CorporateFinance

Maybe you’ve decided that in order to grow your existing business you need to make an acquisition or perhaps you want to own your very first business.  Either way, it’s a challenging time and it’s crucial that you chose the right advisers to assist and support you throughout the process.

By partnering with Shorts we can provide you with the proactive support you will need to make a successful acquisition.  Before we begin we will need to do some comprehensive and detailed research on the market.  This will include identifying the right target for you and then understanding as much as possible about that business (what are the quality of its customers/contracts, how does it make its profits, who are the key people within the business, is it seasonal etc).

Once the research phase is complete it’s time to try and negotiate a deal that works for everybody.  To be successful will require a combination of the right tactics, the offer being delivered with finesse and an ability to build rapport with the sellers.  It will be important in the negotiations that we understand what the sellers really want to achieve (experience tells us that it’s often not solely about the money).

As an award-winning Corporate Finance team, we are focussed on providing a high quality, personable service applying the knowledge we have built up from many years of advising on business acquisitions.  We have an impressive track record of finding the right acquisition for our clients, delivering value and the optimal deal structure.  We are vastly experienced in successfully negotiating with sellers and we believe its’ our ability to remain a level-headed and reassuring presence in what is often a stressful process, that sets us apart.

Our team of specialists have successfully acquired hundreds of businesses and are vastly experienced.  So if you’ve decided now is the time to buy, or you want to explore your options to see what’s possible, then we look forward to hearing from you.

Shorts are here to help you achieve your objectives

Raising funds could help you develop longer-term opportunities for your business (e.g. buying a new factory, entering new markets or acquiring a competitor).  It can also be a sensible option for making a shareholder exit possible, facilitating a management buy-out or simply improving the quality of service/cost of your existing funding.

But who should you approach? The banks, private equity, or more specialist routes?  There are lots of factors to consider and that is why it’s crucial that you chose the right advisers to assist and support you throughout the process.

As an award-winning Corporate Finance team, we are focussed on providing a high quality, personable service to our clients.  We will be candid and open with you regarding your options and will objectively determine and agree your funding requirements.

The goal will be to obtain the right funding option for you that will maximise the benefits for you and your business.  To do this we will leverage the strong, enduring relationships we have with the major banks, asset-based lenders and private equity houses.

Our team of specialists have successfully raised funds for hundreds of businesses, in all economic situations.  So if you’ve decided you need to raise finance, or you want to explore your options to see what’s possible, then we look forward to hearing from you.

Shorts are here to help you achieve your objectives

Getting the tax structuring right on a deal can make a huge difference to its overall success.  When you are buying or selling a business, advanced planning is essential to get the best possible tax position.  This can be a much longer process than initially perceived and tax saving opportunities may be lost when planning is overlooked or done too late.  That’s why it’s crucial that you chose the right advisers to assist and support you throughout the process.

As an award-winning Corporate Finance team, we are focussed on providing a high quality, personable service to our clients.  And our approach ensures we provide our clients with fully integrated tax advice: a key area that separates us from some of the independent corporate finance boutiques who have no/little tax capability.

With 15 Chartered Tax Advisers, we have more highly qualified tax personnel than any independent firm in the region.  We are therefore ideally placed to give proactive tax advice that not only mitigates your potential tax risks but also helps you maximise your net returns.

In addition, our Private Client team is the market leader in the region, focussed on providing bespoke wealth management advice.  This enables us to provide a truly integrated offering by, for example, advising you on investing your sale proceeds or how to pass on wealth tax efficiently to the next generation.

So, if you are considering undertaking a transaction either now or in the future we look forward to hearing from you and demonstrating how experienced, thorough tax planning can make a significant difference to you.

Shorts are here to help you achieve your objectives

We have extensive experience in providing tailored and commercially focussed Due Diligence reports to banks, venture capitalists, public sector bodies and acquisitive companies.

Our partners have undertaken Due Diligence assignments on many complex businesses, delivering quality reports within tight deadlines. We are therefore ideally placed to provide Due Diligence support however large or small the deal.

We offer a fully integrated service incorporating tax Due Diligence as a seamless element of the assignment, with tax partners and staff that have the experience to give comprehensive comfort, whilst focussing on the issues that matter.

We will work with you in partnership, providing reassurance to both you and your funders. We add value by focussing on the real commercial issues and investigating in depth any areas of potential concern. Regular communication and a commitment to delivering a comprehensive report within the agreed timetable, ensures we will help you get the deal done.

An Employee Ownership Trust (or EOT) enables a company to become owned by its employees. It is a trust, set up by existing company owners, for the benefit of all employees. This trust becomes the majority owner of the business as part of an exit or succession planning strategy.

In the appropriate circumstances, an Employee Ownership Trust is the most tax efficient way to sell your business.

The transaction is completely tax free for the seller (resulting in no Capital Gains Tax whatsoever).

The seller is also guaranteed the full market value for their shares, and gains certainty of exit in a defined time frame, free from the whims of trade buyers. The price agreed for the controlling stake will be market value, based on independent assessment.

The Corporate Finance team at Shorts are experienced in helping owners assess their exit planning options, and are specialists in EOT transactions. The Shorts team can help owners see their plans through to a successful conclusion.