We provide strategic and business advice, from determining whether you have an investable business, to strategic reviews, from developing appropriate corporate structures, to geographic expansion, from buying a company, to selling out. Take it or leave it, it will be clear, direct, objective and actionable.
When two men in business always agree, one of them is unnecessary
William Wrigley Jr
Some Samples of Where We Can Help
Ideas and start-ups
An objective analysis of your new business plans and whether they represent viable and investable businesses – or whether you should look at something else
Where to start a business and what considerations should you take into account
How to build a business plan, cashflow forecast and investment memorandum to present to lenders and investors, and what to say and what not to say in meetings
Fund raising what’s – debt, equity, exotic instruments, what are your options and what is best for your business
Fund raising who’s – lenders or investors – banks, private equity, crowdfunding. VC’s, mates down the pub, which is best for your business
Tax issues, legal issues (we are not experts on either but as CFO of SMEs we always have these under our wing therefore know the issues and we can either advise directly or at least know what to look for, so that when it is passed to the experts the scope is focused (and the cost reduced))
How much money do you really need and how long do you need it for – ie when are you going to pay the investors back
Ongoing businesses
Strategic reviews – where is your business now, where should it be at this stage of development and what do you need to do to achieve your vision. We review finances, markets, go-to-market models, organisation, competition etc, to see where you are and how to get there.
How to move on when growth has stagnated
How much is needed to finance a major new contract and what you can do if you want it but haven’t got the cash for it
How to move into new markets, whether sectoral or geographical, vertical or horizontal
What are the real benefits and risks of opening in, say, China or India and should you open in China or India or both
Cross border structures and transactions, tax implications, and how to protect businesses from currency movements
Should you buy a business to accelerate growth, how to identify a target, ensure thorough due diligence, valuation and the purchase process.
How to fix a situation, restructure or turnaround when all looks bleak, and whether to give it a go or cut and live to fight another day
How to identify what the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) are for the business, how to measure them and how to incentivize staff accordingly
Fund raising, pros and cons, the what’s and the who’s
Tax issues, legal issues (we are not experts on either but as CFO of SMEs we always have these under our wing therefore know the issues and we can either advise directly or at least know what to look for, so that when it is passed to the experts the scope is focused (and the cost reduced))
Exit
Should you sell the whole business, how much do you want for it, we advise if it is realistic and how to achieve that target within your preferred time frame
Or are you looking to stay with the business and looking at a partial trade sale, merger or IPO, we advise on pros and cons and how to get there
How to sell the business, how long will it take, who to approach and how to approach them without clients and staff getting spooked
What else to look for when selling your business – delayed payments, warranties, earn-outs
What you should do with old skeletons in the closet
How much is the business worth, and how can you can get it to be worth more
Tax issues for shareholders and for the business (we are not experts on either but as CFO of SMEs we always have these under our wing therefore know the issues and we can either advise directly or at least know what to look for, so that when it is passed to the experts the scope is focused (and the cost reduced))
