Caroline Lu

Still running your inventory business on spreadsheets? As your business scales, manual financial tracking creates costly errors and bottlenecks. Discover the key signs it's time to upgrade and how automation can streamline operations, improve cash flow, and fuel growth.

Accounting firms are built to guide, but disconnected tools make it hard to lead. When client data lives across bill pay platforms, inventory systems, and email threads, your team spends more time chasing numbers than delivering insights. That inefficiency adds up—missed opportunities, delayed closes, strained capacity. The good news? Integrated platforms like Settle are changing the game, helping firms streamline workflows, deepen client value, and scale without burnout.

Behind every bold brand is a founder with a big idea. But growth takes more than that. It takes clarity in the chaos, confidence in uncertainty, and the right tools to keep moving, no matter the market. That's why we built Settle—to empower the people behind the brands shaping our world.

Many CPG brands use inventory planning and inventory management interchangeably, but they serve distinct roles. CPG and ecommerce brands need BOTH to stay profitable and sustainable.

Learn how the Suez Canal crisis exposed supply chain vulnerabilities and discover essential strategies to prepare for the holiday season.

Debt financing allows businesses to maintain full ownership while providing predictable repayment terms, tax advantages, and improved creditworthiness, making it a strategic choice for growth.

Managing seasonal product demands can be a struggle for many companies. This is how businesses can make the most out of seasonal campaigns and sales.

Learn why understanding landed costs is vital for better financial decisions, improved profit margins, and staying competitive.

The first AP solution with real-time, accurate landed costs calculations

The new offerings streamline and automate manual tasks, empowering brands to reduce errors, save time, and focus on growth.

Dive into what are BOMs and how they drive efficiency, accuracy, and scalability.

Discover the importance of robust approval rules in accounts payable and how they improve control, efficiency, and vendor relationships.

Connect your supply chain, operations, purchasing, and accounting workflows into a single platform

Learn how to prevent costly duplicate payments in your AP process and enhance efficiency.

Discover how auditing your purchase order process can lead to improved efficiency and accuracy in your supply chain.

Learn how accurate AP forecasting and budgeting can improve cash flow management, optimize spending, and strengthen vendor relationships with our strategic guide.

Discover how Settle’s Accounts Payable (AP) automation fosters robust vendor relationships for inventory-led success.

Discover how CPG startups can navigate paid advertising on a budget. Learn pricing strategies, content tactics, and agency evaluation tips for marketing success.

Learn why start-ups should use purchase orders to streamline processes, track spending, and enhance financial management.

Discover the steps of a purchase order journey from identifying needs to invoice processing.

Learn what line item matching is and how it enhances AP processes.

Learn the process of verifying your PO, GRN, and invoice to ensure precise vendor payments.

We're taking another step in transforming procurement for inventory businesses

First platform for inventory businesses to natively order, receive, match, and pay to ensure accuracy and efficiency for CPG brands

Every startup must eventually seek financing. Knowing what lenders and investors look for can help you prepare.

Discover how Pattern Brands and Flakes used alternative funding strategies to scale their e-commerce brands profitably.

Announcing our new partnership with Cin7 to introduce the first Pay with Settle button for Cin7 Core users.

Learn how to build a finance team tailored to your growth stage with insights from Rainbow CFO. Discover key roles, milestones, and tips for maximizing finance relationships.

Discover 7 actionaable tips on how to prepare for a trade show, including pre-planning and effective promotion strategies for success.

A popular source of funding is financing from angel investors and VCs. Yet many companies fail to recognise non-dilutive funding — where no ownership is lost.

Partnering with the right distributor is arguably one of the most essential tasks for a retail company. Find out what to look for in distribution partners and how to source them.

Discover the benefits of AP automation for CPG brands and 5 steps on how you can get started.

In this month’s Settle Spotlight Series, we chatted with Will Holtz from SourceMedium about how interconnected data can be a superpower for brands in hyperscale mode.

Wire transfers can be the quickest method of exchanging funds. Knowing how long it takes can help determine whether wire transfer is the best solution.

A year in review of Settle's product releases that make running CPG brands easier.

Do you really need another gift guide this time of year? Our Settle team spends so much time obsessing over our customer brands, that the right answer is obviously yes. We have compiled the inaugural Settle Staff Picks Holiday Gift Guide, with the most fire small brands out there. So read on for ideas from stocking stuffers to travel accessories – for everyone on your list. And join us in shopping small this holiday. 

We sit down to chat with Alyshah Walji from Vividly, a trade promotion management (TPM) software built by and for the consumer packaged goods industry.

Navigate the dawn of a new year with insights on cash flow management, as we unveil strategies to empower CPG brands for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

In this episode of the Second in Command podcast, Olivia Micallef, the COO of Settle, talks about how Settle helps consumer scale by optimizing cash flow and her journey from a large company to a small company.

We've put together a comprehensive list of accountants and fractional CFOs who specialize in eCommerce and CPG businesses and have the experience and expertise to help your business succeed.

Though migrating off BILL may seem daunting, we make it easy in this step-by-step guide.

For emerging CPG brands, navigating challenges like supply chain disruptions and retail changes underscores the critical importance of understanding and managing retailer and distributor margins, as it directly impacts profitability and success in the industry.

Discover insights from the Settle x DTC Experts panel on alternative financing, cash flow management, and profitability strategies from the founders of HigherDose and Mockingbird.

A comprehensive guide to understanding the financial challenges in eCommerce.

Black Friday sets the tone for your business' holiday season. Start early on forecasting demand, devising marketing strategies, and preparing your site.

Accounts payable (AP) refers to all the payments that a business owes its suppliers and creditors. Neglecting your accounts payable process can lead to production and supply issues.

A company's ability to make a cash flow forecast is essential in the world of modern business. Here is everything you need to know about cash flow forecasting.

We brought simplicity to bill pay. Now we’re bringing it to the purchasing process, with end-to-end support that takes a load off your plate.

Settle secures up to $145 million in a new credit facility from Silicon Valley Bank

5 Tips on where to meet retail buyers and lockdown partnerships

A quick breakdown of inventory planning and different factors that should be considered when planning.

Settle Inbox is a better way for your team to triage invoices and messages from vendors.

We put our heads together with the folks at IndieCPG to create a guide to the basics of cashflow for new (and maybe even not-so-new) founders.

The accounts payable startup and modern working capital partner will team up to fund brands from inventory build through sales

Settle raises their Series B

Accounts receivable factoring can help companies can improve their financial stability and cash flow. We'll explain what it is and how it's beneficial in our guide.

Discover the cash flow metric that can make or break a business

Making use of net terms can enable both buyers and vendors to increase their profitability and sales dramatically. This is what net terms are.

Selling wholesale is one of the most important steps that a small business can take towards greater success. This is how any startup can do exactly that.

Distribution partners are some of the most important parts of scaling up a small business or startup. This is what they are and how they can help small businesses.

Understanding good cash flow management is critical for managers. Without proper systems in place, many businesses end up failing.

The Accounts Payable Aging Report is an essential tool for businesses with a large number of accounts payable to track. Here's a general breakdown of A/P Aging Reports.

Equity dilution can be a very concerning process for shareholders who are unfamiliar with its consequences. This is how to avoid equity dilution and keep stocks healthy.

Many direct-to-consumer and eCommerce brands have begun selling products on Amazon because it's convenient and customer-friendly. This guide tells you how to do it.

Using Amazon FBA is a great way for companies to expand their scalability and fulfillment abilities. Here is how it works, and how businesses can benefit from it.

Capital is critical to running a modern business. Here are the four fundamental types of capital and how they can work for a small business.

Marketing directly to consumers through social media is one of the most important ways businesses can reach out to their audiences. This is how.

Learning to navigate inventory management can be a tricky part of growing your brand. Check out our guide to inventory management to find out more about it.

Understanding accounts payable and accounts receivable is an essential part of business workflow. So how do they differ? Learn more about them in this guide.

Invoices and receipts are similar in concept, but differ in the details. Here's what differentiates invoices from receipts, and why it's important to understand.

Creating invoices can be tedious, especially for new businesses processing everything manually. Learn how to create invoices effectively and efficiently with this detailed guide.

ACH, wire transfers, electronic transfers: What's the difference, and why does it matter? Learn more about how these work and what they mean for your business.

A company's cash conversion cycle can speak volumes about its operational efficiency and financial stability. It can also determine whether people get paid on time.

Figuring how to find the right accounting firm for your company can be difficult. Here's how to choose the best accounting firm for any business.