Feb 19 2020 2020 expectations for the leisure sector Categories: Leisure Despite political uncertainty and the pound remaining weak, our specialist EQ Leisure team has high hopes for the sector with those involved in tourism, such as hotels, holiday parks and guest houses expecting a strong year in 2020. However, the sector may face some challenges ahead, particularly in attracting good people. Scotland is blessed with more
Feb 18 2020 Manufacturing business optimism is on the rise Categories: Engineering & Manufacturing The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) recently published its quarterly UK manufacturing optimism statistics, and the results were encouraging. After surveying 300 manufacturing firms, the CBI reported that business optimism for Q1 2020 was +23, which is an impressive increase from the -44 in the previous quarter. With business optimism improving at its fastest pace since 2014, more
Feb 11 2020 Corporate Finance Deal Done! Categories: Corporate FinanceEngineering & Manufacturing Our client is a long-established print and design company, with over 25 years in the trade. Located in Central Scotland, the business has a reputation for great customer service, high quality products and a strong focus on family values. The client also boasts a list of highly regarded customers. What type of work was involved? more
Feb 4 2020 Improve your digital capabilities with the Digital Development Loan Categories: Corporate Finance Whether you’re looking to expand your business, or simply invest in new technological advances, finding the right type of funding to apply for can be overwhelming. There is so much that can be found on the internet, with new grants and opportunities added sometimes on a daily basis. Trying to do your day job and keep more
Feb 3 2020 When it comes to succession planning, there is no right or wrong answer Categories: Agriculture One of the most important and difficult decisions any family business will have to make is how best to pass the business on to the next generation. Tax bills and a fair split of the assets are the two areas that we find most clients struggle with, and the decision can be made even more more
Jan 31 2020 The guiding principles for protecting your charitable business against fraud Categories: Charities As mentioned in our previous article, fraud is an underlying problem for charities and raising awareness is key to combating the issue. During ‘Charity Fraud Awareness Week 2019’, the Charity Commission published a one-page summary detailing the 8 guiding principles on tackling fraud in charities. They are as follows: Fraud will always happen – simply being more
Jan 31 2020 Dundee-based Primero Contracts completes seven-figure MBO Categories: Corporate Finance We recently supported a Dundee-based shopfitting firm through their seven-figure management buyout. Primero Contracts, which was founded in 1993 by Frank Ward and the late Kevin Knox, has been acquired by Contracts Manager, Bruce Donnachie, and his wife, Gordana, following the planned exit of its long-term managing director, Frank Ward, and his wife and fellow director, more
Jan 28 2020 Corporate Finance Deal Done! Categories: Corporate FinanceTechnology We recently helped facilitate a £7.6 million company sale for a client in the technology sector. Our client is a Scottish company which is at the forefront of a niche sector. The business was owned by a combination of institutional investors and key employees (via an EMI scheme which EQ had previously implemented), and the more