JDC Corporate Finance is helping local businesses deal with the challenge of Coronavirus
The business impact of Coronavirus has been unprecedented, extraordinary, unparalleled and for some catastrophic. None of us have lived through anything like this before. However, it is our experience that the owner manager is a resilient and resourceful breed, and the instinct of many will be to rise to the challenge, look for the opportunity and either bounce or claw their way back.
Our instinct is also to rise to the challenge of the times and to make a positive difference. For that reason, we are reaching out across East Anglia to businesses who might need our help, offering a series of helpful guides, webinars and most particularly, individually tailored advice.
JDC’s Director of Business Growth, Chris Adlam, has some pithy advice for those looking to navigate choppy waters and cash flow management issues. “Early engagement and over-communication with key stakeholders is vital” explains Chris. “If you manage cash and working capital wisely in the short term you will protect and grow shareholder value in the long term. Those businesses that have been reassessing strategic options, focusing on liquidity and cutting costs will emerge strongly when the economy returns to some form of normality.”
Chris is heavily involved in providing hands-on assistance to businesses and regularly provides refinancing advice to his clients. “Having a full understanding of what financing options are open to you and your business will be very important given the current climate and inherent uncertainties” he added. “Additional financing can come from high street lenders, alternative funders or external investors including private equity, and we can help find the right tailored solution in most scenarios.”
Dave Howes is JDC’s Director of Corporate Finance. He explained that “Having a fully defined corporate and financial strategy and reflecting on all of the viable options in emerging from the COVID-19 crisis will be crucial to all businesses. Many business owners have already identified, rightly in my view, that now is the time to conduct a full strategic review of their own options and those available to their business. This might include market position, finances, management team, acquisition strategy, refinancing, exit options … and our job is to help the owner identify and pursue the best fit strategy for the times.”
Dave’s view is that the current market conditions will not close the door on the aspirations of business owners looking to realise capital value. “Given the current climate it is critical to plan early for your exit and succession” he added. “We believe strong businesses will still be attractive to UK and overseas buyers. We also expect some business owners, having traded through the crisis, might now find the time is right to de-risk and realise value for the years of hard work they have committed, and we are here to help with that too.”
Fiona Hotston Moore, JDC’s Director of Forensic and Business Advisory Services believes that whatever their right route forward, most business owners are going to be interested in what the current crisis has meant for the value of their own business. Fiona explained that “For most business owners, understanding the key value drivers in their business should be an essential component of business decision making, particularly in a volatile economy that presents both opportunities and challenges. Understanding the drivers of value will help business owners understand both the current value of their business as well as how to build future value.”
At JDC Corporate Finance, we have many strands to our specialist business, enabling us to help our clients respond to whatever opportunity or challenge the economic climate throws at them and we have been busy helping many clients over the last few months. Our directors have advised over 1,500 business owners on strategy in most market conditions, and as a firm we are well placed to help new clients deal with the challenges (and the opportunities) of the current market. Most of all though, we are keen to help and to make a positive difference.
For more information including our full half year review “Moving Forward – Dealing with the business challenge of coronavirus”, as well as details of upcoming webinars for business owners click here or call our Suffolk-based director Fiona Hotston Moore on 07770 642491.
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