Corporate finance

Corporate finance for small business

When the term corporate finance gets mentioned many small businesses tend to think it doesn’t apply to them and that it only relates to big companies.

In fact, corporate finance is just an umbrella term which covers many different areas which can apply to a growing small business or one which has hit difficulties but still has great products, services, staff or perhaps intellectual property.

Types of SME corporate finance

• Financial due diligence for transaction planning.
• Applying for any kind of finance and considering the options, in terms of prospects, process, financial pros and cons, potential control issues and how to present your business in the best possible way when seeking finance.
• Seeking private equity investment to enable your business to grow to the next level – the “Dragons Den” type scenario which gives a good indication of how tough any potential grilling can be. Where potential investors are interested in the product, service or proposition and reasonably satisfied with financial information provided, there will still be difficult negotiations re price, equity and control. Good corporate finance representation generally means people who are skillful and experienced negotiators.
• Accessing government grants.
• Mergers and acquisitions.
• Joint venture related advice.
• Management buy-ins and buy-outs.
• Exit planning.
• To buy a new asset, property or another business e.g. term loan, HP/lease.

Our small business corporate finance experience and services

Typical advice we provide to businesses of all types and sizes includes :-

• Strategic and commercial advice and insight.
• Financial modelling and forecasting to help obtain finance and/or to impress investors.
• Due diligence for a potential business purchase.
• Due diligence in helping clients selling businesses to prepare for sale and prepare for the due diligence questions and demands of potential buyers and their advisers.
• Help with negotiating corporate finance.
• Managing external advisors who may need to be involved

SME Corporate finance

In terms of why you might decide we can help with corporate finance, whilst this type of advice is all about skills and experience and cost should be very much secondary, for small businesses, costs are always very important. Our charge rates are a fraction of those charged by corporate finance professionals in large accountancy practices, law firms or boutique finance businesses. We are affordable for any almost all small businesses and our charges are proportionate to the value of the underlying benefit or risk.

And we are also almost completely unique in that we have in-house solicitors who can coordinate the legal due diligence alongside the financial due diligence.

So if you are considering buying or selling a business, please drop us a line to see how we can help.