Plan to Grow

Are you working hard to grow your business but frustrated by the lack of success – are you looking for inspiration?

If you are spending all of your time managing day to day issues but frustrated that performance (sales, new customer enquiries) are only improving slowly or not at all, it may be time for a change.

We are here to help you take charge of your destiny, grow your business and be fully rewarded for your efforts. Give us a call we will take you through a systematic process that will deliver results.

How we help

For any business, growth is key. To achieve this, a strong forward plan is essential and this should include an exit plan.

We are here to provide coaching and business improvement support, helping you achieve a clear strategic plan that ensures you are focusing on the key issues that determines the direction of your business.

Working with us to grow your business will give you a number of choices, ensuring that when the time is right you can exit on your own terms.

  • We have the skills, experience and resources to provide the necessary support you will need as your business grows over time
  • We will work closely with you to help you deliver your forward plan, coaching you every step of the way
  • Working with us, you will ensure every step of your growth plan considers financial implications. We can help you find the right solutions to help you accelerate improvements within your business
  • Our extensive knowledge, training and experience allows us to provide valuable advice when considering all aspects of growing a scalable business

Ways to grow your business

Our Growth Programme focuses on continual improvement; taking small steps to grow your business and increase its value:

Diagnostics

Where is your business today?

Do you have a forward plan?

Do you have an exit plan?

Business Foundations

  • Goals – What are your goals for the business?
  • Financial Control – What does your financial history tell us and where should your financial focus be?
  • Efficiency – How efficient is your business? How much of your time is spent managing the business? What are the key numbers in your business that ensure you have the right information to make decisions for the future?
  • Customer Service – What level of customer service does your business deliver? Do you systematically deliver the products or services that your customers need?

As a business owner, you will only be too aware that growing a business year on year is hard work. There are many exterior factors that influence results, and you could find yourself spending more and more time managing day to day operations, rather than focusing on business development and strategic direction.

One alternative you may wish to consider is buying a business; perhaps a business that has some synergies with yours. This route can add new products or services to your business , can certainly increase your profitability, and if you choose wisely, you will make significant savings around the overhead structure of your larger business.

Consistent Cash Flow

  • Price Competition – What are your margins? Do you discount?
  •  Marketing – How many leads are you generating? What
    is your conversion rate? What is your percentage of profitability?
  • Test and Measure – How effective are your marketing

    efforts? Where can you make improvements? Are you testing and measuring the
    impact of any decision you make in the business?

Systemising Your Business

  • Establishing your Vision, Mission and Culture Statements
  • Organisation – What are the roles and responsibilities of your team?
  • Measuring What’s Important – Developing and defining your KPIs.
  • Systemise – Developing and defining your Management Systems.

Your Team

  • Team Development – Grow and develop your team
  • Succession Plans – What are your plans for today and the future?
  • Strategic Thinking – Plan to Grow!

Scaling Your Business

  • Grow your business at multiple locations
  • Offer additional, similar products and services

Results and Options

Our Growth programme is designed to help you achieve your objectives, ensuring that the business is generating consistent profit and does not rely on you managing the day-to-day operations.

Business growth provides you with personal freedom and many options to exit on your own terms.

Buying a Business

As a business owner, you will only be too aware that growing a business year on year is hard work. There are many exterior factors that influence results, and you could find yourself spending more and more time managing day to day operations, rather than focusing on business development and strategic direction.

One alternative you may wish to consider is buying a business; perhaps a business that has some synergies with yours. This route can add new products or services to your business , can certainly increase your profitability, and if you choose wisely, you will make significant savings around the overhead structure of your larger business.

Growing your business by acquisition can deliver:

  • Improved profitability ratios
  • Significantly quicker results when compared with organic growth
  • An excellent return on investment which can contribute significantly to your future plans
  • A stronger organisation with a lower risk profile

With our help you find a business that meets your needs. We will support you in every stage of the acquisition, including sourcing potential businesses for sale and coaching you through each stage of the buying process.

Your First Acquisition? Buying a Business?

If you are not yet a business owner but you are working hard to generate profit for someone else, would you like to take control of your future? Would you like to increase your personal freedom? Buying a business could be just the thing for you.

West Midlands Business Advisors will support you through the process so that it does not feel as daunting as you may first think.

What type of business do you want to buy?

The first step is to establish what type of business you are looking for. There are considerable advantages to buying a business that has similarities and synergy with your own. A business that offers the same key services, or services and products that can add to your offerings allows you to use your skills and experience to your advantage.

When you are exploring which type of business to buy, you should consider the advantages and disadvantages of buying a business that is financially sound to ones that have some financial challenges.

  • A Profitable Business – will have a higher price tag, but it will have all of the necessary ingredients to deliver your ambitions. A lower risk proposition. A strong proposition that has potential for growth .
  • A Stressed Business – is underperforming, with numbers that need improvement and performance following a downward trend. However, if you have the necessary skills and experience, this could be the ideal type of business for you. You will be able to purchase at a reduced price and with our help, could see a very quick return on your investment.
  • A Distressed Business – A business that is insolvent or on the verge of insolvency. You will buy a distressed business for a notional amount whilst taking on its liabilities. However, if you understand how to manage the liabilities and have our support, you will be able to reverse those liabilities and restructure the business, leaving you with a successful purchase that you may have previously considered to be out of your reach.

Once you have established what kind of business you are looking for, we can find opportunities that are on the market that meet your requirements, as well as sourcing businesses that are not on the market but may consider selling. We can also speak confidentially to organisations in your existing supply chain that may want to sell.

Where do you need help?

We can guide you through the stages of an efficient buying process, including:

  • Sourcing businesses that meet your requirement.
  • What is a Trade and Asset Sale?
  • Share Purchase
  • Evaluating the opportunities to determine their suitability for your requirements
  • Help as required with evaluating business finances
  • Helping you develop a value for the acquisition
  • Developing a deal structure that minimises any risk to you
  • Finding funding solutions that meet your requirements.
  • Supporting you in discussions and negotiations with the seller.
  • Helping you with the preparation of a Heads of Terms agreement.
  • Supporting you through due diligence, investigating and documenting the details that demonstrate the business is exactly as described to you by the seller.
  • Working with legal teams in completion of sale and purchase agreement.

Selling Your Business

Having a plan for selling your business is an important part of your exit plan, ensuring that when you are ready to leave your business, you can achieve the best possible sale price and exit on your own terms.

Business sale statistics tell you that it is not always easy to sell a business. We will help and guide you through every step until your business is sold. Throughout the business sale we will keep the process moving forward together professionally and successfully.

We strongly encourage a collaborative approach and will work closely with you to develop a sale plan and timeline, which we will monitor through all key milestones of the business sale process.

Our fee structure will always be transparent, our focus will always remain on increasing your profitability, increasing the value and selling price of your business.

How to Sell Your Business

No two business sales are the same, our aim is to achieve the best sale price for your business. To do this we will work with you to design a sale process bespoke to you. Our step-by-step approach will ensure we fully understand your business, and that throughout the process we are in a position to make the right decisions and promote your business to prospective buyers.

Business Analysis

We conduct a full business analysis to learn as much as possible about its operations, financial status, your place in the marketplace and the unique selling points of your business. This process helps understand the potential of your business, along with any work required to grow and strengthen the business ahead of sale.

Our target is to ensure that you walk away from the sale of your business with the best possible deal. To reach what we consider a fair market value that will cover any fees, we always consider the business valuation based upon your ambitions, the current market and a buyer’s viewpoint.

Your Exit Plan

We coach you through the creation of an exit plan that clearly defines agreed actions and timings. We provide the support you need to achieve these actions until the business is sale ready.

Your Business Sale Process

Our Selling Program takes you through each step of the Sale Process

  • Business Diagnosis.
  • What is your business worth?
  • What could it be worth if we made some improvements in your business which are attractive to buyers?
  • Exit planning and readiness for sale.
  • Understanding the difference between a Share sale and a trade and asset sale.
  • Review your situation with taxation specialists.
  • Confidentiality throughout the sale process
  • Developing a confidential advertisement, a company brochure/information memorandum
  • Advertising your business on the live market
  • Research and approach to prospective buyers who may be a good match.

Working with Prospective Buyers

We will manage all buyers confidentially and organise exchange of information to keep the process moving forward. We will ensure we get to know your prospective buyers and their individual circumstances to help you choose which buyer may be the ideal match with your business.

Negotiation

Negotiation is key to achieving the best possible price and terms for the sale of your business. We will support you throughout meetings with prospective buyers with a view to reaching an agreement that meets your requirements. We will document all principles and terms of any agreement reached.

Due Diligence and Closing

Once an agreement is reached, we will work with the buyer and you to achieve a smooth due diligence process. Following final negotiations, we are on hand to assist the completion and discussion of a preliminary Heads of Terms agreement ensuring that both parties are clear with respect to all key terms of  the sale and purchase agreement. We will be on hand to support the legal teams as required throughout discussions on warranties and the completion of the sale and purchase agreement.

Start to Finish Business Support

We are committed to helping you sell your business. We follow a clear support and coaching plan which is focused on completing the final sale in good time. We are the common link throughout the selling process, working with accountants, lawyers and other third parties involved in closing the deal.

We keep information and communication clear and simple as to ensure the process of selling your business remains as transparent as possible. We are on hand from the start of the process to the completion of the business sale and will be available to support you, the successful buyer and your network, helping you to achieve your forward plan.

Grow your business – book some time with us now to discuss your plan and join our coaching programme