Advisory & corporate finance
Revenue was up, clients were coming on, the team was growing. Then someone looked at the margin line. It had moved quietly in the wrong direction. The value leak is easy to miss because it lives inside the numbers that are working.
In short Trade sellers achieve multiples 40% below the rest of the market Information presented below what smart buyers expect Signposted as a disposal rather than an opportunity The price chip is not anticipated Divesting part of a business can be a strategically smart move for portfolio businesses providing the opportunity to: Analysis of transactions … Continue reading Why portfolio divestments underperform the market
In short Finance says ‘no’ rather than telling you how More accounting staff than salespeople Management accounts take three weeks or longer Forecasts cannot be updated to support a decision Margin by product or project is unknown Cash flow still surprises you If your financial setup is frustrating you, then you could notice the following … Continue reading Six Warning Signs About Your Finance Set Up
Financial models are powerful tools used for a variety of purposes to assess forward looking financial information to overcome limitations of relying only historic information Some of the best uses for financial models are: We support clients build financial models for a range of business requirements, from simple forecasts to developed models to support decision-making. … Continue reading How financial modelling can help improve business decision-making
In short The wrong business model, lifted from earlier work Complexity nobody else can follow Assumptions with no reliable data behind them Inconsistent formatting and colour coding Broken links between sheets and files No error checks and no validation Six common mistakes people often make when performing financial modelling: We support clients build financial models … Continue reading Six common mistakes in financial modelling
In short Use consistent formatting and colour coding Document every assumption you make Build in error checks and test them Validate against benchmarks and history Design for flexibility, not for rebuilds Review and test on a schedule If you’ve planned your financial model and started to build it We support clients build financial models for … Continue reading Six tips to help you create strong financial models
In short Six things to settle before you build anything Fix the old model, or bin it and start again Understand what the model actually has to satisfy Choose the tool before you are locked into it Get the data structure right at the outset Plan who else will need access, and how Decide how … Continue reading Financial modelling: Don’t start yet
Build and buy strategies are where a business acquires other businesses, very often to help increase value ahead of an exit. They are not uncommon for private equity or companies trading on a public exchange and can also work for smaller businesses but are less common. Build and buy strategies can be an attractive way … Continue reading Thinking about Build and Buy?
In short Why leaders hesitate, and what the data says instead Fear of a deflating response to the survey Cynicism about what different generations want A belief that it only creates pressure on pay Not knowing what would actually help A recent report by Be The Business that compared productivity in the UK compared to … Continue reading Four barriers to employee engagement
In short 95% of executives are dissatisfied with innovation in their business A business focus on finding better ways to do things Engagement and the creative capacity of employees Infrastructure that supports collaboration and learning Deep contextual understanding of the marketplace Willingness to act, learn and fail fast safely The benefits of creating an innovative … Continue reading Five behaviours to promote innovation