If you're a UK SME owner thinking it's time to hang up the boots, pour the gin, and sail off into a spreadsheet-less sunset, you're not alone. Whether you're dreaming of tropical beaches, tinkering in a shed full of gadgets, or just never want to hear the words “VAT quarter” again, there are – dare we say it – 50 ways to leave your business.
Louis Cooper our new Board, Governance and Risk Advisor, looks at need for good governance principles and how they can help you drive your goals and objectives to achieve your strategy.
As a business owner, you’ve most likely experienced more than your fair share of change lately. Hard as you try to build solid foundations — growing your team, building strong client relationships, and setting clear goals for the year ahead — it can feel as if there is some universal force hell-bent on shifting the goal posts around you.
Ash Sinclair, Director of Glenway Products Ltd worked with Geoff Gwynn one of our Business Growth Advisors, for a number of months on a creating a Business Growth Plan for Glenway but also providing executive level support for Ash to help him to implement the plan and grow and develop as a leader of the business. This is how he found working with Geoff:
Having worked hard to build your business you might now be considering selling and realising the value you have created. However, many businesses that go to market fail to achieve a successful exit. Crawfurd Walker, our Chief Revenue Officer, has worked with many businesses to get them ready for exit. He shares his tips on preparing to sell a business.
From my experience, AI is already automating operational processes and enhancing decision-making which is proving to be a game-changer for SMEs looking to scale efficiently and attract potential buyers or investors.
Having built and sold three businesses, Steve Bird, one of our Business Growth Advisors, has both professional knowledge and practical experience to share with SME owners. Here he looks at practical steps to grow and exit your business:
Ahead of International Women’s Day, Louis Cooper, one of our affiliates who specialises in Board, Non-Executive Director and Board Committee development and Governance, Risk and Assurance, has shared his thoughts on gender representation at Board level.
The size, shape and scale of businesses operating in the SME sector is often characterized by the supplier, and the customer, having an interpersonal relationship rather than a transactional relationship that can be common in larger entities.
Good managers understand and emphasise the value of their people, recognising them as the cornerstone of success in their business yet often the time spent recruiting and developing their people lacks the appropriate level of attention.