Why Most SMEs Are Dying Without a CFO | Michal Sobieraj | BoatRoom Ep. 12

Michal Sobieraj

Founder & CEO, Royal CFO | Fractional CFO for SMEs

Jun 04, 2026

Profit is not cash — and that confusion is silently killing thousands of SMEs across the UAE and beyond.

In this episode of BoatRoom, Michal Sobieraj, Founder and CEO of Royal CFO, breaks down the financial blind spots that prevent small and medium businesses from scaling. As a fractional CFO who has guided over 20 companies and five public offerings, Michal speaks from the front line of business finance — not theory.

If you run a business and feel like revenue is growing but cash never stays, this conversation was made for you.

What We Discuss

Why profit and cash flow are two completely different things — and why confusing them is fatal

The biggest financial mistakes SMEs make in their first three years

What a CFO actually does — and why every business above AED 2M revenue needs one

Fractional CFO vs full-time CFO: which one your business actually needs

How to build a finance function that supports growth, not just compliance

The role of financial forecasting in surviving economic downturns

Why most founders avoid financial data — and how to change that mindset

Real examples of businesses Michal has turned around through better financial structure

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Episode Teaser

9:16

A short preview of the episode.
Watch the full conversation above.

About the Guest

Michal Sobieraj

Founder & CEO, Royal CFO | Fractional CFO for SMEs

Michal Sobieraj is the Founder and CEO of Royal CFO, a Dubai-based consultancy delivering fractional, interim, and virtual CFO services to SMEs across the UAE and beyond. With more than 20 years of cross-industry finance experience — including six years as Group CFO in the GCC region — Michal has directed the financial operations of over 20 companies, guided five businesses through public offerings, and led complex M&A transactions on both the acquisition and divestment sides. Before founding Royal CFO, he served as Group CFO at Creative Zone, where he led finance transformation across a multi-entity structure. His expertise spans strategic financial planning, capital raising, cost optimisation, equity research, and building high-performing finance teams of 50 or more professionals. A frequent contributor to Entrepreneur Middle East and Arabian Business, Michal is a sought-after voice on why SMEs need CFO-level thinking to survive and scale — and a firm believer that access to great financial leadership should not be reserved for large corporations alone.

Full Profile →

Your Host

Muhammad Kalim

Founder & Host, BoatRoom

Dubai entrepreneur and brand builder who created BoatRoom from one belief — the most valuable business knowledge lives in the rooms where real decisions are made, not in textbooks.

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