The Corporate Finance Network

Sharing the thoughts and expertise of Kirsty McGregor, founder & chairman of The Corporate Finance Network www.TheCFN.org.uk - supporting UK accountancy firms who are experts in SME Corporate Finance

Latest posts

Aug

Enough is enough!

The Chairman of The Corporate Finance Network has today written a blog appealing to be noticed by the government. She says the new Funding for Lending scheme won't work and ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

That’s it, I’ve had enough! Help needed…

Feb

Tips for MBOs - dos and don'ts!

As we begin our season of regional launches for our National MBO Training Programme, I thought it would be a good opportunity to list some do's & don'ts to get an MBO off the ground.

Feb

10 tips for preparing successful business plans

Talk English – plain English, not jargon
Keep it succinct – use appendices for longer explanations or technical documents etc

Mar

The ups & downs of MBOs

With such a restricted market for mergers & acquisitions in the present climate, MBOs are becoming more popular, and often are the only route to exit for many businesses. But firstly, let’s demystify (and laugh at) the various acronyms you may hear:

Dec

Higher valuations - putting the cherry on the top

So let's assume you've already done all the usual and standard things to ensure your business is highly valued by potential purchasers. ie:

Nov

To SWOT or not?

"Do I have to include a SWOT in my business plan" - a question I was asked the other day. I think the asker had kind of missed the point about SWOTs (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats) but it highlighted a common misconception.

Oct

Which valuation model to use?

Okay, so your client wants to know how much their business is worth - how do you deal with this question?

Let's talk theory first. There are 4 acceptable valuation models.

Oct

The most common form of acquisition finance in the market is currently...

Vendor Finance!

The more savvy entrepreneurs are making acquisitions. Either buying businesses who are competitors, or diversifying a little (such as vertical integration) or a lot (in a completely different sector). And how are these deals being funded?

Oct

Why is it so tough to get business owners to do exit planning?

Over the course of my career, this has to be one of the most frustrating things that I have had to deal with. Invariably working in general practice firms, the vast majority of the business owners in the client base were men over the age of 45. And whilst they generally understood the concept o

Oct

What to do with that 'offer out of the blue'

It's surely the best thing that can happen to a business owner - receiving an 'out of the blue' approach from another business that wants to buy them? I've worked with a few clients who have had this red letter day, and it may surprise you to hear, it can actually be one of the worst things tha

The Corporate Finance Network

Pages