Fundraising and growth

Raising our game, for you

If you’re aiming to grow your business and have come to crossroads you’ve arrived at the right place. We work with many clients as trusted advisors to develop or refine corporate growth strategy and if needed help you raise finance to realise those ambitions.

Having advised hundreds of businesses over a 25+ year period, as well as running our own, we are well placed to offer clear, honest and, if necessary, uncompromising corporate growth advice,

Our experienced team will take a deep dive into your business so that they can get a comprehensive understanding of what makes you tick, identify areas for improvement and your finances.  By attending board meetings and embedding into your financial team they will be able to provide an independent opinion and advise on strategy, fundraising and optimal timing.

Perhaps your corporate strategy requirement is more immediate, such as preparing business plans, providing valuations, performing strategic reviews, or building financial models. Having understood your objectives, we work with you to plan and deliver success. We can also work with you to develop a succession plan and exit strategy.

If your objective is to raise funds, we have extensive experience of raising finance capital to finance growth, acquisitions, and equity release. We have strong relationships with a range of funders, including banks (High Street and Challenger), private equity firms and venture debt providers.

The process of how to raise capital begins with a review of your strategy and objectives, so the optimal solution can be found. We will identify the most appropriate source of funding, based on your specific requirements, and negotiate the right terms for you and your business. Culture also plays a part: your funding partner will work with you as you put your plans into place and it’s important you get along.

If you’re making an acquisition, we can help you to assess targets and value, and lead the structuring of the deal, putting together an offer that is attractive to the seller but also carefully balances the risk for you as an acquirer.

If you’re a business owner or a management team contemplating a buyout, we will work with you to assess the feasibility of a transaction, possible valuations, and deal structures and how it can best be funded. We work with the management team to build a financial model, using our knowledge and experience of funders’ requirements, and will lead those financing negotiations.

 

The Ashcroft Commercial support plan for Entrepreneurs is our unique approach to helping entrepreneurs identify and achieve corporate and personal objectives.  Reaching your goals requires experience and vision and managing and growing your own business can be a lonely and overwhelming experience. It doesn’t have to be.

Our ACE Consulting services uses our experienced financial and operational advisors on an ongoing basis (your “sounding board”) to help you make the best decisions in moving your business forward with confidence

The Senior team at Ashcroft have extensive experience in providing sound financial, strategic, tactical and operational advice to Entrepreneurs and their businesses. They have also direct corporate experience at Senior Executive and Non-Executive level.

Our ACE Consultancy services will not only advise you on your strategic and operational plan but work with you as your trusted advisor in delivering on that plan.

Our service offering is shaped to provide high level strategic and operational input to Entrepreneurs and for the team at Ashcroft to become your “Trusted Advisor” and “Sounding Board”.

The Ashcroft review will focus on five key business themes and will be presented in a short concise way.

  • Corporate and Shareholder objectives
  • Market Strategy
  • Operational Strategy
  • Financial Strategy
  • “Polish” Business Action Plan

 

Ongoing advice and implementation of specific action plans identified from the initial review.

We have strong relationships with many UK and overseas Private Equity investors and a track record of completing deals with them.

With our Private Equity support, we can provide a solution for businesses and owners in multiple scenarios, typically one of the following:

  1. Raising capital to accelerate growth into new markets or products
  2. Funding an acquisition or series of acquisitions
  3. Arranging and financing a management buy-out of the company
  4. De-risking the owner’s personal stake by selling part of the company to an investor

 

As well as introducing you to the right individual investor for you and your business, our work includes:

  • Preparation of a Business Plan and integrated financial model with built in sensitivities
  • Analysis of investor’s IRR and management returns
  • Assistance with management presentations to potential investors
  • Negotiation of the deal and Heads of Terms
  • Project managing the due diligence and legal process

 

Latest Insights

For the latest thought leadership, views and insight from our experts go direct to the Source.