1. Flexi-budget - Planning for uncertain times
Everyone's back from holiday, the beachwear has been packed away for another season and thoughts are starting to turn again to business.
Many of the entrepreneurs we work with have had enough of all the gloom over the last twelve months. They didn't set up their businesses to manage the cutting of costs. Entrepreneurs set up businesses to bring their ideas to life and grow them further, and that's want they want to return to now. But how do you plan for uncertain times?
Click here to read 2. Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme:
Orchard client IT-Freedom secures investment funding with support from RBS
London and Camberley based IT-Freedom who provide claims and management information solutions to the General Insurance market have secured funding from banking partners RBS to support them in their move into the Mutual Insurance market. Founded in 2002, the company provides best practice web-based solutions for the Insurance market and companies that have to manage a number of Insurance claims through their business operations. Some of their customers include companies such as Rok, Jubilee Managing Agency and Guardian Holdings.
3. If I was your finance director
With most business owners and managers coming back from their summer holidays, thoughts are now turning to what will be happening to their businesses, not only in the remaining months of 2009 but in 2010 and beyond. Finance directors are no different in that they will have plenty to occupy them on their return to the office, and they will certainly be playing their part in this thought process. Orchard Growth Partners Principal Antony Doggwiler gives you a taste of what finance directors are up to at this crucial time of the year.
4. Aimzine - Swallow this
Pro-forma results are usually a sugar-coated, but ultimately bitter, pill for investors to swallow. However, they are now making a come back. Last time around the economic climate was favourable and their use was driven by pressure from the "Street". Ironically, their return now coincides with a harsher economic environment which may be driving companies to use pro-forma results to deny the impact of the recession or mask sloppy decision making by management teams during the good times of the last few years.
Ash Mehta discusses their use (and abuse) in an article that first appeared on
www.aimzine.co.uk .
Click here to read.
5. Future events
Come and see us at future events;
In tribute to Cyril Trevellian Fletcher 1913-2005 - We salute you.
So, your company has raised $200m since being set up, including $25m in emergency funding in recent weeks, but the company still isn't profitable, creditors are knocking at your door, a high profile director joins the board and resigns weeks later, you've been without a CFO for 15 months, and the press is speculating imminent disaster. Quick appoint a new CFO!
OK, we got one. Great! Where's he from? Er.......
"Please note that as of 1 July 2009, Servista Limited is in administration. All enquiries should be directed to Baker Tilly, the Administrators."
With the press claiming that Spinvox is heading for administration, however good a CFO Manoj Parmer may be you have to question whether the Spinvox board considered the implications of appointing a CFO who has just presided over a company which entered administration.
Mind you, if the worst comes to the worst, at least he'll know what to do.
Until next time!
The Orchard Team
Orchard Growth Partners Limited.
