designs on opening a restaurant, running a coffee shop, starting a food truck or selling your products in a supermarket? The food and drink industry is a competitive one, so having your planning in place will help.

Here are just some of the articles we have on Sage Advice that can help:

Online and ecommerce businesses

Planning on selling goods online? It’s tempting to dive right in, as you don’t have to worry about purchasing commercial real estate—but you still have to consider how you’ll deliver your products and services to your customers. Then you must determine how you’ll be selling your goods, how you’ll market your business and what your online shopfront will look like—i.e. your website.

Here aresome articles we have here at Sage Advice that you can take a look at:

Shops and retail businesses

Do you have ambitions of owning your own shop—a proper bricks-and-mortar option? Owning a physical space to sell your goods will have its challenges, notably property purchase or rental costs and finding the right location, among other things, so it’s in your best interest to be prepared.

Here’s some of our articles that can point you in the right direction:

Professional services businesses

So, you’ve worked for a design agency for years and you’re ready to go it alone? Perhaps you want to open your own cleaning business or maybe you want to run your own consulting firm. No matter what type of professional services company you want to run, here’s some advice:

Final thoughts: Ready to start a business?

There are lots of steps to take when starting your business, but by taking your time and putting the right planning in place, you will make things easier.

Remember, take advantage of expert advice when you need it, and think about how you can meet the needs of your customers and clients with your products and services.

And don’t forget about your finances – make sure you keep on top of your cash flow if you want your business to succeed.

This article was first published in April 2018, and has been updated several times since for relevance.

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Finance teams can take nearly three months per year to close the books—time that you could better spend on strategic decision-making.

AP automation eliminates manual workloads, optimises cash flow, and minimises financial risk, allowing you to focus on what truly matters: driving business growth.

By automating the financial close, our Close the Books research says businesses can free up to 3x more time, saving an average of 24 working days per year whilst improving accuracy and efficiency.

AI-powered automation can work so your invoices flow seamlessly from capture to payment, giving you real-time visibility, fewer mistakes, and faster decision-making.

Perhaps most importantly, you can shift work to higher-value tasks and what truly matters, such as driving growth.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

What is AP automation?

Accounts Payable (AP) manages outgoing payments to vendors and suppliers you work with, so invoices are processed, verified, and paid on time.

Adopting AP best practice lets you:

• Optimise cash flow—control when and how payments are made.
• Strengthen vendor relationships—timely payments build trust and can lead to better terms.
• Ensure compliance—accurate record-keeping supports audits and financial regulations.

AP automation makes all this more manageable

AI-powered accounts payable automation software can digitise and optimise the AP process, automating invoice capture, approval workflows, and payment processing.

It cuts out mistakes whilst saving time, letting you focus on business-critical initiatives instead of repetitive tasks.

Consider AP automation not as a basic financial tactical improvement but as a strategic move that can align with your business goals of driving growth and efficiency.Whether you are part of a small start-up or mid-sized business, automating the accounts payable process can undoubtedly improve your financial management.

The challenges of manual accounts payable processes

Your business may struggle daily with problems regarding manual AP workflows.

Common challenges include:

Time-consuming processes

Manual data entry and invoice matching slow your financial management and create bottlenecks.

High error rates

Duplicate payments, missed invoices, and human mistakes lead to financial losses.

Lack of visibility

Tracking invoice statuses manually makes cash flow management and budgeting difficult.

Scaling issues

As your business grows, you know that handling increasing invoice volumes manually becomes unsustainable.

Supplier relationship risks

Delayed payments strain vendor relationships and affect supply chain reliability.

The benefits of AP automation

Switching to automated accounts payable systems delivers significant efficiency gains, cost savings, and accuracy improvements.

Here’s seven areas that AP automation can transform, making your finance operations more efficient:

1. Time savings

According to our research, automating financial close processes can save up to 24 working days per year.

For finance teams burdened by manual AP workflows, automation eliminates tedious tasks like data entry and invoice approvals—freeing up valuable time for strategic decision-making.

Automating data entry, invoice matching, and approvals can reduce this workload by 50%, freeing up hundreds of hours annually for strategic tasks.

2. Cost reduction

AP automation could lower your operational costs by:

• Cutting labour expenses and reducing reliance on manual processing.
• Eliminating late fees and duplicate payments that drain cash flow.
• Reducing paper-based costs, saving on printing, storage, and postage expenses.

3. . Increased accuracy

AI-powered AP automation can achieve 95%+ accuracy within a month, cutting out costly errors like duplicate payments or incorrect invoice amounts.

Machine learning continuously improves data validation over time.

4. Enhanced visibility and control

Automated AP dashboards provide real-time insights into invoice statuses, payment schedules, and cash flow, allowing you to make data-driven decisions quickly.

5. Improved supplier relationships

On-time payments prevent disputes and build trust with vendors, leading to stronger supplier relationships (and, if you’re lucky, potential discounts for early payments).

6. Scalability

As your business grows, manual AP will become unsustainable.

Automation allows you to handle increasing invoice volumes without adding headcount, making it easier to scale operations how you want.

7. Compliance and audit readiness

With automated tracking of approvals and digital record-keeping, AP automation simplifies compliance with any financial regulations you need to follow, making your audits more efficient.

How does AP automation work in your day-to-day?

You’re on your office computer on Monday morning.

Your inbox is flooded with invoices waiting for approval.

• Your finance team spends time manually entering data and chasing approvals. Errors creep in, payments get delayed, and tracking cash flow becomes a nightmare.

Fast-forward to a Monday where you use AP automation.

• Invoices are captured and categorised instantly. Approvals move seamlessly through automated workflows, and real-time financial insights are just a click away.

See the difference?

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of how AP automation can transform your finance team’s daily operations:

Before AP automation	After AP automation
Monday morning chaos: hundreds of invoices arrive, requiring manual data entry	Invoices auto-captured: AI-powered data extraction scans, categorises, and enters invoices automatically
Time-consuming approvals: you manually route invoices for approval, leading to delays	Automated approval workflows: invoices are digitally routed to the right stakeholders with automatic reminders
Duplicate or missed payments: invoices are sometimes paid twice or lost, leading to errors and financial loss	Error prevention: your system flags duplicate invoices and mismatches before payment
Lack of real-time visibility: you struggle to track invoice statuses, delaying cash flow decisions	Instant AP dashboard: view invoice status, payment schedules, and real-time cash flow insights
Supplier frustration: your vendors call about delayed payments, and finance teams scramble to find invoices	Better supplier relationships: you resolve disputes faster by quickly looking up an invoice status
Leadership meetings without insights: no real-time data makes presenting an accurate cash flow update hard	Data-driven decisions: real-time financial reports provide clear cash flow insight before meetings
Buried in emails: you spend hours chasing approvals, tracking payments, and resolving issues	Finance teams focus on strategy: freed from admin tasks, you can work on forecasting, budgeting, and cost optimisation

You end up with fewer errors, faster payments, and a finance team that drives business growth instead of being bogged down by admin.

Why AP automation matters

Businesses that embrace cloud-based AP automation enjoy 25% more automation than their counterparts.

And with 73% of businesses planning to move to the cloud, automation is becoming a critical business priority.

Efficiency gains

By automating accounts payable workflows, you can optimise your teams’ productivity and allow them to focus on strategic tasks like financial planning and analysis.

Cash flow optimisation

Real-time visibility into invoices and payment schedules helps you make better decisions about managing cash flow, a critical factor for growth.

Data-driven decisions

AP automation platforms provide actionable insights that enable you to identify trends, reduce inefficiencies, and forecast future needs.

Risk management

By reducing errors and ensuring compliance, automation minimises financial and reputational risk.

How to choose your AP automation

To find the best AP automation for your business, consider these five key factors:

1. Integration with existing systems

Ensure the platform seamlessly integrates with your ERP or accounting software to avoid data silos and manual workarounds.

2. AI-powered capabilities

Look for AI-driven features such as:

• Auto-categorisation of invoices for faster processing.
• Duplicate payment detection to prevent costly errors.
• Smart invoice matching to POs, reducing manual verification time.

3. Compliance and security

Your AP automation solution should, at a minimum:

• Support audit tracking for regulatory compliance.
• Offer fraud prevention tools, such as approval workflows and the ability to flag suspicious transactions.
• Maintain secure data storage with encryption and role-based access.

4. Scalability and customisation

As your business grows, your AP system should adapt.

Choose tech that:

• Supports increasing invoice volumes without adding manual effort.
• Allows custom approval workflows tailored to your business processes.

5. Reporting and real-time insight

Look for advanced AP platforms with real-time dashboards that give you visibility into:

• Invoice statuses and payment schedules.
• Cash flow forecasts to optimise working capital.
• Vendor spending trends for smarter financial planning.

By evaluating these factors, you can select an AP automation tool that saves time, improves accuracy, and scales with your business needs—ultimately driving better financial efficiency.

How Sage Ai-powered AP automation works

One of your options for choosing an AP automation system is Sage Intacct powered by Sage Ai.

The Sage Ai-powered software has helped businesses cut invoice processing time in half, reduce manual data entry, and accelerate approvals.

With intelligent document extraction, automated classification, and real-time matching, Sage Ai streamlines AP workflows—freeing up hundreds of hours per year for high-value financial tasks.

The business benefits of Sage Ai

Sage Ai is embedded within Sage Intacct, a high-performance financial management tool that enhances invoice processing with advanced machine learning models.

Sage Ai continuously learns from invoices being processed by AP automation users, achieving 95%+ accuracy within a month.

Here’s how it transforms financial workflows:

1. Intelligent invoice capture and data entry

Unlike traditional Optical Character Recognition (OCR) tools, Sage Ai uses intelligent document processing to extract and categorise invoice data from emails, PDFs, and scanned documents—even in complex or unstructured formats.

The business impact:

• Learns and adapts to unique invoice layouts over time.
• Reduces manual intervention by recognising patterns and exceptions.

2. Smart invoice matching

Sage Ai automatically matches invoices to Purchase Orders (POs) and receipts, flagging discrepancies before processing payments.

The business impact:

• Faster, more accurate matching to reduce processing delays.
• Intelligent error detection to prevent mismatched or duplicate payments.

3. Automated approval workflows

Using historical data and user behaviour, Sage AI optimises invoice approvals, ensuring invoices are routed to the correct approvers with automated reminders to prevent bottlenecks.

The business impact:

• Identifies approval delays and streamlines workflows.
• Escalates overdue approvals to keep payments on track.

4. AI-powered payment processing

Once invoices are approved, Sage Ai optimises payment scheduling based on cash flow forecasts, vendor terms, and payment methods.

The business impact:

• Prevents duplicate or unauthorised payments.
• Improves cash flow management with dynamic payment scheduling.

5. Real-time reporting and compliance tracking

Sage Ai simplifies financial reporting with real-time dashboards that track invoice statuses, payment trends, and compliance data—ensuring businesses stay audit-ready.

The business impact:

• Reports tailored to your business.
• Predictive analytics for future cash flow forecasting.

Delivering high performance with AP automation

Companies using automation save 24 working days per year, so finance teams spend 58% of their time on strategic tasks rather than just 18% for those relying on manual processes.

Sage Intacct AP automation helps your business by making its financial management more straightforward and efficient.

You can:

• Eliminate manual AP tasks and reduce error.
• Gain real-time visibility into cash flow and vendor payments.
• Scale as invoice volumes grow.

With Sage Ai, you can:

• Gain enhanced accuracy—machine learning reduces human errors and improves data integrity.
• Increase speed—streamline invoice processing and approvals, shortening payment cycles.
• Get actionable insights—real-time analytics can help you make data-driven decisions.
• Boost scalability—Sage Ai can adapt to growing invoice volumes without additional manual effort.

By automating accounts payable—Sage Ai can transform it into a strategic financial function, helping you with greater efficiency and visibility.

AP automation real-world examples

Managing accounts payable at scale can be a significant challenge—especially when dealing with high invoice volumes, manual approvals, and time-sensitive payments.

Two companies, Johnny’s Selected Seeds and Cambio Community, show how the Sage Intacct AP automation goes beyond efficiency and boosts strategic business growth.

From paper checks to AI-powered efficiency

Johnny’s Selected Seeds, a global agricultural company balancing R&D, distribution, and a complex supplier network, faced inefficiencies with manual invoice processing.

Transitioning from paper checks to electronic payments was a key priority, but the workload was overwhelming without automation.

“Sage Intacct AP automation, especially its AI features, has been a game-changer,” says Michelle Pyle, finance director at Johnny’s Selected Seeds.

“The AI reads and extracts bill data, allowing for easier review. Once approved, it’s all done.”

By eliminating manual data entry and introducing real-time invoice processing, Johnny’s Selected Seeds freed up valuable hours—time that could now be spent on financial planning and business strategy.

Scaling AP to keep up with business growth

Cambio Community, a company focused on revitalising manufactured home communities, experienced rapid expansion—from two to 32 communities in just a few years.

This growth meant a surge in invoices, making manual processing unsustainable.

“Sage Intacct AP Automation became an invaluable asset,” says Cambio CFO Sarah Janowicz.

“Our invoice processing doubled from 1,500 to nearly 3,500 bills per month, and automation allowed us to keep up without adding extra workload.”

For Cambio, faster invoice approvals translated into quicker access to supplies and labor, which they needed to accelerate community improvements.

AI-driven automation also made financial data retrieval easier, providing a clearer picture of costs and vendor relationships.

“It ensures communities run better, houses are acquired faster, and the living experience is overall better for everyone,” Janowicz adds.

Beyond efficiency: A strategic shift

For both companies, AP automation became a critical tool for scalability and financial insight.

They could adapt to growth, improve business relationships, and make faster, data-driven decisions by embedding AI-driven workflows into their accounts payable process.

Their experiences highlight a shift in how AP should be approached: it is no longer a back-office function but a key driver of operational agility and financial health.

Final thoughts

AP automation is a strategic shift that can transform your finance operations.

You can optimise cash flow, reduce risk, and scale by eliminating manual tasks, increasing accuracy, and providing real-time financial insights.

Companies like Johnny’s Selected Seeds and Cambio Community show that AI-powered AP automation isn’t just about efficiency—it supports better decision-making, stronger vendor relationships, and long-term business growth.

With Sage Intacct AP Automation powered by Sage Ai, you can move beyond day-to-day admin work and focus on higher-value initiatives like financial planning, forecasting, and strategy.

As automation evolves, having the right financial tools is a competitive edge.

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If you sell products or services, keeping your sales order management running effectively is key to your business success.

Tracking orders is just the start.

From order creation to fulfilment and invoicing—you’ll need to ensure the complete order lifecycle is efficient and all the parts are working in unison.

This guide breaks down what sales order management is, how it works, and why getting it right matters.

You’ll also be able to explore best practices when it comes to streamlining your workflow, and learn how automation improves accuracy, speed, and order tracking.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

Steps in the sales order management process

An optimised sales order management system gives you real-time visibility into every order’s status.

This will help you eliminate guesswork and reduce the risk of delays, stock shortages, and frustrated customers.

On the flip side, if your sales order management isn’t optimised, it’s likely you’ll have to deal with miscommunication between departments, delayed shipments, and inventory discrepancies—which can impact both customer satisfaction and your bottom line.

A well-structured sales order management process keeps everything running smoothly—from the moment a customer places an order to final delivery and billing.

When all the steps are interconnected, you avoid delays, reduce errors, and create a seamless customer experience.

Here’s how it works:

1. Quote

Before an order is placed, your business may provide a quote to the customer, outlining pricing, product availability, and any terms.

Once the quote is accepted, the order moves to the processing stage.

2. Sales order processing

This is where it all starts—when your customer places their order.

At this stage, you’ll want to double-check the order details to make sure everything is accurate before fulfilment.

That includes verifying product availability, pricing, and customer information.

You might also need to review payment terms or check customer credit before approving the order.

Once everything looks good, it’s officially ready to move on to the next step.

3. Inventory sourcing

Once the order is approved, it’s time to determine where the inventory will come from.

If the item is in stock, it’s allocated and reserved for the order.

If it’s out of stock, this may trigger a backorder or a request to your supplier.

Throughout this process, your sales order management system updates inventory records in real time, making sure you always have an accurate picture of stock levels and reducing the risk of overselling.

4. Order fulfilment and shipping

With inventory sourced, your fulfilment team steps in to pick, pack, and ship the order.

Orders are sent to warehouses or fulfilment centres where they are carefully prepared for shipment.

Once packed, shipping labels are generated and tracking details are shared with the customer so they can monitor their order’s progress.

As soon as the order is shipped, the system automatically updates its status from “processing” to “shipped.”

Keeping customers informed of their order status at every stage helps build trust and improve their buying experience.

5. Billing and invoicing

After the order has shipped, it’s time to generate and send the invoice.

Your billing system creates the invoice and delivers it to your customer, outlining the total amount due.

Payments are then recorded and accounts updated, keeping everything accurate and current.

Using automated billing software can help make this process effortlessly efficient.

It helps you customise invoices, track payments in real-time, maintain accurate financial records, and securely connect with banks—saving your team time and reducing the risk of errors.

Best practices to optimise sales order management

If your sales order management process is inefficient, it can lead to delayed shipments, stock discrepancies, and loss of revenue.

To keep orders flowing smoothly and make sure your business runs efficiently, focus on these key best practices:

1. Audit your current system

Before making changes, take a step back and evaluate your current sales order process.

Identifying problem areas early on will help you make targeted improvements.

Start by asking your team a few key questions, such as the following:

• Are there bottlenecks causing delays in order processing?
• Do we frequently run out of stock or end up with too much inventory?
• Are manual processes slowing down fulfilment and leading to errors?

By pinpointing these challenges, you’ll get a clearer picture of what needs to be optimised—whether it’s streamlining approvals, improving inventory tracking, or automating repetitive tasks.

2. Automate where possible

Manual processes can be a huge time drain. If you’re constantly entering orders manually or chasing approvals, it might be time to embrace automation.

Automating your sales order management process helps you:

• Reduce human errors at the order entry stage, minimising incorrect shipments and unhappy customers.
• Speed up approvals by eliminating bottlenecks and keeping orders moving efficiently.
• Automatically update inventory levels as each order is placed, making sure you always have an accurate view of your stock.

3. Upgrade to inventory management software

Trying to keep track of inventory manually can lead to costly mistakes—like selling products you don’t currently have available or running out of stock at the worst possible time.

With the right inventory management system, you can:

• Prevent overselling or stockouts by automatically adjusting inventory as orders come in.
• Track inventory across multiple warehouses and fulfilment centres without the hassle of spreadsheets.
• Improve order fulfilment accuracy by making sure the right products are always available when needed.

4. Use demand forecasting

Running out of stock or overstocking products can take a big toll on your bottom line.

Accurate demand forecasting helps you stay ahead by predicting customer demand based on historical data and market trends.

Instead of reacting to stock issues, you can proactively manage your inventory and streamline operations.

With demand forecasting, you can:

• Plan inventory purchases more effectively, ensuring you have the right products at the right time.
• Avoid stockouts and costly last-minute rush orders, which can disrupt fulfilment and increase expenses.
• Improve customer satisfaction by keeping popular items in stock and ensuring on-time deliveries.

A strong demand forecasting strategy means fewer supply chain surprises and a smoother ordering process for both you and your customers.

5. Improve reverse logistics

Returns are an inevitable part of the sales cycle.

Handling them effectively can make a big difference to your customers’ experience and your inventory management.

A well-defined logistics process ensures returns, refunds, and exchanges are handled smoothly whilst minimising disruptions.

It allows you to:

• Make returns easy for customers, reducing friction and frustration.
• Process refunds and exchanges quickly so customers get resolutions without long wait times.
• Track and restock returned inventory efficiently, keeping your stock levels accurate and minimising waste.

By applying these best practices, your business can streamline its sales order management process, reduce inefficiencies, and improve customer satisfaction.

The benefits of an optimised sales order process

With the right setup, you can make your sales order process faster, smoother, and more reliable.

Here’s how an optimised process can benefit your business by eliminating bottlenecks, reducing manual work, and keeping everything running seamlessly:

Faster order processing

Automating your sales order workflows speeds up approvals, fulfilment, and invoicing, so orders move through the system without delays.

Fewer errors

Automation helps eliminate order entry mistakes, duplicate orders, and incorrect shipments, saving you time and money.

Better inventory control

With real-time inventory updates you’ll always have an accurate view of stock levels, preventing overselling and shortages.

Improved customer satisfaction

When orders are processed accurately, shipped quickly, and returns are handled efficiently, customers enjoy a smoother experience.

Higher profitability

Reducing inefficiencies saves time and operational costs whilst improving your cash flow and facilitating your strategic business goals.

Final thoughts

Optimising your sales order management process will help you work faster, creating a system that’s efficient and boosts your overall business performance.

When each step is connected, you gain better visibility and a more reliable workflow whilst reducing order delays and costly errors.

Customers receive their orders on time, inventory stays balanced, and your team can focus on business growth.

If you’re still juggling spreadsheets or outdated systems, now is the time to switch to automated sales order management software and take your business to the next level.

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