11 minutes read Cost Reduction With margins squeezed and slow growth in a world of inflation, there are fewer opportunities to pass on your increased costs. Business costs are challenging, on second thoughts, they are psychologically difficult – but there are choices. How do you review your cost base and spot ‘layer cake’? Where can…
3 minutes read Today’s Autumn statement resembled a tightrope walk – increasing income (taxes), cutting costs (the state) and improving the balance sheet (debt and interest) – all whilst inflation is rife, and economic growth has stalled. It felt as though the Government was sway-dancing on the tightrope to ‘Everybody Hurts’ (the 1992 REM classic and…
12 minutes read The Market Recessions are not just about poor economic growth, they are often accompanied by other characteristics such as widespread job losses, fewer available jobs, and more Government relief. Investors may baulk, but stocks tend to bounce back rapidly making recessions a good time to invest. With all the turmoil in the…
21 minutes read Everybody’s Free to Wear Sunscreen Some of you may recall “Everybody’s Free to Wear Sunscreen“, the brilliant song by Baz Luhrmann. The line “sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind…” seems particularly apt in these crazy times, it’s also relevant for anyone selling their business – in that timing is important but so…
10.5 minutes read For many business owners, selling their company to exit is the ultimate reward for years of hard work. Most of the wealth in the world is capital wealth, not income, and realising this wealth can be an important part of a business owner’s journey and the peak of their ambitions. In a world…
12 minute read Introduction Negotiating the best price for your business is key when research shows that more than half of the companies in the UK are undersold. They do not achieve maximum negotiated value – they only secure financial sale value. Surprisingly, the cause of this is not always sale preparation or the company…
8.5 minute read The “perfect” trade sale – is a fuss-free, maximum value, strategic trade deal with buyers that just “get it”. Yes, this is great in theory, but how can you achieve it? The Right Stuff Preparation, timing, and process all have a bearing on achieving the “perfect” trade sale, however, strategic buyers will be…
How the Russian-Ukraine war affects Mergers and Acquisitions After the shock to the system that was the COVID-19 pandemic, the global economy seemed to be healing. This has especially been the case since late 2020 into early 2021, with last year being the best year for M&A, with a new deal value of nearly £4…
5 minute read Quite often a ‘good’ company is perceived as being average. In the 1990s, well-known management books such as “Good to Great” and “In Search of Excellence”, further re-enforced this view. ‘Great’ or ‘excellent’ is the mantra and ‘good’ is not sufficient. This is a shame, as it can result in CEOs and…
9.5 min read 2021 M&A Trends and Mid-Year Review Increasingly we are witnessing in 2021 M&A trends as the pandemic has changed many aspects of our world. Whilst it has accelerated virtual working and placed technology at the centre of our business models, it has also left organic growth as no more than a pipe…