Chatter Box Call Center Acquires Humsay I Global Services Ltd
HONG KONG, June 27, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Humsay I Global Services Ltd ( http://higsl.com ) is one of the oldest and most well respected call centers and BPO service providers in India. Having over 600-seat capacity, Humsay will add to Chatter Box (CXLL.OB)'s global footprint operations model. In business over 11 years, Humsay boasts clients in 5 countries such as British Telecom, WLC, and One World, giving Chatter Box FOREX revenue diversification.
Humsay's technology will enable a synergy between Chatter Box's Philippines office by bringing a total AVAYA solution including full system integration. Humsay currently has 370 full time employees, and room to expand with a seating capacity of 1000 seats.
Chatter Box acquired Humsay I Global Services in an all-stock deal, Humsay valuating the stock at US$1 per share by independent advisers. The transfer of the 3 million shares used to acquire Humsay is expected to be completed by July 15, 2011.
This acquisition is Chatter Box's second in a period of three months, which has exceeded the company's business plan schedule. "I see Chatter Box becoming a brand name in the BPO and software industry. We have other acquisitions in the works that will create a large revenue inflow to our bottom line," Chatter Box COO, Lawrence Null quoted.
About Chatter Box
Chatter Box operates a Business and Knowledge Process Outsourcing Technology / IT company that is currently building out a platform which will play an active role in the IT-Telecom / BPO / CRM / Contact Center industry globally. The management's primary objective is to build a Conglomerate -- Mega Contact Center Solutions firm by taking advantage of growth opportunities as the outsourcing industry grows by as much as 46% annually in the Philippines, and globally.
For more information, visit http://www.chatterboxcallcenter.com/
To subscribe to Chatter Box mailing list, visit http://clicks.skem1.com/signup/?c=1SIhHe
Contact:
Shruti Khurana
Investor Relations
Tel: +1-917-310-3733
[email protected]
Humsay's technology will enable a synergy between Chatter Box's Philippines office by bringing a total AVAYA solution including full system integration. Humsay currently has 370 full time employees, and room to expand with a seating capacity of 1000 seats.
Chatter Box acquired Humsay I Global Services in an all-stock deal, Humsay valuating the stock at US$1 per share by independent advisers. The transfer of the 3 million shares used to acquire Humsay is expected to be completed by July 15, 2011.
This acquisition is Chatter Box's second in a period of three months, which has exceeded the company's business plan schedule. "I see Chatter Box becoming a brand name in the BPO and software industry. We have other acquisitions in the works that will create a large revenue inflow to our bottom line," Chatter Box COO, Lawrence Null quoted.
About Chatter Box
Chatter Box operates a Business and Knowledge Process Outsourcing Technology / IT company that is currently building out a platform which will play an active role in the IT-Telecom / BPO / CRM / Contact Center industry globally. The management's primary objective is to build a Conglomerate -- Mega Contact Center Solutions firm by taking advantage of growth opportunities as the outsourcing industry grows by as much as 46% annually in the Philippines, and globally.
For more information, visit http://www.chatterboxcallcenter.com/
To subscribe to Chatter Box mailing list, visit http://clicks.skem1.com/signup/?c=1SIhHe
Contact:
Shruti Khurana
Investor Relations
Tel: +1-917-310-3733
[email protected]
Chatter Box Hires Veteran Call Center Expert
HONG KONG, June 23, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Chatter Box Call Center Ltd. (OTC: CXLL), in keeping with its overall plan to create a world class BPO with a global footprint, is pleased to announce today the hiring of Lawrence Null as the new COO. Lawrence brings over 18 years of experience in the call center and software space to Chatter Box's management team. He has held previous positions as Director of Operations for Nirvana Business Solutions and CEO APAC for TLI Software.
He has migrated over US$100 million dollars of campaigns to the Philippines and India. These campaigns consisted mostly of Fortune 500 and 2000 companies. He will be able to create a synergy with the company's acquisitions as well as bring new acquisitions to the table. He has deep experience managing call centers and building out client bases to increase seat utilization. The management of Chatter Box feels his skill set will help propel the company's revenue and bottom line along with providing its shareholders with a person they can feel confident in.
About Chatter Box
Chatter Box operates a Business and Knowledge Process Outsourcing Technology / IT company that is currently building out a platform which will play an active role in the IT-Telecom / BPO / CRM /Contact Center industry globally. The management's primary objective is to build a Conglomerate -- Mega Contact Center Solutions firm by taking advantage of growth opportunities as the outsourcing industry grows by as much as 46% annually in the Philippines, and globally.
For more information, visit http://www.chatterboxcallcenter.com/
To subscribe to Chatter Box mailing list, visit http://clicks.skem1.com/signup/?c=1SIhHe
Contact:
Shruti Khurana
Investor Relations
Tel: +1-917-310-3733
[email protected]
He has migrated over US$100 million dollars of campaigns to the Philippines and India. These campaigns consisted mostly of Fortune 500 and 2000 companies. He will be able to create a synergy with the company's acquisitions as well as bring new acquisitions to the table. He has deep experience managing call centers and building out client bases to increase seat utilization. The management of Chatter Box feels his skill set will help propel the company's revenue and bottom line along with providing its shareholders with a person they can feel confident in.
About Chatter Box
Chatter Box operates a Business and Knowledge Process Outsourcing Technology / IT company that is currently building out a platform which will play an active role in the IT-Telecom / BPO / CRM /Contact Center industry globally. The management's primary objective is to build a Conglomerate -- Mega Contact Center Solutions firm by taking advantage of growth opportunities as the outsourcing industry grows by as much as 46% annually in the Philippines, and globally.
For more information, visit http://www.chatterboxcallcenter.com/
To subscribe to Chatter Box mailing list, visit http://clicks.skem1.com/signup/?c=1SIhHe
Contact:
Shruti Khurana
Investor Relations
Tel: +1-917-310-3733
[email protected]
Chatter Box Enters Agreement to Buy Call Center in Cebu
HONG KONG, June 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Chatter Box Call Center Ltd. (OTC: CXLL) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a firm commitment and agreement on June 1, 2011 with LCI Solutions to buy their 40-seater call center, with 120 seat capacity utilizing 3 shifts, in Cebu, Philippines at Cortez Avenue, Mandaue City on or before September 2011. LCI Solutions has vast experience and a real track record in business development within the BPO space throughout the Philippines.
The alliance includes a seat leasing set up with LCI Solutions to enhance the company's virtual call center based platform and provide an edge to its clients via VICIdial hosting. The company will acquire all the assets and inventory of the Cebu facilities over a 90 day period. Under the terms of the agreements, LCI Solutions will also provide business development services to the company for acquisition of new clients.
The alliance will utilize the significant presence the company has had in the Philippines and will benefit the company's corporate and business customers globally who will gain access to competitive prices and transparency in service quality with the new technology. The pricing of the company services will run well below the global industry average and over 30% lower than the going rate in the Philippines, helping its clients achieve an incomparable price advantage.
About Chatter Box
Chatter Box operates a Business and Knowledge Process Outsourcing Technology / IT company that is currently building out a platform which will play an active role in the IT-Telecom / BPO / CRM / Contact Center industry globally. The management's primary objective is to build a Conglomerate -- Mega Contact Center Solutions firm by taking advantage of growth opportunities as the outsourcing industry grows by as much as 46% annually in the Philippines, and globally. This acquisition covers a portion of Chatter Box's business plan objective for a fraction of its internal pro forma cost.
For more information, visit http://www.chatterboxcallcenter.com/
To subscribe to Chatter Box mailing list, visit http://clicks.skem1.com/signup/?c=1SIhHe
LCI Solutions http://www.lcisolution.com/
Contact:
Shruti Khurana
Investor Relations
Tel: +1-917-310-3733
[email protected]
The alliance includes a seat leasing set up with LCI Solutions to enhance the company's virtual call center based platform and provide an edge to its clients via VICIdial hosting. The company will acquire all the assets and inventory of the Cebu facilities over a 90 day period. Under the terms of the agreements, LCI Solutions will also provide business development services to the company for acquisition of new clients.
The alliance will utilize the significant presence the company has had in the Philippines and will benefit the company's corporate and business customers globally who will gain access to competitive prices and transparency in service quality with the new technology. The pricing of the company services will run well below the global industry average and over 30% lower than the going rate in the Philippines, helping its clients achieve an incomparable price advantage.
About Chatter Box
Chatter Box operates a Business and Knowledge Process Outsourcing Technology / IT company that is currently building out a platform which will play an active role in the IT-Telecom / BPO / CRM / Contact Center industry globally. The management's primary objective is to build a Conglomerate -- Mega Contact Center Solutions firm by taking advantage of growth opportunities as the outsourcing industry grows by as much as 46% annually in the Philippines, and globally. This acquisition covers a portion of Chatter Box's business plan objective for a fraction of its internal pro forma cost.
For more information, visit http://www.chatterboxcallcenter.com/
To subscribe to Chatter Box mailing list, visit http://clicks.skem1.com/signup/?c=1SIhHe
LCI Solutions http://www.lcisolution.com/
Contact:
Shruti Khurana
Investor Relations
Tel: +1-917-310-3733
[email protected]
Homeowner FORECLOSES and PADLOCKS Bank of America
Instead of a bank foreclosing on another homeowner, the Florida homeowners foreclosed on a bank and had sheriff’s deputies foreclose on the North Carolina based bank, Bank of America.
It started five months ago when Bank of America filed foreclosure papers on the home of a couple, who didn’t owe a dime on their home. The couple actually paid cash for the house.
The case went to court and the homeowners were able to prove they didn’t owe Bank of America anything on the house. In fact, it was proven that the couple never even had a mortgage bill to pay.
A Collier County Judge agreed and after the hearing, Bank of America was ordered, by the court to pay the legal fees of the homeowners’, Maurenn Nyergers and her husband. The Judge said the bank wrongfully tried to foreclose on the Nyergers’ house.
After an excess of 5 months of the judge’s ruling, the bank still hadn’t paid the legal fees, and the homeowner’s attorney did exactly what the bank tried to do to the homeowners. He, rightfully, seized the bank’s assets.
“They’ve ignored our calls, ignored our letters, legally this is the next step to get my clients compensated, ” said attorney Todd Allen.
Sheriff’s deputies, movers, and the Nyergers’ attorney went to the bank and foreclosed on it. The attorney gave instructions to to remove desks, computers, copiers, filing cabinets and any cash in the teller’s drawers.
After about AN HOUR of being locked out of the bank, the bank manager handed the attorney a check for the legal fees.
“As a foreclosure defense attorney this is sweet justice” says Allen.
Allen says this is something that he sees often in court, banks making errors because they didn’t investigate the foreclosure and it becomes a lengthy and expensive battle for the homeowner
It started five months ago when Bank of America filed foreclosure papers on the home of a couple, who didn’t owe a dime on their home. The couple actually paid cash for the house.
The case went to court and the homeowners were able to prove they didn’t owe Bank of America anything on the house. In fact, it was proven that the couple never even had a mortgage bill to pay.
A Collier County Judge agreed and after the hearing, Bank of America was ordered, by the court to pay the legal fees of the homeowners’, Maurenn Nyergers and her husband. The Judge said the bank wrongfully tried to foreclose on the Nyergers’ house.
After an excess of 5 months of the judge’s ruling, the bank still hadn’t paid the legal fees, and the homeowner’s attorney did exactly what the bank tried to do to the homeowners. He, rightfully, seized the bank’s assets.
“They’ve ignored our calls, ignored our letters, legally this is the next step to get my clients compensated, ” said attorney Todd Allen.
Sheriff’s deputies, movers, and the Nyergers’ attorney went to the bank and foreclosed on it. The attorney gave instructions to to remove desks, computers, copiers, filing cabinets and any cash in the teller’s drawers.
After about AN HOUR of being locked out of the bank, the bank manager handed the attorney a check for the legal fees.
“As a foreclosure defense attorney this is sweet justice” says Allen.
Allen says this is something that he sees often in court, banks making errors because they didn’t investigate the foreclosure and it becomes a lengthy and expensive battle for the homeowner
Trust and Surrender
Why get agitated? Let God take care of all your business. He shall be the one who will think about them. He is just waiting for nothing else than your surrender to Him, and then you do not have to worry any more about anything. Say farewell to all fears and discouragement. You demonstrate that you do not trust Him. On the contrary, you must rely blindly on Him.
To surrender means: To turn your thoughts away from troubles, to turn them away from difficulties you encounter and from all your problems. Leave everything into His hands saying “Lord, Thy will be done. Thou think of it.” That is to say: “Lord I thank you for you have taken everything in your hands, and you will resolve this for my highest good.”
Remember that thinking of the consequences of a thing is contrary to surrender. That is to say, when you worry that a situation has not had the desired outcome, you thus demonstrate that you do not believe in His love for you. You will prove that you do not consider your life to be under God’s control and that nothing escapes Him.
Never think: How is this to end?… What is going to happen? If you give into this temptation, you demonstrate that you do not trust the Lord our God. Do you want Him to deal with it? Then you must stop being anxious about it! He shall guide you only if you completely surrender to Him and when He must lead you into a different path than the one that you expect, He carry you in His arms.
What seriously upsets you is your reasoning, your worrying, your obsession, your will to provide for yourselves at any price. God can do so many things. You will receive a lot but only when your prayer will rely fully upon Him. You pray to God when in pain so that He intervene, but in the way you desire it. You do not rely on Him, but you want God to adjust your requests.
Don’t behave like sick ones who ask a treatment to the doctor, all the time suggesting it to him. Do not do that; but rather, even in sad circumstances, say: “Lord I praise and thank You for this problem, for this necessity. I pray You to arrange things as You please for this terrestrial and temporal life. You know very well what is best for me.”
Sometimes you feel that disasters increase instead of diminish. Do not get agitated. Close your eyes and tell God with faith: “Thy will be done. You think of it.” And when you speak thus, He accomplish a miracle when necessary. He only think of it when you trust Him totally. The Good Lord always think of you, but He can only help you completely when you rely fully on Him.
To surrender means: To turn your thoughts away from troubles, to turn them away from difficulties you encounter and from all your problems. Leave everything into His hands saying “Lord, Thy will be done. Thou think of it.” That is to say: “Lord I thank you for you have taken everything in your hands, and you will resolve this for my highest good.”
Remember that thinking of the consequences of a thing is contrary to surrender. That is to say, when you worry that a situation has not had the desired outcome, you thus demonstrate that you do not believe in His love for you. You will prove that you do not consider your life to be under God’s control and that nothing escapes Him.
Never think: How is this to end?… What is going to happen? If you give into this temptation, you demonstrate that you do not trust the Lord our God. Do you want Him to deal with it? Then you must stop being anxious about it! He shall guide you only if you completely surrender to Him and when He must lead you into a different path than the one that you expect, He carry you in His arms.
What seriously upsets you is your reasoning, your worrying, your obsession, your will to provide for yourselves at any price. God can do so many things. You will receive a lot but only when your prayer will rely fully upon Him. You pray to God when in pain so that He intervene, but in the way you desire it. You do not rely on Him, but you want God to adjust your requests.
Don’t behave like sick ones who ask a treatment to the doctor, all the time suggesting it to him. Do not do that; but rather, even in sad circumstances, say: “Lord I praise and thank You for this problem, for this necessity. I pray You to arrange things as You please for this terrestrial and temporal life. You know very well what is best for me.”
Sometimes you feel that disasters increase instead of diminish. Do not get agitated. Close your eyes and tell God with faith: “Thy will be done. You think of it.” And when you speak thus, He accomplish a miracle when necessary. He only think of it when you trust Him totally. The Good Lord always think of you, but He can only help you completely when you rely fully on Him.
What Kind of Financing Does Your Company Need?
In an ideal universe, companies grow and achieve vital corporate initiatives through ever-increasing cash flow. But the reality for most manufacturers, public or private, is that expansions and capital expenditures require an infusion of cash. Whether the goal is to take over a competitor, build or purchase new facilities, launch a new product or expand into a new territory, there are only two ways to obtain money: take on debt or sell equity. In deciding which option to choose, important variables include the reason why funds are needed, the circumstances in which the company finds itself and its style of ownership and management. Accordingly, careful consideration, strategic thinking, thorough planning and sound decision-making are essential when it comes to financial expansion ventures. One Size Does Not Fit All
Aside from a multitude of microeconomic considerations specific to each enterprise, a constellation of macroeconomic factors enters into the decision-making process. How well is the economy firing? Is the business’ industry sector growing? What are the potential direct and indirect impacts of monetary policy? Sometimes it’s easy to get lost in the nebula of marketplace variables and financial complexities and lose sight of some very basic elements that need to be in place before one can go out and raise cash. Here are a few common-sense guidelines that may sound obvious, but are quite frequently overlooked.
The IBM’s and Microsoft’s of the world didn’t reach astronomical size with a big bang. They made the stars line up for them by adopting sound growth principles right from the very beginning. Those principles are neither complex nor mysterious. They boil down to simple good business practices revolving around an intelligently crafted plan and a series of smart financial decisions that align each expansion phase in the direction of the long-term strategic goal.
Aside from a multitude of microeconomic considerations specific to each enterprise, a constellation of macroeconomic factors enters into the decision-making process. How well is the economy firing? Is the business’ industry sector growing? What are the potential direct and indirect impacts of monetary policy? Sometimes it’s easy to get lost in the nebula of marketplace variables and financial complexities and lose sight of some very basic elements that need to be in place before one can go out and raise cash. Here are a few common-sense guidelines that may sound obvious, but are quite frequently overlooked.
- Create a comprehensive document that demonstrates how the initiative that requires funding is aligned with the company’s overall strategic plan. How exactly will the money be used and which strategic objective will it help to meet? This document serves three purposes. One, it shows investors, venture capitalists and lenders that the company has done its homework and has thoroughly researched its growth potential, industry and competition. Two, the plan will be the primary tool and map for orderly growth. Three, relating the current short-term objective to long-term strategy may show which type of financing is optimum in the long run.
- Establish precisely how much money is needed to accomplish the endeavor. Any attempt to raise a more or less arbitrary amount will always end in failure. First, it’s a sign of poor planning and will either lead to a shortfall or poor execution. Two, if management has not properly gauged what it needs, how can it articulately convey its requirements and objectives in discussions with investors or lenders? Three, the exact amount of money needed may be the deciding factor in choosing one type of financing over another.
- Determine which type of financing works best – debt or sale of equity. If quick growth is necessary, raising money through the sale of stock may provide the best opportunity for fast action. However, wider equity participation implies a dilution of ownership, which may not be acceptable to some business owners. On the other hand, debt successfully serviced means being able to postpone the sale of equity until a succeeding stage of growth when the business has become much healthier. At that time, a sale of equity means less dilution of ownership.
- Provide accurate, timely and complete information to investors, including an honest expectation of return on investment. Remember, timing is everything for investors. Their strategy is to make a large return by being the first in on a new venture. For this purpose, they want reliable, timely information so they can act before the crowds move in. But they also need to be sure they are not proceeding on false performance claims or investing in a company involved in financing practices that may be dilutive to ownership.
- Never proceed with the planned venture until the full amount of necessary capital is in the bank. Becoming undercapitalized is a common and dangerous mistake. Many companies procure a portion of the capital needed and then rush into implementation in the hopes of raising the remainder along the way. In almost every case, the economy works against them, and the shortfall turns the entire project into an unrecoverable investment.
- Never raise more money than needed to meet the objective. Selling more equity than necessary only serves to dilute the ownership position at a lower valuation. And in the case of debt, why pay interest on unneeded funds? As tempting as it may seem, don’t take all the cookies at once. It’s much smarter to raise just the right amount of money, accomplish the objective, grow and improve the company’s capitalization. By the time capital is needed again, perhaps a few years later, the business will have grown. Then it can raise additional capital through sale of equity with less dilution or take on debt at a lower interest cost.
The IBM’s and Microsoft’s of the world didn’t reach astronomical size with a big bang. They made the stars line up for them by adopting sound growth principles right from the very beginning. Those principles are neither complex nor mysterious. They boil down to simple good business practices revolving around an intelligently crafted plan and a series of smart financial decisions that align each expansion phase in the direction of the long-term strategic goal.
Six Tips for Buying or Expanding a Business
Owning a business is the American dream and, in most cases, it is the best vehicle for achieving long-term financial freedom. Yet, countless small business owners sabotage their efforts to reach this goal because they are unorganized, under funded and/or lack a detailed business plan. Before embarking on the purchase of a business or the expansion of an existing one, consider this sound advice from experienced investment management professionals.
1. Spend Time in the Trenches
Thoroughly examine a business before purchasing it. Gather information through Internet and library research and conduct market research on the general health of the market sector. Determine the market trends to see whether or not the industry is oversaturated with competition. Then look at the direction in which the prospective company is headed, and evaluate how the company is performing in comparison to other companies in the same field.
Additionally, visit the company or similar organization and observe its working processes. Pay attention to both the employees and customers during work-related interactions. Solicit input from employees and owners to assess satisfaction with both the company and the product(s) or services.
2. Create a Sound Business Plan
Most financial institutions and other investors will not provide funding without seeing a solid business plan. That’s why it’s essential to create a plan that reflects the overall concept and goals of the business. The plan should include various econometric models to provide accurate business benchmarks. There are many resources available to assist in preparing a business plan, including the Small Business Administration (SBA), small business investment companies, business development companies, CPAs, attorneys as well as friends and family who have had success in business.
3. Secure Working Capital and Back-up Resources
Many small businesses are largely under-funded, which is the primary reason why they fail. Determine the business budget, how much capital and other financial resources exist for investing in the purchase of a new business or the expansion of an existing one and potential sources of the needed funds. Ensure that the PAYDEX Score is as high as possible to assist with lending. Examine whether to use seller financing (if offered) or a conventional loan to purchase the company. Meet with local lenders, and visit the SBA website at www.sba.gov for more information on types of loans available. If purchasing a franchise, don’t automatically assume that the franchisor will take care of the financing. If expanding a business, seek out creative financing options if the traditional ones are not successful. Also, make sure financial needs are in line with the business plan. Lastly, acquire or seek out the knowledge required to manage both the business and its resources.
4. Invest in a Strong Brand/Image
In addition to the quality of a company’s products or services, the company’s image is equally important. Does the product “packaging”, (including advertising, marketing, positioning, branding, vision, mission and values) garner respect? Are these elements consistently presented and delivered? What is the overall experience of the company? Will extensive re-work and/or remodeling need to be done?
If the company is a franchise, there are additional details to consider. For example, determine how extensive the training is and if it is available for employees too. Is there regular communication between the franchisor and franchisees, including regional or national meetings? What are the future expansion plans and profitability projections?
5. Keep Accurate and Complete Records
Becoming a business owner demands attention to detail, especially when it comes to keeping records pertaining to financial, clients, products and personnel information. Carefully track, monitor and evaluate data using reliable technology. Access to information demonstrates the organizational skills and competence necessary to present the investment and business plan to the potential investors and the financial community.
6. Make a Profit
Sounds obvious, and certainly, this is the goal of any business owner. When examining a business to purchase or determining whether to expand, scrutinize previous income statements, balance sheets and tax returns. Compare these with future budgets and forecasts. If purchasing a new franchise, this information should be provided from a location with similar clientele characteristics. Account for all revenue, expenses, possible losses, shrinkage and unanticipated costs to project the business cash flow.
Professional Expertise
Business ownership brings financial freedom as well as financial headaches. Successful businesses and expansions don’t happen by chance. Instead each step of the process is carefully and thoroughly planned. While many owners understand and have learned what it takes to achieve success, many more lack this expertise. Professional investment relations professionals can bring sophisticated strategic, financial and management expertise and know-how to individuals and companies in order to minimize their risks, prevent loss and maximize opportunities for business success.
1. Spend Time in the Trenches
Thoroughly examine a business before purchasing it. Gather information through Internet and library research and conduct market research on the general health of the market sector. Determine the market trends to see whether or not the industry is oversaturated with competition. Then look at the direction in which the prospective company is headed, and evaluate how the company is performing in comparison to other companies in the same field.
Additionally, visit the company or similar organization and observe its working processes. Pay attention to both the employees and customers during work-related interactions. Solicit input from employees and owners to assess satisfaction with both the company and the product(s) or services.
2. Create a Sound Business Plan
Most financial institutions and other investors will not provide funding without seeing a solid business plan. That’s why it’s essential to create a plan that reflects the overall concept and goals of the business. The plan should include various econometric models to provide accurate business benchmarks. There are many resources available to assist in preparing a business plan, including the Small Business Administration (SBA), small business investment companies, business development companies, CPAs, attorneys as well as friends and family who have had success in business.
3. Secure Working Capital and Back-up Resources
Many small businesses are largely under-funded, which is the primary reason why they fail. Determine the business budget, how much capital and other financial resources exist for investing in the purchase of a new business or the expansion of an existing one and potential sources of the needed funds. Ensure that the PAYDEX Score is as high as possible to assist with lending. Examine whether to use seller financing (if offered) or a conventional loan to purchase the company. Meet with local lenders, and visit the SBA website at www.sba.gov for more information on types of loans available. If purchasing a franchise, don’t automatically assume that the franchisor will take care of the financing. If expanding a business, seek out creative financing options if the traditional ones are not successful. Also, make sure financial needs are in line with the business plan. Lastly, acquire or seek out the knowledge required to manage both the business and its resources.
4. Invest in a Strong Brand/Image
In addition to the quality of a company’s products or services, the company’s image is equally important. Does the product “packaging”, (including advertising, marketing, positioning, branding, vision, mission and values) garner respect? Are these elements consistently presented and delivered? What is the overall experience of the company? Will extensive re-work and/or remodeling need to be done?
If the company is a franchise, there are additional details to consider. For example, determine how extensive the training is and if it is available for employees too. Is there regular communication between the franchisor and franchisees, including regional or national meetings? What are the future expansion plans and profitability projections?
5. Keep Accurate and Complete Records
Becoming a business owner demands attention to detail, especially when it comes to keeping records pertaining to financial, clients, products and personnel information. Carefully track, monitor and evaluate data using reliable technology. Access to information demonstrates the organizational skills and competence necessary to present the investment and business plan to the potential investors and the financial community.
6. Make a Profit
Sounds obvious, and certainly, this is the goal of any business owner. When examining a business to purchase or determining whether to expand, scrutinize previous income statements, balance sheets and tax returns. Compare these with future budgets and forecasts. If purchasing a new franchise, this information should be provided from a location with similar clientele characteristics. Account for all revenue, expenses, possible losses, shrinkage and unanticipated costs to project the business cash flow.
Professional Expertise
Business ownership brings financial freedom as well as financial headaches. Successful businesses and expansions don’t happen by chance. Instead each step of the process is carefully and thoroughly planned. While many owners understand and have learned what it takes to achieve success, many more lack this expertise. Professional investment relations professionals can bring sophisticated strategic, financial and management expertise and know-how to individuals and companies in order to minimize their risks, prevent loss and maximize opportunities for business success.
Investor Relations: A Secret Weapon for Small-Cap Companies
A small company that desires to grow or take advantage of a new business opportunity usually requires an infusion of capital. Unfortunately, small enterprises rarely benefit from the liquidity and ready access to capital markets available to their larger counterparts. A key problem is that their stock is unknown or disregarded by most brokers. This is where a close relationship with investors becomes a small-cap company’s secret weapon. It facilitates access to the capital they need to expand or enter into lucrative business ventures. But how does a small company establish relationships with the right investors?
Diamonds in the Rough
Small cap companies face many challenges that make it more difficult to attract investors. Among them are lack of brand name recognition and less liquid, more volatile stock that is more difficult to trade in the open market. These issues tend to drive individual investors, not to mention pension funds, mutual funds and other portfolio managers unfamiliar with the company. Unable to attract the capital they need, many good businesses are stuck in a vicious cycle, unable to grow beyond their current size.
What does it take to escape the trap and get the money to expand into new territory, build new facilities or launch new products or services? In short, it takes investors and entrepreneurs willing to assume a higher level of risk for the promise of correspondingly higher returns. One place to find these investors is in the investment banking community. For example, the broker-dealer community has both retail and institutional sales forces that prospect for investors – both high net worth individuals and small institutions willing to allocate funds to small cap companies. In addition, there are professional investment communities and individual investors in the marketplace looking for high-growth opportunities. But how does a small cap company with limited resources and constrained time find the right investors for its business?
The Secret Weapon
The answer lies with investor relations firms. These firms assist small cap companies in finding individual and institutional investors through the promotion of the company’s message. The ultimate objective of an investor relations firm is to help a company augment its shareholder base, bring in new investors and garner liquidity for its stock. These firms design synergistic scenarios to help small cap companies promote, sell or market their product or service.
The advantage of working with an investor relations firm is that such a firm can package and leverage a company’s mission and principal activity by sharing them with a broad group of potential investors, as well as with the media and financial press to get the company’s name into the public view. By presenting this material to the investing public and the institutional investment community, the firm can open the door to investments from interested parties. Further, an investor relations firm that has established contacts with various media outlets (newsletters, newspapers, magazines, etc.) can generate interest among financial writers and editors specializing in a particular sector, which may lead to publicity opportunities for the small cap company. It can promote its products or services and broadcast its message to the investment community, as well as to organizations interested in doing business with it.
Sifting Through Prospects
Typically, investor relations firms have built a database of relationships they can leverage on behalf of their small cap company clients to raise money, get attention and augment the shareholder base. Some investor relations firms have large databases of not only domestic investors, but also international parties. Through computer technology, they are able to manipulate the data and concentrate on specific areas of the world, the country or even a city to see who has been an active investor in a particular business sector within a specific timeframe. This list is filtered to provide an appropriate audience for receiving the company’s message. The database also shows the history of previous investor-small cap company deals which makes it easy to distinguish between investors with solid performance track records and those with limited success. Good investor relations firms continuously cultivate these investor relationships while keeping their small cap company clients at theforefront of the investor radar screens. In other words, they strive to create long-term relationships between small cap companies and prospective investors.
Initiating Investor Relationships
After identifying potential investors, investor relations firms act as the intermediary between the professional investment community and the small cap company. They help provide “road shows” or presentations to help introduce and match individual and institutional investors with the enterprise. Face-to-face meetings with investors are scheduled so the company can sell its story. The investor relations firm works with the company to schedule meetings, design presentations and create collateral material targeted to the prospective investor based on past experience. During meetings with potential investors, a company seeking funding should be prepared to respond to the following requests:
Maintaining Investor Relationships
Maintaining and even growing a close relationship with one’s investors is vital to obtain continued funding. That means staying in constant contact with the investors and keeping them apprised of the company’s progress, both good and bad. Some tools to maintain contact include:
Saving Time, Saving Money
The intelligent way to get a company’s foot in an investor’s door is by identifying the target investors. The first step is to create lists of investors that focus on the company’s market sector rather than approaching any and all investors. This is half the battle – communicating with an appropriate audience. Since time is money, approaching the wrong investors is an unproductive use of the CEO’s talents. By using a professional investor relations firm to sift through databases of investors and communicate the company’s story prior to establishing direct contact, small cap companies can tap into a proven process for a more productive and lucrative fundraising effort.
Diamonds in the Rough
Small cap companies face many challenges that make it more difficult to attract investors. Among them are lack of brand name recognition and less liquid, more volatile stock that is more difficult to trade in the open market. These issues tend to drive individual investors, not to mention pension funds, mutual funds and other portfolio managers unfamiliar with the company. Unable to attract the capital they need, many good businesses are stuck in a vicious cycle, unable to grow beyond their current size.
What does it take to escape the trap and get the money to expand into new territory, build new facilities or launch new products or services? In short, it takes investors and entrepreneurs willing to assume a higher level of risk for the promise of correspondingly higher returns. One place to find these investors is in the investment banking community. For example, the broker-dealer community has both retail and institutional sales forces that prospect for investors – both high net worth individuals and small institutions willing to allocate funds to small cap companies. In addition, there are professional investment communities and individual investors in the marketplace looking for high-growth opportunities. But how does a small cap company with limited resources and constrained time find the right investors for its business?
The Secret Weapon
The answer lies with investor relations firms. These firms assist small cap companies in finding individual and institutional investors through the promotion of the company’s message. The ultimate objective of an investor relations firm is to help a company augment its shareholder base, bring in new investors and garner liquidity for its stock. These firms design synergistic scenarios to help small cap companies promote, sell or market their product or service.
The advantage of working with an investor relations firm is that such a firm can package and leverage a company’s mission and principal activity by sharing them with a broad group of potential investors, as well as with the media and financial press to get the company’s name into the public view. By presenting this material to the investing public and the institutional investment community, the firm can open the door to investments from interested parties. Further, an investor relations firm that has established contacts with various media outlets (newsletters, newspapers, magazines, etc.) can generate interest among financial writers and editors specializing in a particular sector, which may lead to publicity opportunities for the small cap company. It can promote its products or services and broadcast its message to the investment community, as well as to organizations interested in doing business with it.
Sifting Through Prospects
Typically, investor relations firms have built a database of relationships they can leverage on behalf of their small cap company clients to raise money, get attention and augment the shareholder base. Some investor relations firms have large databases of not only domestic investors, but also international parties. Through computer technology, they are able to manipulate the data and concentrate on specific areas of the world, the country or even a city to see who has been an active investor in a particular business sector within a specific timeframe. This list is filtered to provide an appropriate audience for receiving the company’s message. The database also shows the history of previous investor-small cap company deals which makes it easy to distinguish between investors with solid performance track records and those with limited success. Good investor relations firms continuously cultivate these investor relationships while keeping their small cap company clients at theforefront of the investor radar screens. In other words, they strive to create long-term relationships between small cap companies and prospective investors.
Initiating Investor Relationships
After identifying potential investors, investor relations firms act as the intermediary between the professional investment community and the small cap company. They help provide “road shows” or presentations to help introduce and match individual and institutional investors with the enterprise. Face-to-face meetings with investors are scheduled so the company can sell its story. The investor relations firm works with the company to schedule meetings, design presentations and create collateral material targeted to the prospective investor based on past experience. During meetings with potential investors, a company seeking funding should be prepared to respond to the following requests:
- Describe the company’s business plan.
- Discuss how well the company is doing.
- Is the business meeting or exceeding its benchmarks?
- Why will there be a demand in the marketplace for the company’s product or service?
- Demonstrate how the company will successfully grow with an influx of capital.
Maintaining Investor Relationships
Maintaining and even growing a close relationship with one’s investors is vital to obtain continued funding. That means staying in constant contact with the investors and keeping them apprised of the company’s progress, both good and bad. Some tools to maintain contact include:
- Monthly phone calls
- News releases of quarterly results and changes in management or operations
- Mailing of article reprints and research reports
Saving Time, Saving Money
The intelligent way to get a company’s foot in an investor’s door is by identifying the target investors. The first step is to create lists of investors that focus on the company’s market sector rather than approaching any and all investors. This is half the battle – communicating with an appropriate audience. Since time is money, approaching the wrong investors is an unproductive use of the CEO’s talents. By using a professional investor relations firm to sift through databases of investors and communicate the company’s story prior to establishing direct contact, small cap companies can tap into a proven process for a more productive and lucrative fundraising effort.