There is a common perception that Boards belong to large companies. They have formal agendas, board papers, committees, governance frameworks and independent directors. For many SME founders, that picture can feel completely disconnected from the reality of running a growing business. The founder may still be involved in major decisions. The leadership team may be small. Everyone may know each other well. Decisions can often be made around a table, over a phone call or during

There is a point in the growth of almost every successful business when the way things have always been done starts to become harder to manage. It rarely happens because the business is poorly run. In fact, it is often the opposite. The founder knows the customers. They know the suppliers. They know which employees can be trusted, and which transactions need a closer look. They know what normal looks like because they have been involved in almost every part of the business. F

For many growing businesses, supply chain compliance is viewed as something that sits outside the core business. It belongs in procurement, quality assurance, legal or administration. It is something customers ask for, suppliers complete, and the business files away until someone asks for it again. That approach is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain. As businesses grow, their customers are becoming more sophisticated about the risks sitting within their supply chains.