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The Business Journey

Event No.5

7 May 2014

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Welcome

AlanMcKee

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The Business Journey Partners

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Susan Grandfield

“Pressing Pause:

the key to business success and

personal resilience”Susan Grandfield

The Business Journey

7th May 2014

Creating focus I Developing capability I Achieving aspirations

Imagine….

Creating focus I Developing capability I Achieving aspirations

• Re-focus

• Re-balance

• Gain clarity

• Expand your awareness

The Challenge

Creating focus I Developing capability I Achieving aspirations

• More information

• More choice

• More change

• More pressure

• More fear

• Less time

The Neuroscience

Creating focus I Developing capability I Achieving aspirations

• “Doing” quickly exhausts our pre-frontal cortex

• Our 24/7 life-style results in ambient neural activity

• Our threat response is active more than is healthy

• 95% of what we do is subconscious

• We can re-shape our brain – neuroplasticity

Pressing Pause

Creating focus I Developing capability I Achieving aspirations

10 minutes each day:

• Increases your ability to focus

• Improves your memory

• Improves your decision making

• Reduces stress and anxiety

• Increases your self-confidence

• Improves your mental and physical health

Want to know more?

Creating focus I Developing capability I Achieving aspirations

• “Mindfulness: finding peace in a frantic world”

Mark Williams & Danny Penman

• “Thinking, fast and slow” Daniel Kahneman

• “Make your brain work” Amy Brann

Thank you

Creating focus I Developing capability I Achieving aspirations

mob / 07940 386 358

e-mail / susan@sgdevelopmentsolutions.com

skype / susangrandfield

web / www.sgdevelopmentsolutions.com

twitter / susangr1

facebook / sgdevelopmentsolutions

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Questions for Susan?

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Martin Edgar

Opportunities to reduce your occupational costs

Martin EdgarEdgar Property Solutions

“Even the best hotels don’t want empty rooms”

The key elements

• Rent review

• Service charge

• Rates

• CVA (company voluntary agreement)

• Break options / lease expiry

Break Option & Lease Expiry

95 Bothwell Street, Glasgow

• “Did they have any intention of triggering the break option?”

• “Was this a good deal for the landlord?”

Holyrood Park House, Edinburgh

Trigger Notices

Remember Important Dates

• “Dates are best retained by connecting them with important dates already firmly established in the mind” Dale Carnegie

Cigarette advertising is banned in the UK – 31st July 1965

British Army leaves Northern Ireland – 31st July 2007

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards end one month jail sentence – 31st July 1967

• Take time out to plan ahead

• Acting well in advance of lease event will save you money

• Leaving it too late will weaken your negotiating position

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Questions for Martin?

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Allan McLeod

mlmhere to calm the waters

mlm here to help

calm the waters

RestructureSolutions for businesses facing distress

Allan McLeod

mlm Solutions

TITLE

UK Debt

“At the end of March 2014, Public sector net debt was

£1,268.7 billion

equivalent to 75.8% of GDP.” – Office for National Statistics

July 2013

TITLE

The Scottish SME market

FSB Scottish Members Survey Nov 2013 –

• 47% of members borrow to ensure cashflow

• 37% of those members borrowed less than £5,000

• Whilst 67% of those members borrowed more than £5,000

Scottish corporate failures remain static at around 1,400 insolvencies per year.

Rise of the “Zombie” business. Definition - businesses which are burdened by heavy

debts, generating just enough revenue to pay down interest but usually with no

realistic hope of getting themselves into the black let alone making a profit.

In summary, debt continues to be a significant challenge within our community.

TITLEReshape Reschedule Restructure

Insolvency Tools

Our approach

“To provide a solutions based approach to financial distress,

using the wide and varied tools within our armoury.”

- mlm Solutions

TITLE

case study - Project Foil

Profile Long est. Ayrshire family business started by Director’s father. T/o

£200k. Strong customer profile.

Issues Debt of £60k, £20k personal guarantee, no profit, director’s salary

£400pm. Tight cost control.

Solution Reshape the business.

Focus on sales strategy. Intro to Business Coach to focus on sales.

Outcome Business has now return to profitability and is reducing the debt

burden. Director taking a salary. Long est business survives,

employees continue, creditors will be paid in full and have continuity

of future supply, trading & professional relationships continue.

TITLE

case study – Project First

Profile Rural hotel operated by Partnership. Partnership consisted of 4

family members. T/o £600k.

Issues The 2 local competitors had closed in recent times. Historical debt of

£200k, including a demand from HMRC for £100k. Partners joint &

severally liable, and all facing bankruptcy. £250k equity in hotel.

Solution Reschedule the debt using Business DAS over 8 years.

Outcome Creditors to be repaid 90% of debt, compared to nil if bankrupt.

Equity in property protected.

Hotel continues to trade profitably.

All 4 partners protected from bankruptcy.

Trading & professional relationships continue.

TITLE

case study – Steel Engineering Ltd

Profile Manufacturer est. in 1922 specialising in large scale fabrication for

the Marine & Energy sectors. T/o £10m, 100 employees. Blue chip

customer base.

Issues Board changes in 2012 led to change in strategic focus to

renewables market. Substantial investment in equipment for

renewables market, large cost overruns on key projects. This led to

a rapid and severe downturn during 2013. Unsecured debt grew to

£4.4m, which the Company was unable to service, creating severe

creditor pressure.

TITLE

case study – Steel Engineering Ltd

(cont’d)

Solution Restructure the business -

1. Board level changes 2. Reduction of workforce

3. Re-focus on traditional markets 4. Reduce occupational costs

5. Return financed equipment 6. Compromise debt via CVA

7. Implementation of key KPIs

Outcome Work pipeline was rebuilt and the business now at full capacity

Workforce reduced to 60 employees

Creditors agreed to CVA , which will return 65p in £

Compares to 2p from Administration or Liquidation

Best outcome for Landlord

Continuity of trading and professional relationships

TITLEReshape Reschedule Restructure

Insolvency Tools

Our approach

Key messages –

• If it’s broke, fix it !!!!

• There is a wide range of tools at our disposal.

• Timing is critical, the sooner tackled, the better the result.

• Use your network. It’s your greatest free resource.

mlmhere to calm the waters

mlm here to help

calm the waters

www.mlmsolutions.co.uk

Allan McLeod

07500 373715

amcleod@mlmsolutions.co.uk

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Questions for Allan?

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Questions for partners?

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Thank you for attending

Time for networking