What action should I be taking with companies in my portfolio?

This is a question being asked by many business owners. The credit crunch recession is testing enterprises like never before, cash preservation is now a key issue with many stakeholders having to put additional own cash into businesses to avoid collapse. Traditional forecasting methods are failing too, as once reliable sources of revenue and supply have now become under threat.

Furthermore, company management typically have little experience of managing in a downturn, let alone a recession as savage and fast moving as the current one.

This deepening financial commitment, combined with heightened risk of collapse and plummeting returns, has forced financial institutions into hands on engagement and unfamiliar territory.  

“With over-gearing and falling sales, management change is high on the agenda and most funds are feeling the pressure to make changes”  VC Executive
(SMT Consulting Market survey of leading VC and PE companies in the UK – Jan 2009)

However, the key questions are – what action should I take and do I have the time to provide “hands on” support to my companies?

Hard facts and experienced interim action is the Icebreaker prescription

To address exactly this need, Icebreaker Executive Interim Management has combined their executive and implementation expertise up with SMT, the UK’s leading provider of hard factual analysis.

SMT, with their unique confidential analysis capability can answer questions such as:

n        Portfolio analysis – which functions / companies to divest, which will fail, which can I save, which can thrive?

n        Which of my key suppliers is likely to fail, and when?

n        How does my cost base compare with the best in the industry?

n        Which of my suppliers can I lever the greatest savings from?

n        How should I restructure the business?

n        Which of my competitors can I take sales from?

This hard factual analysis is then combined with Icebreaker highly experienced interim managers, who have experience of rapidly turning companies round to make a significant bottom line impact – quickly! Whilst retaining value by transferring skills and leaving an enduring legacy

This innovative combination of hard facts, deep insight and experienced interim action, is exactly what is needed in the current environment, and our experience most businesses have the resources to survive.

 “The consulting-plus-implementation angle is a good one; I’m sick of reading consultant reports and thinking: that’s fine, now I just need to hire 15 people to implement it! What I need is action and now”  Partner, Venture Capital

(SMT Consulting Market survey of leading VC and PE companies in the UK – Jan 2009)

Our interim’s have in depth experience of turning companies round in recessionary environments, this experience combined with our wide range of expertise across many market sectors offers a compelling solution to current market challenges.

In addition, to match the current environment, we have a range of success fee based solutions, so we get paid when the benefit hits the bottom line. What’s exciting too if action is taken in time, we have consistently found most businesses have significant untapped resources and a program therefore need not cost a lot.

We would like the opportunity to discuss the results of our findings, and run through a selection of relevant case studies which clearly demonstrate how our unique combination of hard facts and interim action can make an immediate bottom line impact.Tom Pickering CEO Icebreaker Executive Interim Management Limited

“Delivering Results – Transferring Skills and Leaving Legacies”

Websites: www.icebreakerexecutive.com   www.smtconsulting.co.uk