Services
I create opportunities for business owners through exit plans and/or scale-up strategies to move to the next steps. With both options, I implement my holistic philosophy to leading businesses.
In short, I implement changes that benefit every aspect of the business (the shareholder value, the owner, the employees, the customers, the suppliers, the partners, the cashflow, and its longevity).
Find out more below.
Business Acquisition
I seek companies that are predominantly consulting businesses in the Sports industry. Having that said, I started my journey to offer an opportunity for company owners that are motivated to exit smoothly from their position. Therefore, I still hold this passion to help, and I still accept a broader spectrum of businesses.
For instance, as much as I am currently working with multiple companies in the sports sector, I am still involved in businesses in manufacturing, retail, and grounds work.
I always operate with care and consideration for the business owners and the business that was created and developed. I include a comprehensive amount of parameters such as:
- Motives to exit (Retirement, medical, new business ventures, property investments, etc).
- Valuation of the business (there are over 100 methods to value a business, and typically the valuation made is a number that would benefit either parties).
- The brand, the identity, and the legacy of the business (I would keep 100% of the branding associated with the company as it defines its values and reputation).
- The systems in place (my philosophy is ‘don’t fix what’s not broken’)
- The existing staff team (I retain every members of staff that are in the team unless if there is any HR concerns).
Due to the nature of my operations, I can only work with a limited number of businesses at a time. I only select the opportunity that fits within my criteria.
Scale-up Opportunities
There are countless of ways to scale a business, and that mostly depends on the situation and goals to achieve. For instance, some may want to just boost their yearly profit to grow their lifestyle business, while others want to shake-off the industry and need to grow to have a bigger impact. I can provide my expertise to scale businesses that fit with the following categories.
Through Organic growth
There are multiple ways to go about organic growth. Some would look at the product and services offered or your current business plan.
I tend to proceed with the financial stability first. Having a healthy working capital and cashflow is sometimes all you need. I came across multiple businesses that were losing money every week. All it took was some financial engineering implementation to turn the company’s financial within 8 weeks.
Secondly, I look at the lead generation strategy of the business from the cost of acquisition to the conversion rate. I incorporate some basic strategies that can be implemented from day 1, and I carry on with some market analysis to maximise the return on investment.
Last but not least, I investigate the branding strength of the business. This serves the purpose to bring the staff team on board with the goals of the company and boost productivity. Similarly, you social media plan will be tied to your branding strategy and how you you show as a market leader.
To re-iterate, your business’ growth is tied to it’s current strength and it’s financial positions. You won’t be able to grow to a broader market with poor foundations. Seeking external investment can just lead to an accumulation of debts and taking two steps back.
Through Merger and acquisitions
By far my favourite way to create opportunities. Firstly, let’s clarify what merging with another company means. In the most simple term, you create a holding company under which your business will be owner as well as another one or multiple businesses that are run by their respective owners. The shares are typically spread in relation with the business’ valuation.
Secondly, let’s dive into the advantages of merging businesses together. At first sight you may think that the only upside is to lower costs from labour, rent, bills, and general outgoings. You would be right to think that way to a certain extant. Some companies that are identical in their operations, and are in a favourable sector (retail, engineering, e-commerce, etc) tend to do better in this case. They can move in the same offices, reduce the amount of labour cost, etc.
I tend to see those as bonuses in the sense that the majority of the time, it doesn’t massively benefit the business. By chasing lower cost you can easily damage each brands, confuse the employees, and lose customers.
I prefer to look at the advantage of being part of a larger company. Without creating any synergies, I can show on paper a bigger company. This present an advantage when it comes to financing options and for credit score rating. Similarly, larger businesses benefit from higher multiples during valuations. This means two business owners could have a bigger capital event just by being under the same holding company.
On another note, I particularly favour the idea of merging with a company to have complementary services. For instance, two businesses may have the same ideal customers, but with different products/services. Merging them together would allow both companies to access their database to increase sales from day 1.
Lastly, all of those advantages would still be available in the case of a strategical acquisition. Instead of seeking a merger opportunity you could face a full acquisition with the same upsides.
Due to my considerable network, I have been able to connect two businesses that were looking for a scaling option, but without having to deplete their capital reserves. It’s a win all around with minimum risks.
Damien Baudhuin 