We are a boutique service of skilled turnaround professionals helping underperforming and distressed companies to rebuild sustainable growth. We leave clients with new skills, systems and funding to continue improving and growing in the good times and protecting value and investments in tough times.
We provide commercial advice and strategic support for one off projects | issues which can cause difficulties for a business, for example,
- assistance with major disputes | litigation
- management | shareholder disputes
- breakdown of relationships with lenders | customers
- managing loss of key management | customers | contracts
- managing recovery after a catastrophic event, for example, fire, loss of accreditation, adverse change in legislation etc
- disposals of non core unprofitable businesses
- full integration of businesses acquired
- restructuring of corporate structure
- rebanking | refinancing
- restructuring of security structures and minimising security exposure
- minimising of key exposures, for example, property, employees and contracts
- converting debt to equity
- converting short term debt to long term debt
- raising new equity
We also provide management support services to plan and implement turnarounds for our clients.
The symptoms of underperfomance; distress and crisis which will ultimately kill your business are, for example,
- loss of market share or a contracting marketplace
- stock levels are increasing
- turnover is not increasing
- profits are static or declining
- lenders are demanding further security and further information
- you are increasingly reliant on heavier borrowing
- accounts are qualified and filed later and later
- credit limits are reached with suppliers
- landlords threaten to distrain over your assets
- legal proceedings are commenced
- HMRC payments are in arrears
- letters from IP’s and debt counsellors arrive
and the list continues depending upon your specific business and how far down the decline curve you have travelled.
The causes of business underperformance and failure are however limited to a few areas
- lack | loss of operational control
- lack | loss of financial control
- management structures
- strategic challenges
- one off projects | losses |acquisitions | commitments.
It is these matters that need addressing and the solutions will therefore be specific to your business and individual requirements.
Our range of services are extensive and we focus on the following key areas.
Planning
We help create detailed business plans with executive summaries; details of marketing resources, finance and promote the ingredients necessary for the success of your business. This is critical for,
- raising finance
- securing customers and contracts
- rewarding and retaining key employees
- keeping your Lenders | Investors on board
- focussing your efforts on what is important for you and the success of your business.
Strategy
We create viable crisis management | stabilisation and | or regrowth plans by
- establishing what the accurate and current financial and legal position is
- set objectives for the company given the circumstances
- establishing what the options are
- recommending the best option and planning its implementation
- devising fall back strategies
Implementation
We assist our clients (together with their existing advisors wherever possible) by implementing the crisis management | stabilisation | regrowth plan the ultimate aim of which is to increase sales and profit– which commonly requires
- operational and overhead restructuring i.e training; reorganising; motivating, not just reducing cost and staff but enhancing efficiencies in production, marketing and sales
- financial control restructuring, for example, credit control; stocking; negotiating standstills; extending lines of credit; evaluating alternative financing structures
- management improvements
- working as a team with existing advisors on tax planning; structures and wealth preservation and creation strategies
- raising cash and improving liquidity
- dealing with the big challenges, for example: filling the gap for goods or services offered; adapting to changing markets and identifying routes to market; diversification of opportunities; extraction from onerous contracts; property arrangements.
We provide
- Chief restructuring officers
- Interim executive support
- Coaching
- Mentors
- Non-executive directors
- Recruitment services
Our objective is for you to avoid a formal insolvency wherever possible but whether a restructuring process entails a formal insolvency or not we will continue to work with you beyond a restructure | rescue to build and develop your business to enable you to maximise your best prospects of success and minimise risk.
Ultimately the choices are simple and in decreasing order of attractiveness
- fix the business and retain it and develop it (whether through a one off specifically designed project; a turnaround | restructuring (with or without a formal process)
- fix it and sell it
- leave it and sell it (“the accelerated disposal process”)
- leave it and let it be sold by a practitioner (to a third party purchaser or closed)
Call us now on 0207 183 7829 for a free initial discussion and meeting.
The Venture Consulting Team