According to the latest Business Barometer from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, business confidence in the region rose by 25 points during April to 45 per cent. The monthly survey of 1,200 businesses provides early and informative signals in respect of regional (and national) economic trends and the latest results certainly reflect a rebound in confidence and a welcome degree in rising optimism. …
For details of the £19.9m funding, which comes from the Department of Levelling Up, Homes and Community’s third round of the Levelling Up Fund, please see below a news bulletin issued by Insider News today.
Roger Mundy, Managing Director, Beardsley Theobalds, 13th March 2024
£20m Plymouth and South Devon Freeport funding accepted
Projects that will power Plymouth's waterfront re…
New research from Lloyds Bank has discovered that 41% of South West firms are seeking to improve their productivity during 2024 as they set themselves up for growth in the light of perceived improved macroeconomic conditions ahead. For the fuller picture please read the article below which was issued by Insider News Media today.
Roger Mundy, Managing Director, Beardsley Theobalds, 3rd January 20…
Beardsley Theobalds, the specialist business transfer agents operating throughout the South West and the Midlands, ended 2023 by agreeing 4 sales (2 manufacturing businesses, a commercial cleaning services company and a plumbing & heating contractor) during the week before Christmas – a record for the agency at that time of the year!
Given the usual low level of activity generally experienced (…
Great news for The Great South West which encompasses Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset and the Isles of Scilly – the region is set to receive up to £7.5m of investment to boost innovation and growth to bolster its strengths in the marine and maritime sectors. For the fuller picture please read the bulletin below which was issued today by Insider New Media.
Roger Mundy, Managing Director, Beards…
According to new research by FRP, 96% of manufacturers in the South West expect to see demand for their products increase in the next 12 months (compared with a national average of 87%). This optimism augers well for the future of the region’s economy, especially in the light of relatively high current inflation and interest rates. For the full story please read the bulletin below issued by Insid…
The South West Investment Fund (SWIF) – a government-backed fund which was unveiled in July 2023 by the British Bank – will bring much needed extra capital into the region. SWIF is the first in a series of six new Nations and Regions Investment Funds and it offers a range of commercial finance options with loans from £25,000 to £2m and equity investment up to £5m. It is designed to increase the …
One of these is a £6.5m investment in a further phase of the Oceangate development, whilst the other is a £9.1m investment in industrial units at Langage Business Park (at Plympton, Plymouth). These investments add to the ongoing development of the Freeport in Plymouth and South Devon – a zone designated by the Government with certain tax and other allowances/benefits – which will create thousand…
Since its launch (by the British Bank and the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership in 2018) the fund has to date invested £21m and attracted a further £80m of private investment. This has vastly improved access to finance for SMEs in the area, which in turn has helped unlock potential for growth in the local economy, improved skills and innovation and boosted business resilie…
Work on the redevelopment of Portland Port, which commenced last September, continued this year with the creation of a new deep-water berth which has just been officially opened. This redevelopment is a great vote of confidence in the port and sets the scene for significant further growth from which the local economy will undoubtedly benefit through jobs and the supply chain. For further details …
According to The British Bank’s annual Small Business Equity Tracker, the South West achieved 155 equity deals during 2022 and was one of only 2 regions recording an increase for that year. This result (worth circa £540m) was down in value compared with the previous year, but 2021 (a record year for the region) included several £50m-plus deals. For the fuller picture please read the news bulletin…
Business advisory firm BDO has reported that 793 transactions involving UK manufacturers were achieved during 2022 compared with 779 in the previous year and up from 595 in 2020. For specific details relating to this result please read the news bulletin below issued today by Insider News Media.
Roger Mundy, Managing Director, Beardsley Theobalds, 3rd April 2023
UK MANUFACTURING DEALS…
EY’s latest Regional Economic Forecast shows that the South West is set to be one of only two UK regions forecast to close the economic gap to London by 2025. It is expected to be 9% larger in 3 years’ time than it was in 2019. For the full picture please read the news bulletin below issued by Insider Media today.
Roger Mundy, Managing Director, Beardsley Theobalds, 1st February 2022
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Business confidence in the South West continues to rise and is currently at a 3 year high – according to the latest (October 2021) Business Barometer from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking. This comes on the back of steadily increasing business optimism throughout the year – something which has definitely permeated the business and corporate transfer market, where ever increasing buyer demand has le…
Advice to business owners is always – plan your exit from the business well in advance. Groom the business to maximise its saleability. Choose the timing with care.
Unfortunately, while most people accept the sense of this, in practice it usually doesn’t happen, often because the decision to sell is made quite suddenly and once it is made there is a desire to sell as soon as possible. This mean…
Since late 2016 there has been a general reduction in the number of businesses coming onto the market. It is generally understood that business owners, who in principle would like to sell, have been demonstrating a reluctance to commit to taking the necessary decision to do so. They have been citing all sorts of reasons for this, including the current state of the economy (national and global), g…
Beardsley Theobalds, the specialist business transfer agency, has, over the last few months, brokered the sale of four niche market businesses showing that there is demand for businesses that are not ‘run of the mill’.
Some business owners, who are looking towards retirement or who simply fancy a change, think that they have a business that is so specialist or unusual that nobody would want to…
During the last few years there has been a very noticeable increase in enquiries for businesses being offered for sale in the West Country from prospective buyers living abroad. Moreover, growing numbers of these people are seriously pursuing their interest in acquiring businesses in the South West as is demonstrated by them flying to the U.K. in order to meet business owners and take an in-depth…
The impact of Covid-19 related Government guidelines and restrictions have caused a lot of people to review their working lives. Many employees have been furloughed whilst others have already lost their jobs and, sadly, significantly more will undoubtedly join the latter’s ranks! Even those currently working – either from home or at their employers’ business premises – are feeling somewhat fearfu…
If you are thinking of selling your business in the relatively near future – say later this year or within the next year or two – now is a good time to consider your options. You most certainly need to carefully plan your exit from the business and thoroughly prepare it for disposal before offering it for sale. If you should fail to do this it will almost certainly take longer to sell (if indeed …
The vast majority of small business owners who have sold their enterprises since April 2008 have benefited from being able to take advantage of Entrepreneurs’ Relief and thereby paid Capital Gains Tax (CGT) based on a rate of just 10% (compared with individual seller’s income tax rates which can be as high as 45% and which would otherwise apply). Consequently, this has been a highly discounted …
They say that the business transfer market has fluctuated for some time, but is now undoubtedly much better in certain sectors than in others. Since the financial crisis and ensuing recession took hold in late 2007 this has certainly been the case and there are certain sectors of the market which have definitely suffered more than others. Conversely, we at Beardsley Theobalds appear to have weath…
Well that’s an easy question to answer I hear you say. It’s obviously the fantastic scenery, wonderful countryside and impressive coastline. It’s the leisure facilities and the more favourable climate. It’s also the slower pace of life and lower crime rate, etc. Oh, and (of course) the benefits and satisfaction of having one’s own business. Yes, with its very attractive environment and the qualit…
It may be surprising, but nevertheless true, that the vast majority of small business owners have little to no idea what their businesses are worth. This, of course, must be a significant weakness from both strategic and exit planning perspectives. However, how can they, as well as those who are currently considering the idea of selling, obtain realistic and reliable valuation advice?
There are …
