Raising finance is a process that most businesses will go through a number of times in their lifespan. Finance often needs to be raised when a business is starting up, growing rapidly, expanding, developing its activities or changing ownership, and the current economic climate has greatly complicated the process

Our Corporate Finance department is involved in raising finance in the majority of the transactions we undertake. This can include:

• asset-backed finance (loans, factoring or invoice discounting, HP, leasing)
• unsecured finance (EFG, mezzanine finance, overdraft, cash flow lending)
• new equity (Business Angels, private individuals, venture capitalists) and
• finance provided by the vendors and
• Grants.

Most businesses are familiar with the straightforward forms of debt such as overdrafts and loans. However it is still possible to borrow money secured by the future cashflow of the business, although much harder than it once was. It requires a different approach to fund raising, impacting on the business plan and projections, as well as the potential funder.

Francis Clark’s Corporate Finance department has a wealth of experience of assisting companies to raise finance for a wide variety of uses and from a range of sources. We add value by acting as an independent "sounding board" and contributing our experience gained with other successful businesses. In terms of cashflow funding and equity raising, we have been at the forefront of these recent developments and have helped some of the equity funders shape their overall process to tailor it more closely to their needs.

We have also undertaken a majority of the recent equity deals in the region. This means we have excellent contacts in the appropriate places, giving you the best chance of securing the funds you need. We have a number of private contacts who are looking to invest money in businesses, either as a pure investment or to become part of the management team.

If you would like a copy of our Guide to Equity finance, please email cf@francisclark.co.uk