Resources
No jargon, no BS, no MBA required. We explain in plain language what really matters, so you can grow your brand with clarity, and confidence.
If You Only Have One Hour a Week for Trade Spend, Do This
Near the end of our May webinar, I said out loud what we all knew, that y'all are "all wearing 10 hats." Knowing what to prioritize is one of every CPG brand Founders’ biggest challenges, and trade spend is a minefield. I asked Fred Schroeder what to do if you only get one hour per week on trade spend tracking, because it’s one of the jobs I watch brilliant brand builders flounder over time and time again.
Deduction Clearing Companies: Why Paying for One Can Be Cash-Positive
Your distributor’s remittance is full of deductions, but how many are actually valid? Deduction clearing companies can turn those confusing pages into recovered cash. Here’s how to calculate whether paying for one will actually put money back in your pocket.
Fred Schroeder's Off-Invoice Allowance and MCB Math: What Your Trade Dollars Really Do
One case, $12.69 in trade spend. Only $4.16 of it actually reached the retailer. The other $8.53 stayed with the distributor. A 10% chargeback gets billed against a wholesale price 40% higher than yours, so that "10%" really costs 14% of your case rate. Off-invoice allowances are worse: distributors stock up at the discount, and maybe 10 cents of every discounted dollar ever touches the shelf.
Why Your Signed Contract Doesn't Match Your Trade Plan (and What to Do About It)
A 10% MCB on a $40 case should cost $4.00. Distributors calculate it against their own wholesale price instead, usually 35-40% higher than what you actually charged, so that same $4.00 can arrive billed at $5.60. On our webinar with Fred Schroeder, who spent his career on the other side of this at P&G and Coca-Cola, he put a number on how often contracts and trade plans disagree: probably close to two-thirds of promotions.
Gross-to-Net P&L: The Report Most CPG Founders Don't Know They're Missing
Trade promotion can run 11% to 27% of a CPG brand's revenue, second only to the cost of the product itself, yet most founders still book it as plain marketing spend on their P&L. A gross-to-net P&L tracks one case from delivered price down to real profit, and the deductions rarely land as agreed. A $4 chargeback can arrive billed at $5.60, because distributors price it off their own wholesale number, not yours.
The Gross-to-Net Realities of UNFI & KeHE
Distributor math does not care about your gut feelings. Emerging brands don't just lose money to admin errors; they lose it because they don't understand how UNFI and KeHE apply double markups, forward-buying tactics, and complex MCBs to their gross-to-net P&L.
How Much is $1 of Deduction Dispute Really Worth?
Shifting the perception of deduction disputes from an administrative operational chore into a critical, strategic growth lever that extends cash runway and unlocks sophisticated debt financing options.
Reclaiming Your P&L
When a distributor cuts a check for $2.17 on a $20,000 invoice, founders get emotional. But the retail distribution system isn't changing. Instead of screaming into the LinkedIn void, emerging brands need to build a systematic tech stack early. Deploying an AI-native operational platform like Glimpse (www.tryglimpse.com) allows lean teams to automate revenue recovery and preserve margins long before hiring an expensive sales team.
Working vs. Non-Working Trade
Trade spend eats up 90% to 95% of an emerging brand's marketing budget, but most founders don't realize that a massive chunk of it never reaches the shopper. It gets trapped as "non-working trade" to fund the distributor's inside margins. Stopping this leak requires more than just pushing for scan-backs—it requires partnering with a specialized CPG financial operations expert who can structure your P&L to expose the truth.
What Are Slotting Fees and How to Offset Their Impact on Cash Flow
Securing a major retail deal is a massive win for emerging CPG founders, but upfront slotting fees can quickly strain your cash flow before your first product even hits the shelf. Discover why retailers charge these fees, what to expect across regional and national chains, and three strategic ways to negotiate or offset the costs so you can protect your runway.
Why Accurate Cash Application of Trade Spend Is Critical for Emerging CPG Brands
Trade spend is one of the largest expenses for emerging CPG brands, but mismanaged cash application can quietly skew your financial data. Learn why tying deductions to the right invoices is critical for protecting your cash flow and balance sheet.
Why Trade Spend Software Alone Won't Protect Your Margins
Many CPG brands confuse administrative visibility with financial control. While trade spend software clears paperwork, it doesn't solve the underlying margin leak. Discover why a hybrid approach—combining software speed with expert financial judgment—is the only way to turn deductions into predictable cash flow.
How to Turn Trade Spend Into a Competitive Advantage
Many founders track their checks without tracking their outcomes. If your sales velocity doubles but your repeat loyalty flatlines, you haven't built a business—you’ve just subsidized a purchase. Discover the evidence-based scaling strategy that turns "mystery math" into a predictable growth engine.
Why Big CPG Trade Tactics Can Push Emerging Brands Toward a Fire Sale
Emerging brands can't afford Big CPG's "mystery math". We’re untangling why copying enterprise playbooks leads to margin pressure and how "Grow Getters" can use surgical financial strategy to scale with purpose, not panic.
How Trade Spend Affects Cash Flow CPG Brands
Trade spend is often non-negotiable for CPG brands, but mismanaged promotions can lead to a fatal cash squeeze. From BOGOs to slotting fees, discover how to align your promotional calendar with seasonal demand and protect your runway from delayed retailer deductions.
How to Know If Your Promotions Are Actually Profitable
Not all promotions make you money. Some just eat margin. This guide helps founders evaluate promo ROI with real math—so you can stop guessing and start making smarter trade decisions.