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Articles by Mark Blayney

• Don't Sell Your Business Until You Really Want To
  Some owners seem to take the view that their business is 'always for sale' for the right price. These owners are usually not really interested in achieving a business sale at the moment, but instead operate on the principle that if someone is prepared to make a silly offer for the value of a business they would consider it. But this approach can be a mistake.
  Published 06Oct2011, viewed 102 times

• Why Are You Selling Your Business?
  Almost the first question asked about any business for sale is, why is a business sale being sought at all? And it's an important question to think through before starting the process as the answer can have a significant impact of the value of a business. So this article covers the reasons you may want to sell and why you need to think through both what they are and what they mean for you.
  Published 19Sep2011, viewed 146 times

• When Should You Sell Your Business?
  If you are putting up a business for sale you are going to want to get the best result possible. So when is the best time to sell to best realise the value of a business?
  Published 16Sep2011, viewed 95 times

• What Is Involved in Selling A Business? Part 2
  Some people only ever be involved in a business sale once, typically when they are looking to retire. Others will find themselves having businesses for sale a number of times during their careers as they move from one project to the next and this pair of articles looks at what is involved in realising the value of a business.
  Published 09Sep2011, viewed 218 times

• What Is Involved in Selling A Business? Part 1
  Some people only ever be involved in a business sale once, typically when they are looking to retire. Others will find themselves having businesses for sale a number of times during their careers as they move from one project to the next and this pair of articles looks at what is involved in realising the value of a business.
  Published 01Sep2011, viewed 109 times

• How to Whitewash Your BIMBO, A Business Sale Glossary - 2 Grooming to Yield
  Like any other area of activity, dealing with businesses for sale or finding the value of a business have their own jargon. These articles are designed to give brief plain English and practical explanations for some of the common terms used, from Grooming to Yield.
  Published 07Sep2011, viewed 458 times

• How to Whitewash Your BIMBO, A Business Sale Glossary - 1 AIM to Goodwill
  Like any other area of activity, how to value a business and how to manage a business sale have their own jargon. This pair of articles are designed to give brief plain English and practical explanations for some of the common terms used, starting with AIM to Goodwill.
  Published 31Aug2011, viewed 105 times

• Buying A Business To Turnaround 4: Making A Turnaround Work
  As a practicing turnaround business consultant, the core of my work is business rescue and central to any successful acquisition of a business to turnaround will be the need to make the turnaround work once the deal is done.
  Published 07Jul2011, viewed 123 times

• Buying A Business To Turnaround 3: Buying A Business From An Administrator
  Sale of businesses in a formal insolvency process will be conducted, often these days as a prepack administration, by Insolvency Practitioners (or IPs) working in one of the 'bankruptcy companies'. This article looks at the issues involved in making such a purchase.
  Published 07Jul2011, viewed 177 times

• Buying A Business To Turnaround 2: Buying A Business Before Insolvency
  Businesses in difficulty will usually be showing signs of it such as receipt of a County Court Judgement or CCJ or a company statutory demand, well before failure, that may lead its owners to seek a sale. This article looks at the issues involved in buying a business outside of a formal process.
  Published 07Jul2011, viewed 124 times

• Funding a Business Turnaround 3: Understanding Bank Security Calculations
  Where a lender has concerns about a business and their security position they will often instruct an independent business review from an insolvency practitioner, or very occasionally, one of the turnaround firms and this article covers how to estimate a business's security position.
  Published 27Jun2011, viewed 211 times

• Funding a Business Turnaround 5 Managing a Cash Crisis Continued
  Managing a cash crisis so as to achieve a business rescue involves tacking four areas, the last two of which are reducing the amount of cash going out and getting more cash coming in by way of everything from asset sales, to new investment and in the longer term to achieving sustained increased profitability which to me is the real turnaround definition.
  Published 27Jun2011, viewed 206 times

• Funding a Business Turnaround 4 Managing a Cash Crisis
  In a cash crisis, the first task facing you or your turnaround business consultant in the business rescue is ensuring the business's short-term survival. This will depend on taking emergency measures to conserve and generate cash to buy time for longer-term issues to be addressed.
  Published 27Jun2011, viewed 221 times

• Funding a Business Turnaround 2 The Three Key Questions
  There are three key questions in dealing witha cash crisis, is the business insolvent, does it have enough cash to meet its immediate needs and will its lenders support it, This article covers the key issues in respect of each question.
  Published 26Jun2011, viewed 219 times

• Funding a Business Turnaround 1: The Two Funding Needs
  A business turnaround is usually precipitated by a cash flow crisis and so funding a turnaround therefore usually involves firstly managing the business's real cash flow so as to deal with the initial cash flow forecast problems and survive to stabilise the business; and then refinancing to fund the regrowth and future trading of the business.
  Published 18Jun2011, viewed 171 times

• Four Key Reasons For Writing A Business Plan
  All businesses, of whatever size or stage in its development, need to have formal business plans in place, prepared by the management and not their accountants, and fortunately there are many now many free business plan templates available on the web to help you in business planning.
  Published 09Mar2011, viewed 308 times

• Factoring And Invoice Discounting: Part 4 of 5 - How Much Do They Cost?
  Factoring and invoice discounting are both debtor based forms of finance and this article discusses the costs involved, which each include two main ongoing elements, a service charge to cover the facilities provided, and an interest charge based on the levels of funding borrowed.
  Published 05Mar2011, viewed 169 times

• Factoring And Invoice Discounting: Part 5 of 5 - How Do They Differ?
  In both factoring and invoice discounting the lender will provide you with funding known as an advance against the value of the cash due into you from your debtors however this article outlines the important differences between these types of finance.
  Published 09Mar2011, viewed 380 times

• Factoring And Invoice Discounting: Part 3 of 5 What Debts Are Difficult To Fund Against?
  It can be difficult to obtain factoring or invoice discounting on some types of business debts due to their nature or circumstances which will affect a factor's ability to collect in the debts to repay their lending in the event that the business fails and this article covers the main issues involved including contractual and construction debts.
  Published 05Mar2011, viewed 172 times

• Factoring And Invoice Discounting: Part 2 of 5 How Do Factoring And Invoice Discounting Work?
  The easiest way to visualise how factoring and invoice discounting work is to imagine that as soon as you have made a sale to a customer, you can then immediately 'sell' your unpaid invoices to the lender at their full face value. This article covers how the full process works.
  Published 04Mar2011, viewed 200 times

• Factoring And Invoice Discounting: Part 1 Of 5 What Are Factoring And Invoice Discounting?
  Factoring and invoice discounting are both forms of receivables finance that allow you to raise money directly against your outstanding debtors as a way of covering a 'funding gap' and this five part series of articles is intended as an introduction to what they are and how they work.
  Published 03Mar2011, viewed 255 times

• Overtrading, When Businesses Become Victims Of Their Own Success
  The perception of turnaround is that it involves a company which has fallen into distress as the result of a decline. In fact a large proportion of the cases that turnaround firms actually work with are businesses which are actually doing very well in terms of increasing sales, and sometimes even profits and the issue here is where businesses have become victims of their own success as excessive rates of growth has led to overtrading.
  Published 02Mar2011, viewed 247 times

• Non-core Operations, Part Of The Wider Vision Or Just A Distraction? Part 2 Divestment Objectives
  In the first article we discussed how and why businesses may have accumulated subsidiary operations that are now non-core and some of the factors that can lead to a need to divest these. In this one we look at what objectives you may want to secure in achieving a divestment and how these impact on how you will go about divesting a non-core operation as well as factors which can block a disposal.
  Published 24Feb2011, viewed 216 times

• Non-core Operations, Part Of The Wider Vision Or Just A Distraction? Part 1 The Divestment Decision
  Many businesses have operations or even whole subsidiaries that are 'non-core' in that they are outside of those areas in which the business's management believe it has a competitive advantage and which are central to the business's future plans. This pair of articles discusses why businesses may wish to dispose of non-core subsidiaries, and how to go about it.
  Published 23Feb2011, viewed 278 times

• Business Loans Glossary: Part 4 - Property Development Finance to Yield
  The final part of this guide to business loans and finance raising covers 'property development finance' through to 'yield'.
  Published 21Feb2011, viewed 411 times

• Business Loans Glossary: Part 3 - Invoice Discounting to Private Equity
  The third article in this four part jargon busting guide to business loans and finance raising covers 'invoice discounting' through to 'private equity'.
  Published 14Feb2011, viewed 541 times

• Business Loans Glossary: Part 2 - Debtor Finance to Insolvency
  The second part of this four part jargon busting guide to business loans and finance raising covers 'debtor finance' through to 'insolvency'.
  Published 13Feb2011, viewed 391 times

• Business Loans Glossary: Part 1 - Accounting Concepts to Debtor Days
  Like any area of activity, business loans and finance raising have its own jargon and this series of articles are intended to give brief plain English explanations for some of the common terms used from 'accounting concepts' through to 'yield'.
  Published 11Feb2011, viewed 634 times

• Managing People And The Process Of Change Part 3 Managing The People
  Managing change in your business or in turnaround management consulting, is not just an abstract process, it is one which affects real people. This article looks at some of the techniques turnaround firms use in managing people while implementing change management.
  Published 05Feb2011, viewed 160 times

• Managing People And The Process Of Change Part 2: Managing The Process
  If you are looking to really change your business or are undertaking turnaround management consulting, to be successful, you will need to make long term change stick. This article looks at some of the techniques and processes turnaround firms use in implementing change management.
  Published 04Feb2011, viewed 206 times

• Managing People And The Process Of Change Part 1 Resistance To Change
  One of the key issues facing business owners and anyone involved in turnaround management consulting is managing change. Once you have now set your business objectives, you have decided what changes are needed. Is this enough? Will the changes simply happen? Or not? This article looks at the barriers to change and how turnaround firms go about change management.
  Published 02Feb2011, viewed 159 times

• The 3 Key Questions In Stakeholder Management
  There are a wide variety of people, groups and bodies that will have an interest in the success of your business, known in general as stakeholders, and who you might therefore wish to call on for support to see you through your difficulties and to rebuild your business. This article discusses some of the key issues in managing stakeholders during a turnaround.
  Published 31Dec2010, viewed 510 times

• Eight Key Issues In Family Businesses
  Family businesses often have particular strengths in terms of commitment and family members' long schooling in the culture and operation of the business. This article covers eight specific issues they also have to think about when considering strategy.
  Published 31Dec2010, viewed 171 times

• Warning: Potential Personal Liability For PAYE/NIC Arrears
  Managing Your Four Key Risks In a Turnaround - Part 3 It is not often recognised that directors can be held personal liable for arrears of Crown payments due to HMR&C; while the taxman can also impose conditions on any new business you are involved with which can lead to severe funding issues.
  Published 22Dec2010, viewed 411 times

• How To Help An Internationally Known, Northern Based, Brand
  We have just completed an assignment to help a successful enterprise that is almost an international institution, deal with the problems arising from its significant growth over past years, but which until now had continued to be run as a 'one man band' by its founder, which we thought would make a seasonal case study.
  Published 10Dec2010, viewed 165 times

• Warning: Potential Personal Liability In An Insolvency
  Managing Your Four Key Risks In a Turnaround - Part 2 Insolvency Risks. As a director or owner manager of a business facing difficulties, it is important to ensure that you manage your personal risks appropriately. The previous article discussed how to deal with your normal responsibilities and the need to manage your personal mental health during a crisis. In Part 2 this article looks at insolvency specific risks.
  Published 20Dec2010, viewed 169 times

• Warning: Look After Yourself In A Business Crisis
  Managing Your Four Key Risks In A Turnaround - Part 1 Personal Risks. As a director or owner manager of a business facing difficulties, it is important to ensure that you manage your personal risks appropriately and these articles address how to approach this task by focusing on four key areas.
  Published 19Dec2010, viewed 146 times

• Preference Under s 239 Insolvency Act
  UK legislation sets out a number of transactions that can be set aside in the event of insolvency, a key one being a preference under s 239 Insolvency Act. This article sets out what a preference is and how to deal with a situation where this may be alleged.
  Published 28Aug2010, viewed 663 times

• 5 Steps To Protect Yourself Against Wrongful Trading
  The basic principle underlying the concept of wrongful trading can be summarised in the simple phrase, 'If you are in a hole, stop digging', while the concept of fraudulent trading covers the more serious 'intent to defraud.' This article discusses these risks to directors and how to deal with them.
  Published 27Aug2010, viewed 322 times

• The Real 3 Reasons Your Bank May Want an Independent Business Review (IBR)
  Where businesses are underperforming, in distress or in crisis, their funders will often ask for an Independent Business Review, IBR in the jargon, to be carried out. This article covers what to expect from these independent financial reviews of your business by an investigating accountant and how best to deal with them.
  Published 26Aug2010, viewed 489 times

• Business Rescue Organisations in The UK
  For such a relatively small world, the business rescue and turnaround management industry in the UK has generated an extraordinary variety of acronyms in a very short space of time. So this article provides a guide to who's who and what's what in the world of business rescue and turnaround management consulting.
  Published 19Aug2010, viewed 231 times

• Finding UK Turnaround Equity Investors
  When a business needs turnaround equity it will generally need to act quickly to secure this which means needing to be able to speak to potential funders who understand this area and its risk and limitations and who are prepared to move swiftly enough to make a deal work. This article covers what distressed equity investors exist in the UK and how to obtain turnaround investment.
  Published 13Aug2010, viewed 295 times

• Company Voluntary Arrangements (CVAs), The Pros And Cons
  Company Voluntary Arrangements (CVAs) are one of the Insolvency Act's business rescue procedures. A bit like Chapter 11 in the US, they are intended to provide a flexible way of restructuring a troubled business which will lead to a better outcome for creditors than other insolvency procedures, while allowing management to retrain control and shareholders to retain ownership. This article looks at the pros and cons of this approach.
  Published 30Jul2010, viewed 620 times

• Seven Key Questions When Buying a Business in Difficulty
  Periods of economic difficulty can present great opportunities for acquiring businesses or assets at bargain values. But buying assets from a business in difficulty does have its particular risks, such as dealing with a rompala clause, and requirements, such as using a business loan broker. This article sets out seven key questions to ask yourself before doing any deal.
  Published 30Jul2010, viewed 555 times

• What is a Prepack Administration?
  Administrations are intended to be one of the Insolvency Act's business rescue procedures, but given the impact they have on Administration creditors they are often perceived as simply another insolvency process; whilst the increasing use of prepack administration has also given rise to controversy. This article outlines what an Administration is and how they, and in particular prepacks, work.
  Published 26Jul2010, viewed 316 times

• The Bankruptcy Companies
  The involvement in a company's affairs of the 'bankruptcy companies' run by insolvency practitioners (or 'IPs') is often feared by businesses and their owners as the beginning of the end. But in fact some of the Insolvency Act's procedures are designed to help businesses in difficulty. This article describes the main insolvency process and when they should be used.
  Published 11Jul2010, viewed 179 times

• Managing a Real Cash Flow Crisis
  This article describes the key steps in dealing with a real cash crisis which are to firstly, get to grips with your exact cash position by way of preparing a cash flow; then to both improve the control of the cash you have as well as identifying opportunities to create or free up more cash.
  Published 01Jul2010, viewed 596 times

• Buying a Business in Difficulty
  Considering the trouble that most people go to through in the process of due diligence and business purchase financing to ensure that they are buying a business is healthy and with good prospects why might you or a distressed equity firm want to do the opposite and buy a business in difficulty? The answer lies in the potential to add significant value.
  Published 06Jul2010, viewed 355 times

• Why do Real Cash Flow Problems Arise?
  Businesses fail when they run out of cash which can happen for a number of reasons from losses to too much growth, a factor that may be particularly important as businesses attempt to regrow after the current recession. This article looks at how and why businesses get into real cash flow difficulties and what to do about it.
  Published 05Jul2010, viewed 2373 times

• Government Business Grants For Turnarounds
  While there has always seemed to a lot of public support available for starting up in business it has also always seemed to be very difficult to find sources of support for businesses that are in difficulty. This article looks at what sources of publicly funded small business financial help exist, and in particular, at government business grant aid for turnaround situations.
  Published 29May2010, viewed 517 times

• Turnaround Management Consulting
  Achieving a successful turnaround often requires specialist help and new cash. With the rise of turnaround management consulting as a profession there are an increasing number of sources of help and advice for businesses in difficulty. This article introduces the main types of professionals involved in business turnaround and in particular how they can help in raising turnaround equity.
  Published 29May2010, viewed 835 times

• Insolvent? Definition of The 'I' Word
  To be the director of an insolvent business is to enter a different world where your duties and responsibilities have radically changed, and one where you may be at risk of personal liability. This article looks at the legal definition of insolvent, the tests that apply, the impact that it has on your position as a director, and where to go for insolvency help.
  Published 28May2010, viewed 462 times

• What Does A Turnaround Business Consultant Do?
  When a business is in difficulty the directors broadly have three options, fixing it, which means turning it around; selling it, presumably to someone who thinks they can fix it; or shutting it. This article discusses turnaround, the 'fix it option', and what turnaround firms or an individual turnaround business consultant do?
  Published 27May2010, viewed 810 times

• Avoid the Directors' Disqualification Register, Do Not Fail In the First Place
  Business failures can leave directors exposed to criticism and even to disqualification proceedings. This article looks at how and why businesses get into real cash flow difficulties and how the real way to avoid any chance of appearing on the directors' disqualification register is to avoid business failure in the first place.
  Published 17May2010, viewed 234 times

• Insolvent Companies for Sale
  One option for a business in difficulty may be to look to sell but how practical is this really in a distressed situation? This article looks at how and why buyers look to find insolvent companies for sale as well as how the Pre-pack Administrations and the SIP 16 insolvency process operates in a sale of an insolvent business.
  Published 14May2010, viewed 602 times

• Difficulty Paying VAT? Your Options Explained
  HM Revenue and Customs (HMR&C) have lost their special rights as insolvency preferential creditors and are broadly treated like any other creditor. So, if you are having difficulty paying VAT or PAYE on time they are now more exposed and have to be more careful to ensure they are paid, however it is still possible to obtain support if you have arrears and this article covers how to do so.
  Published 12May2010, viewed 396 times

• Statutory Demand, Company Insolvency Tests Explained
  One of the key signs that business difficulties are becoming dangerous is that creditors start to take legal action and this article briefly outlines the main procedures used in the UK, from County Court summonses to Statutory Demands which a company may face.
  Published 11May2010, viewed 437 times

• Raising a UK Business Development Loan
  Finding a business development loan in the UK can be difficult, particularly in the present climate. This article looks at the sources of business development loans and how to access this type of funding.
  Published 28Apr2010, viewed 325 times

• Business Property Loans
  Commercial property is usually both a major investment for any business to make without having raised some form of debt finance, as well as being a large store of value that a business can use to raise cash from when needed. This article covers the different types of business property loans that are available such as commercial mortgages and bridging loans and how to go about raising a business property loan.
  Published 21Apr2010, viewed 255 times

• Cash Flow Funding
  Most UK business lending to small businesses requires two things to be in place, a demonstrable ability to service and repay the loan from future cash flows, and security to enable recovery in the event of default. So what happens when security is not available? This article gives a cash flow lending definition and discusses the sources of cash flow funding available to UK businesses today.
  Published 24Apr2010, viewed 210 times

• Achieving a Successful Business Turnaround
  At its simplest, business turnaround is about reversing a business's decline and by doing so restoring stability to the business and re-growing its value. But business turnarounds are about healing the sick, not attempting to raise the dead, and so this article looks at the seven key factors that need to be in place and the three key stages in the process.
  Published 19Apr2010, viewed 472 times

• Why Do Businesses Fail?
  There are broadly four types of business failures and the majority of established businesses that go under do so for a combination of five reasons. This article looks at why businesses fail and how to spot the warning signs before it's too late.
  Published 01Apr2010, viewed 557 times

• Bridging a Funding Gap
  Where it is possible, raising a bridging loan against commercial property can be one of the quickest ways for a business to access sizeable amounts of cash in a hurry. However bridging loans are expensive and this article discusses how bridging loans work and the risks involved in taking one.
  Published 26Mar2010, viewed 167 times

• From Business Undertaker To Company Doctor
  How I went from being a 'business undertaker' to being a 'company doctor' and what I've learnt about business health on the way.
  Published 25Mar2010, viewed 296 times

• Business Turnaround Training
  Can business turnaround be taught? With the Institute for Turnaround consulting on practicing certificates for turnaround professionals and improved CPD requirements, this article looks at the pros and cons as well as where in the UK professional business turnaround training is currently being offered.
  Published 18Feb2010, viewed 624 times

• Will my Bank Support Me?
  When a business is in difficulty, maintaining the support of its bankers is normally critical for its survival. This article looks at how a bank or other lender makes this critical decision and what steps a business can take to make itself as supportable as possible.
  Published 16Feb2010, viewed 310 times

• A Guide To Raising Funds By Factoring Invoices
  Factoring and invoice discounting are increasingly important sources of finance for SMEs, but there are dangers for the unwary. This article covers how these forms of finance work, the issues to look out for and how to choose an appropriate funder.
  Published 12Feb2010, viewed 356 times

• A Short Guide To Grants
  Grants. Free money or time consuming nightmare? This article looks at the types of grant support available for businesses, particularly the current levels of support for sustainable businesses.
  Published 04Feb2010, viewed 361 times

• Who can help in a turnaround?
  There are a variety of sources of help and advice for businesses in difficulty and this article introduces the main types of professionals business owners can turn to, and when and what to use each type for.
  Published 01Feb2010, viewed 466 times

• Borrowing To Buy a Business
  When buying a business you need to ensure the funds you raise are sufficient to both pay for it and to trade it with afterwards. After all, it is no doing the deal only to run out of cash with which to run it. This article outlines the sources of cash available and how to maximise the funding available by way of loans
  Published 27Jan2010, viewed 230 times

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