Free Qualification Call
No charge
Tell me about your business, what feels unclear, and where you need help. You'll leave knowing the right next step.
Book a free callPractical finance support for growing businesses
Know your numbers.Know your next move.
Senior finance expertise for product-based businesses, e-commerce brands and importers in the UAE. I help founders understand their true product costs, margins and cash position, and get their books ready for VAT and Corporate Tax.
I'm Ina Kanaplianikava, CPA, CA. 15+ years in senior finance, and hands-on experience running product businesses in the UAE.
I work alongside your accountant to connect sales, stock, costs and cash, so every pricing, purchasing and spending decision rests on reliable numbers.
Does this sound familiar?
The questions behind everyday business decisions.
Every one of these has a financial answer. Explore a challenge to see what may be behind it and how I can help.
Cash flow
Sales are growing. Why is cash still tight?
Your store is busy, but somehow there's never enough cash for the next supplier payment, rent or fulfilment bill. Let's find out where the money is going.
Product cost & pricing
Am I pricing my products right — and actually making a profit?
You know what you paid your supplier. But after freight, customs, packaging, fulfilment, platform fees and returns, do you know how much you're really earning?
Import & logistics costs
Am I paying more than I should to bring my products into the UAE?
Freight, port handling, clearance agents and unexpected charges can add up quickly. Do you know what you're paying for, and whether some costs could be avoided or charged twice?
Sales & payment reconciliation
Shopify shows one number. My bank shows another. Where's the difference?
Shopify, Amazon or Noon sales don't always match what reaches your bank. Payment fees, refunds, commissions and settlement timing may explain the difference — but are you tracking it?
Marketing profitability
My ads are bringing in orders. But are they actually making me money?
Your marketing dashboard looks promising. But after advertising, product costs, platform fees, delivery and returns, how much profit is actually left?
Financial visibility & growth
I have an accountant. But do I really know how my business is performing?
Your books may be up to date, but do you know which products make money, where costs are rising and whether your business can afford its next move?
Small financial gaps today can become expensive mistakes tomorrow.
Understanding your true costs, keeping cash under control and putting the right processes in place early can help you avoid unnecessary expenses, protect your margins and make better business decisions.
Areas of expertise
Where I can help your business.
From understanding your real costs to managing cash, reviewing profitability and preparing for tax obligations — practical finance support focused on the decisions you need to make.
Product & Marketing Profitability
Understand what you actually earn from each product, sales channel and advertising campaign — after product costs, fees, fulfilment, discounts and marketing spend.
Inventory, Imports & True Product Costs
Track purchases and shipments, review freight and clearance costs, and understand what your products really cost before deciding how to price or reorder them.
Cash Flow & Financial Planning
Understand where your cash is going, what payments are coming up and how much money you need for stock, operating expenses and future growth.
Sales, Payments & Financial Controls
Make sense of the differences between Shopify, Amazon, Noon, payment gateways and bank deposits — and put reliable checks in place.
Financial Reporting & Business Insights
Turn your existing accounting records into useful financial information, so you can understand performance, identify problems and make better decisions.
VAT & Corporate Tax Readiness
Review financial records, VAT transactions, inventory costs and year-end adjustments to identify issues before they become compliance problems.
Meet Ina
I've sat on both sides of the table.
I'm Ina Kanaplianikava, a Canadian CPA, CA with over 15 years of experience in controllership, corporate finance and public accounting in Toronto, Canada, including my role as Divisional Controller at Dream Unlimited.
For the past three years, I've been working with businesses in Dubai, combining financial consulting with hands-on entrepreneurial experience in e-commerce, trading and imports.
Having been both a finance professional and a business owner, I understand the challenges from both perspectives.
I've dealt with sourcing products, managing inventory, paying suppliers, arranging shipments, understanding hidden costs and setting prices that protect margins. I know how easily small expenses, delayed payments or gaps in financial processes can affect a business.
Today, I bring these two perspectives together — helping business owners understand their numbers, identify what needs attention and make better financial decisions without unnecessary complexity.
Qualified for the UAE
CPA, CA (Ontario). UAE Corporate Tax course, PwC Middle East. UAE Tax Agent Exam passed (2025).
Senior finance experience
15+ years in controllership and corporate finance, now 3+ years advising UAE businesses.
Hands-on with product businesses
Suppliers, inventory, freight, customs, landed costs, VAT and Corporate Tax.
International perspective
Canada, UAE, Cyprus, Greece and China, with international suppliers and trading.
How it works
A clear path forward.
A structured process from diagnosis to ongoing oversight. Take only the steps you need; many clients start with a single review or one focused project.
Step 1
Free Qualification Call
What we do
We start with a free conversation about your business, current priorities and where you may need financial support.
What you receive
We'll discuss the most appropriate next step — whether that's a financial review, a focused project or ongoing support.
Step 2
Startup Finance Review
What we do
A structured diagnostic of your latest three complete months: how sales, stock, costs and cash connect, and what needs attention first.
What you receive
- Finance Health Review (summary report)
- Key findings and risks, ranked by impact
- Prioritised 30–60 day action plan
- Founder review meeting
Step 3
Focused projects
What we do
Targeted work with a defined scope, based on the review findings or a question you already have: stock and margins, marketing profitability, sales-to-bank reconciliation or import costs.
What you receive
- Accurate landed costs and product margins
- Clear advertising economics
- Sales that reconcile to the bank
- A shipment cost summary, depending on the project
Step 4
Quarterly Review & VAT Readiness, Monthly Financial Oversight or Finance Partner
What we do
Regular senior finance oversight alongside your bookkeeper or accountant, at the level your business needs.
What you receive
- Reviewed accounts and a cash outlook
- VAT readiness and prioritised actions
- Regular founder meetings
Step 5
Year-End Finance & Corporate Tax Review
What we do
A review of your year-end records and Corporate Tax position, so issues are corrected before your accountant or tax agent files.
What you receive
- Year-end review summary
- Key tax adjustments and issues
- Filing-readiness checklist and recommendations
Where to start
Start with a conversation.
Tell me what you're working through. Together, we'll identify the right level of support for your business — whether that's a one-time review, help with a specific problem or ongoing financial guidance.
Most founders start here
Startup Finance Review
AED 1,750 · one-off
“Do my numbers make sense, and what needs fixing?”
I review your latest three complete months and show you what's working, what's not, and what to focus on next.
See what's includedWhat you can expect
Practical finance support, tailored to your business.
A personal approach
Support designed around your business, not a standard template.
A clear financial picture
Understand your costs, margins, cash flow and profitability.
Practical improvements
Find unnecessary costs and fix processes that aren't working.
Flexible support
One-time reviews, specific projects or ongoing involvement.
Services and prices
Choose the support you need.
Whether you need a financial review, help with a specific challenge or ongoing support, my services are tailored to your business and the decisions you need to make.
01
Free Qualification Call
No charge
An initial conversation to understand your business, the challenges you're facing and where you may need financial support.
Book a free call- Discuss your business and current priorities
- Identify the main financial concerns
- Explore how I can help and whether we're a good fit
You receive
A recommendation on the most appropriate next step, whether that's a financial review, a focused project or ongoing support.
02
Startup Finance Review
Do my numbers make sense, and what needs attention?
A good place to start
A structured diagnostic of your latest three complete months: how sales, stock, costs and cash connect, where the records are unreliable, and what to fix first.
- Sales, payment gateway and bank reconciliation
- Chart of accounts, bookkeeping setup and key records
- Inventory valuation and landed cost treatment
- Gross margin by product and channel
- Cash position, payables and upcoming supplier commitments
- Marketing spend and high-level unit economics
- VAT and Corporate Tax readiness
AED 1,750 · one-off
You receive
- Finance Health Review (summary report)
- Key findings, risks and control gaps, ranked by impact
- Prioritised 30–60 day action plan
- 60–90 minute founder review meeting
A diagnostic review, not an audit or a historical bookkeeping clean-up.
Start with a free call03
Focused Finance Projects
Have one particular problem? Let's address it. Choose focused support for the specific financial issue affecting your business.
Stock, Import & Margin Setup
From AED 3,500
What does my stock really cost me?
- Purchase order and supplier payment tracking
- Landed cost model by shipment and SKU
- Inventory reconciliation: system, physical count and ledger
- Product margin model
- Reorder planning linked to cash requirements
Outcome
Accurate landed costs, product-level margins and a reorder plan you can fund.
Marketing Profitability Review
From AED 2,500
Are my ads actually making money?
- Product-level unit economics
- Break-even return on ad spend and acquisition cost
- Contribution margin by channel and campaign
- Budget allocation recommendations
Outcome
A clear view of which products, channels and campaigns earn money after all costs.
Sales-to-Bank Reconciliation Fix
Scoped after review
Why don't my sales match the bank?
- Shopify, Amazon and Noon settlement reconciliations
- Payment gateway fees, refunds and chargebacks identified
- Accounting integration review
- Correcting entries and a repeatable monthly process
Outcome
Sales that reconcile to cash and the ledger, and a process that keeps them aligned.
Cash Flow Planning & Forecasting
Custom quotation
Sales are growing. Why am I still struggling to pay my bills?
Understand where your cash is going, what payments are coming up and how much money your business needs to operate comfortably.
- Review cash receipts and operating expenses
- Identify supplier payments, inventory purchases and upcoming commitments
- Assess cash tied up in stock and working capital requirements
- Develop a cash-flow forecast for an agreed period
- Identify potential shortfalls and recommend practical improvements
Outcome
A clearer view of your upcoming cash needs, with a practical forecast, payment schedule and recommendations to help you plan spending and inventory purchases.
Deliverables are subject to agreed scope and available records.
Import Finance Coordination
Quoted per shipment
Financial coordination and cost review for a specific shipment — including supplier payments, freight, customs-related charges, invoice discrepancies and final landed-cost visibility.
OutcomeA clearer shipment-cost picture, potential billing discrepancies and practical recommendations to improve cost control.
Not customs brokerage or customs clearance.
04
Ongoing support
Quarterly Review & VAT Readiness
AED 1,250–1,500 per quarter
Is everything on track before the next quarter?
- Quarterly review of management accounts, sales, cash and inventory
- VAT records, input and output VAT, and readiness for the return
- Margins, supplier balances and significant movements
- Next-quarter cash outlook and prioritised actions
- 60-minute founder meeting
Monthly Financial Oversight
AED 4,500 per month
For founders who have an accountant or bookkeeper but need experienced financial oversight to understand business performance, manage cash and spot potential problems early.
- Monthly review of financial performance, cash position and upcoming commitments
- Review of key costs, margins and profitability indicators using available reports
- Identification of significant financial issues and recommended actions
- One monthly founder meeting, up to 60 minutes
- Brief written summary of key findings and priorities
- Limited follow-up questions and clarification with the bookkeeper
Financial review and advisory support using existing records. Bookkeeping, preparation of accounts and substantial reconciliations are not included.
Finance Partner
From AED 6,000 per month
For founders who need more than a monthly review — an experienced finance professional to help plan ahead, evaluate options and make informed financial and operational decisions.
- All services included in Monthly Financial Oversight
- Updates to an agreed rolling cash-flow forecast using available information
- Ongoing advice on agreed priorities, such as pricing, product profitability, inventory, supplier commitments or purchasing
- Two founder meetings per month, up to 60 minutes each
- Follow-up with relevant team members on agreed financial actions
- Advisory questions between meetings within the engagement scope
Priority areas and the level of involvement are agreed at the start. Extensive analysis, historical corrections and new financial systems are separately scoped.
Compare ongoing support
How much support does your business need?
Each option helps you stay on top of your finances. The difference is how often we review your numbers and how involved I am in your business decisions.
| What's included | Quarterly Review | Monthly Financial Oversight | Finance Partner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Review frequency | Quarterly | Monthly | Monthly |
| Cash and performance oversight | Quarterly review and next-quarter cash outlook | Monthly review of performance, cash and upcoming commitments | Monthly review, with forward planning on agreed priorities |
| Margin and cost review | Quarterly | Monthly, using available reports | Monthly, plus advice on pricing and product profitability |
| Cash-flow forecasting | Next-quarter cash outlook | Upcoming commitments reviewed | Agreed rolling forecast, updated regularly |
| Founder meetings | One per quarter, 60 minutes | One per month, up to 60 minutes | Two per month, up to 60 minutes each |
| Financial decision support | Next-quarter priorities | Recommended actions on significant issues | Ongoing advice on agreed priorities |
| Bookkeeper/team coordination | Limited, as needed | Limited follow-up with your bookkeeper | Follow-up with relevant team members on agreed actions |
| Questions between meetings | Not included | Limited follow-up questions | Advisory questions within agreed scope |
| Separately scoped projects | Quoted separately | Quoted separately | Quoted separately |
Ongoing support works best when accounting records are reasonably up to date and maintained by an accountant or bookkeeper. Services focus on financial oversight, advice and agreed planning activities. Historical clean-ups, substantial reconciliations, routine bookkeeping, tax filings, new financial systems and complex financial models are quoted separately.
05
Year-End Finance & Corporate Tax Review
AED 1,500–2,000+ · one-off
Are my accounts ready for year-end and Corporate Tax?
A review of your year-end financial records and Corporate Tax position, so issues are corrected before your accountant or tax agent files the return.
- Year-end profit and loss and balance sheet review
- Bank and payment reconciliations
- Inventory and cost of goods sold
- Accruals, payables and major expenses
- Owner and related-party balances
- Corporate Tax adjustments and Small Business Relief, where applicable
- Estimated Corporate Tax position
You receive
Year-end review summary, key tax adjustments and issues, a filing-readiness checklist and recommendations.
All prices are starting points. Final scope depends on business size, transaction volume, record quality, number of entities, inventory complexity and import activity. Historical clean-ups and complex multi-entity work are quoted separately.
Let's talk
Not sure which support is right for your business?
Tell me what's happening in your business. We'll discuss your priorities and identify the most useful next step — whether that's a financial review, help with one specific issue or ongoing support.
Book a free call
No obligation. Just an initial conversation.
Common questions
How do I know which service is right for my business?
You don't need to decide before getting in touch. We can start with a free conversation about your business and what you're trying to resolve. Depending on your needs, I may recommend a one-time financial review, a focused project or ongoing support. You only pay for the services we agree on.
How is this different from my accountant?
Your accountant records transactions and prepares your accounts and returns. I focus on what those numbers mean for the business: product profitability, landed cost, cash planning, and whether your records are ready for VAT and Corporate Tax. The two roles complement each other.
Is this a fractional CFO service?
It provides senior finance oversight in the same spirit, at a scope and price suited to founder-led product businesses. The work is hands-on and practical, rather than board reporting or fundraising.
Do I need to change my accountant?
No. Your bookkeeper or accountant continues to maintain the books. I review the numbers, coordinate with them where needed, and help you act on what the numbers show.
Do you file my VAT or Corporate Tax returns?
I review your books so they're ready for VAT and Corporate Tax filing. Your accountant or tax agent files the returns.
What do I need to provide for the finance review?
Access to your sales channels, payment platforms, bank statements and accounting records for the latest three complete months. We confirm exactly what's needed on the free call.
What if my records are incomplete?
That's common, and the review will show where. If a larger clean-up is needed, it is scoped and quoted separately before any work starts.
Meet Ina
Your finance partner in the UAE.
I've sat on both sides of the table.
I'm Ina Kanaplianikava, a Canadian CPA, CA with over 15 years of experience in controllership, corporate finance and public accounting in Toronto, Canada, including my role as Divisional Controller at Dream Unlimited.
For the past three years, I've been working with businesses in Dubai, combining financial consulting with hands-on entrepreneurial experience in e-commerce, trading and imports.
Having been both a finance professional and a business owner, I understand the challenges from both perspectives.I've dealt with sourcing products, managing inventory, paying suppliers, arranging shipments, understanding hidden costs and setting prices that protect margins.
Today, I combine my corporate finance background with firsthand business experience to help founders understand their numbers, identify unnecessary costs and make better decisions. My approach is practical, personal and tailored to how each business actually operates.
My approach
Practical, structured and focused on decisions.
- 01
Understand your business
I start by understanding how you sell, buy, manage stock and get paid.
- 02
Find what matters
We identify the financial gaps that have the biggest impact on your business.
- 03
Make practical improvements
We agree on solutions suited to your operations, priorities and budget.
- 04
Keep things on track
Put useful financial checks and routines in place, with ongoing support if needed.
Qualifications
- CPA, CA — Ontario, Canada
- UAE Corporate Tax course — PwC Middle East (2025)
- UAE Tax Agent Examination passed (2025)
Experience
- 15+ years in controllership, corporate finance and public accounting in Toronto, Canada
- 3+ years in UAE finance consulting and entrepreneurship
UAE business
- UAE business and company setup
- VAT and Corporate Tax requirements
- E-commerce, trading and product-based business operations
- Supplier payments, inventory and imports
- Freight, customs and landed costs
- Financial reconciliations and process improvements
International
- Canada, UAE, Cyprus, Greece and China
- International supplier relationships, sourcing and trading activities
- Experience working across different business environments
Contact
Book a free call.
No charge and no obligation. Tell me a little about your business and I'll be in touch to arrange a time.
Thank you.
Your enquiry is in. I'll reply by email to arrange a time for your free call.
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Details you send through the enquiry form: name, email, business name, website, and your message.
How it is used
Only to reply to your enquiry and arrange a call. It is not sold or shared for marketing.
Contact
Terms
Services
Each engagement is agreed in writing, with its scope and fee confirmed before work starts. Prices on this website are starting rates.
Scope
IK Finance Studio does not provide day-to-day bookkeeping, audit, customs brokerage or tax filing.
- Product 42.00
- Freight 6.50
- Duty 2.40
- Clearance & handling 1.80
- Other direct costs 2.30
+31% on top of the invoice before the product reaches your shelf.
Illustrative figures, per unit.
- Day 0Supplier deposit paid
- Day 30Balance and freight paid
- Day 52Duty and clearance paid
- Day 75Stock sells
- Day 90Payout reaches the bank
- Cash going out
- Cash coming back
About 90 days between paying for stock and having the cash back.
Illustrative timeline for one sea-freight order.
Sale price180.00
Discount code (10%)− 18.00
Landed product cost− 55.00
Fulfilment and delivery− 15.00
Payment fees (3%)− 4.86
Advertising per order− 45.00
What's actually left42.14
The ad dashboard shows 3.6× return on ad spend. After every cost, you keep 23% of the sale.
Illustrative figures. Return on ad spend = 162 revenue after discount ÷ 45 ad spend.
Sales in Shopify48,200
Refunds and chargebacks− 3,290
Gateway and marketplace fees− 1,130
Should reach the bank43,780
Actually received43,150
Difference to explain630
Most of the gap usually has a reason. The work is finding the part that doesn't.
Illustrative figures, AED.
Let's talk.
Book a free call to discuss your business, explore the best next step and see how I can help.