We specialise in working together with the founders/ business-owners of small-medium businesses to help them grow their businesses with an end-game in sight , be that sale, transfer or value realisation
‘As a serial entrepreneur myself, I have been living this for the past twenty years and can attest to the pitfalls, the pleasures and the decisions required over a business builder’s journey’ – Richard Downs, Partner, Spice Capital
Start-Up Advisory
The needs of a start-up are unique. Often starting with an idea and little else. Making a business out of an idea is hard work, all-consuming and very soon founders realise they need help!
That’s when we can get involved. Everything from fund-raising to management support and putting some structure into the business. Our involvement will help to de-risk your business from inside operations and to the outside looking in.
We can provide equity in terms of limited finance and ‘sweat equity’. We only make our returns when the business has grown and a funding round allows a limited liquidity event for the founders and ourselves.
Business Incubation and Acceleration
Very often this segment has a founder working tirelessly on a great business but with little time for strategic thinking and expansion and what next?
That’s when we can get involved. Our first involvement will be a strategy refresh, setting new targets for the business, setting a strategic roadmap, a financial plan and working alongside management to execute on the roadmap.
We take no liquidity out of the business and take a pre-agreed equity stake in the business which only has value if the business grows from the time of our involvement.
Consulting
Strictly speaking; all our involvement is consulting. Whether it be Start-Up Advisory or Business Incubation and Acceleration.
In rare cases we are open to undertaking pure consulting agreements which do not involve equity. Our preference of course is to have a real equity incentive driven by the success of the business but sometimes that is just not feasible.