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1. How to sell your company - in three years' time.
Selling their company is probably the biggest challenge a business owner is likely to face. Orchard Growth Partners Principal Antony Doggwiler explains why preparing the groundwork for any sale starts well before the decision is taken to begin the process in earnest.
At one of the exhibitions we attended recently, one of the visitors to our stand told us he was looking to sell his company. Nothing unusual about that you may think and neither did we. The current difficult climate has made many business owners consider this option, even if prices are not at their best at this time.
However the difference was that he was talking about selling his business in three to five years' time. He was already realising that the groundwork to a successful sale starts long before a decision is made to push the button on the sale process.
Business owners should constantly be thinking about how they will exit their business, especially if they want to realise a large lump sum in the process. Be it a planned exit over a number of years or an opportunistic exit based on an unsolicited approach, actions that are taken now can have a significant impact on the value of the business ...
Click here to read more. For a confidential discussion about how Orchard Growth Partners can help you prepare your business for sale or any other challenge that your business is facing please contact us on 0845 3700 303 or info@orchardgrowth.com.
2. "Is this the Holy Grail of enterprise?"
 A new initiative has been launched that aims to support hundreds of small and medium sized businesses who have moved beyond the start up phase and are on their second phase of growth. However as Tony Drury, businessman, financier, author and Enterprise Britain's "Mr Angry" points out, its heart might be in the right place but its wallet definitely isn't.
Next month sees the launch of The Business Growth Fund ("BGF").
It is a £2.6 billion pot provided by six City banks. The Chairman is Sir Nigel Rudd. The Chief Executive is Stephen Welton. Equity investments will be between £2m and £10m. Applicant companies must have a minimum turnover of £10m and an upper limit of £100m.
Enterprise Britain, which is run by Dirk Van Dijl, a Dutch American economist who understands the small-cap sector better than most, supports any initiative which helps Britain's four million hard pressed, exhausted and battered SME business owners, managers and colleagues. Each week I, and up to fifteen others, (including Antony Doggwiler of Orchard Growth Partners), desperately try to diffuse the nonsense, cant and sometimes puerile political rhetoric, and seek the truth.
To this end there are three worries about the BGF ...
Click here to read more. Tony is always keen to hear from people on the trials and tribulations of life in enterprise Britain. Read his blog and engage with him by clicking www.enterprisebritain.com.
3. Making friends and influencing people.
Orchard Growth Partners recently took stands at two exhibitions, the Yorkshire Mafia exhibition held in Leeds and the South East Business exhibition held near Gatwick Airport. Geographically diverse they may have been but as Orchard Principals Claire Dibb and Harvey Mitchell explain, there was a common positive theme at both events.
Two exhibitions, two venues, one common message. We all want to do more business and believe that can best happen by developing relationships with like-minded positive businesses.
Orchard Growth Partners Principals Claire Dibb and Harvey Mitchell believe that the inaugural Yorkshire Mafia Conference in Leeds and the South East Business Show near Gatwick were great successes. Claire is in no doubt of the benefits to Orchard of exhibiting. "We made several new connections, both from visitors, and also from a strategic alliance perspective with some of the other exhibitors. We are certainly going to be following up these new connections in order to ensure our time at the conference delivers real business benefits."
Click here to read more. If you want to follow up on any contact made with Orchard at the exhibitions or require any further information please contact Claire on 07775 821868 or Harvey on 07917 784170 or e-mail exhibitions@orchardgrowth.com.
4. The thoughts of Chairman Paul.
 Earlier this month we saw the European Central Bank increase interest rates in the Eurozone. Yes I know our own dear Bank of England kept ours at 0.5% for the twenty fifth month in a row but the ECB decision is a clear sign that the era of exceptionally low interest rates is coming to an end.
There is no doubt that the only way that interest rates can go in the future is up. We may not see rates of 15% that some of us who were around in the early 90s experienced but a move back to the equilibrium rate of 4% is highly likely over the next few years.
So enjoy the low rates while you can, and maximise the benefits, but as a well run company you should already be considering how an increase will impact your business and be considering how to deal with such an increase as part of your strategic planning.
What do you think?
Agree or disagree with Paul? Let him know on 07770 475485 or paulc@orchardgrowth.com.
Kind Regards,
The Orchard Team | 
