Selling your business is likely to be something you do only once. The biggest challenge (and therefore the complexity with which you must grapple early on) is aligning your interests with those of all of the key members of your team. The cynical observer will say of any business sale or purchase “buy from a […]
Thinking Ahead: the secret to a successful exit
Thinking Ahead: the secret to a successful exit Selling a business for the price you want (or need) will never be an easy task. Counter intuitively perhaps the way to do it is to think ahead and think of others first. Private equity investors joke that they look for only three things in a business: management, […]
Employee Share Schemes – What happens if someone leaves?
Once you have considered a share incentive for your employees you will need to think about what happens if one of the employees to whom an award has been made leaves your business. Generally business owners want to restrict ownership so that there is a mechanism to ensure that a leaver does not take their […]
EMI Options – How do they work?
So we know that Enterprise Management Incentive (EMI) Schemes are tax-advantaged, but what exactly does this mean? In order for EMI options to maintain favourable tax treatment, the scheme (whether under a set of rules or a one-off stand-alone agreement) must be registered with HMRC. Once the scheme is registered, the grant of options must […]
EMI Options – Do you qualify?
An Enterprise Management Incentive (EMI) scheme can be a great way to attract, retain and motivate key members of your team, allowing them to participate in the growth in value of the company on a sale and perhaps enjoy dividends before then. A qualifying company can grant options over shares on flexible terms and the tax […]
Top 7 reasons to consider a share option scheme for your business
For all of us it is all too easy to be focused on day to day activities. A properly designed employee share option scheme will require time and thought along with expert guidance from those who have practical experience of the alternatives. Here are the top 7 reasons to consider a share scheme for your […]
Employee Share Schemes – What are your Options
Advances in technology, social media, globalisation and the UK’s exit from the European Union mean that there is increasing pressure on all of us as business owners. Private equity providers will often say there are just three things they look for in any business: management, management, management! For all of us running our companies we […]
A great British and Oxfordshire success story!
We have a number of clients in the education technology sector and so thought we must make an appearance at this year’s British Educators Technology Trade Show. It was a great opportunity to catch up with old clients (as well as meet some new ones!) whilst learning more about this exciting sector where the UK has […]
10 things to check before you sell your business
Starting the process of selling your business can seem a daunting process. In fact, with the right professional support in place, the process need not be too challenging. Here are the 10 things that you should check with your advisers before you start the sale process. Are the interests of all the principal shareholders aligned? If […]
Why are your Articles of Association so important?
The Articles of Association of any company represent the legal contract between the business’ shareholders and directors. Like most contracts they sit in the bottom drawer and you forget about them. Before putting them in the bottom drawer, though, think about the following:- Sacking you as a Director Those who hold more than 50% of the […]