Insights

• SVB – a victim of liquidity squeeze
  The success of banks relies on confidence, as the typical activity is the maturity transformation of short term deposits into longer term loans. HSBC stepping in to recue SVB in London can help this to happen.... read more
• Where are we in the economic cycle?
  Rising interest rates that add cost to business debts has led to a re-appraisal of the typical model of buying a business. That was a feature of the low interest rate environment of the last ten years, and now the cycle has turned.... read more
• Are banks changing their appetite for risk?
  Banks have a duty to support their customers, they have detailed knowledge of their corporate clients, and they are incentivised to help. Which begs the question - why does this not always work?... read more
• Are experienced bankers disappearing?
  The banks have lost good and able bankers, credit policies are tighter with increasing “computer says no” mentality, and new challenger banks and funds are doing the business that banks used to do.... read more
• What happens inside banks when times get tough?
  Banks tend to hunker down, and look after their own customers. Which means that using professional debt advisors becomes more important, and getting the best deal becomes more challenging.... read more
• Stability is not everything, but without stability, everything is nothing.
  The German finance minister in the late 60’s, Karl Schiller, said “stability is not everything, but without stability, everything is nothing”. So where are the banks in this period, particularly in those areas devoted to supporting SME’s?... read more
• Who is really funding your business?
  Who is really funding your business? Recent events have made this question more important than usual, because the supply of capital to lending markets is undergoing something of a blip.... read more
• Are we really going back to the 1970s?
  Some commentators are remarking that our current economic challenges are reminiscent of the 1970’s... certainly we are re-learning the lessons of inflation, which plays havoc with balance sheets.... read more
• Finance providers can be like apples and pears
  Things have changed in lending markets - this has been evident in a recent refinancing exercise when we conducted a thorough comparison across various banks.... read more
• How can you judge the intangible aspects of a finance offer?
  The softer factors to be considered are around the quality of banking relationship, who will you be dealing with, what influence / authority do they have, and how the borrowing will be monitored.... read more
• I do one thing, and one thing only….
  My focus is purely on raising the debt required to buy a business (or indeed any other finance for businesses),... read more
• Industrial logic is a term I like.
  Often business owners look to grow their way to bigger scale, and the next question is, can we do that ourselves, or do we need to buy another business?... read more
• Where do you turn when seeking funding… debt or equity?
  This question bubbles to the surface regularly when looking at capital structures, particularly for acquisitions.... read more
• PE firms selling assets to themselves
  When running fixed life funds (typically 10 years), the pressure to exit grows during the life of the fund. ... read more
• What do you do?
  It's not only royalty that ask that question!... read more
• The refinancing challenge
  Most of my fund-raising activity has been working with clients to secure the best finance package from the market.... read more
• Experience is so important
  I have been contacted by quite a number of ex-colleagues who are considering their options for the next stage of their career.... read more
• One question I am often asked is where can I go to get the funding I need?
  Of course that knowledge and insight is part of what makes my role valuable to clients.... read more
• Professional relationships – how important are they?
  As an independent advisor and consultant over the last five years I am fortunate to have met and worked with an wide group of professionals; ... read more
• What is the most common question I get asked?
  The clear winner is - how much can I borrow, typically in relation to an acquisition. ... read more