Shareholders around the world have seen extravagant expenditures of their wealth squandered by CEOs with their arm-waving and talmudic reading of balance-sheets and P&Ls, like the obsessive, pre-scientific study of entrails. Less than one CEO in a hundred could give an intelligent, educated account of what strategy it would take for their business to survive in the rapidly evolving environment of the next decade.
For most managers, conducting a management buyout (MBO) can be a life-changing experience. An MBO offers the management team (either as a whole or a few individuals) an opportunity to purchase the business from its current shareholders, usually with the backing of a private equity fund. The transaction allows the individuals involved to enjoy a significant stake in their own business and be given the opportunity to “run the show”.
Australian Anthill Magazine Dec 2008/Jan 2009 As part of the Magazine 2.0 Experiment, we asked our readers to pose questions via our blog concerning the government grant process. Then, our grant guru, Adrian Spencer, did his best to answer them. Here are the results. Question from Carli Johnston: I want to start a business in…
Forget recession. There’s money out there. Just ask Aconex. By Paul Ryan “We feel like the little ray of sunshine. The last thing to fly from Pandora’s Box,” jokes Aconex Chairman Martin Hosking by phone. He’s sitting beside Aconex CEO, Leigh Jasper, who laughs along knowingly. The two men have reason to smile. Just when…
The Money Tree KA-CHING! What’s that sound, you may ask? Well, it’s the sound of money starting to flow. The 2008 Federal Budget demonstrated a major shift in focus, with a whole swag of new grant programs. While much has been made of the grants programs that closed, in this edition, we have spoken to…
So, you’ve lodged your grant application and now you’re sitting by the phone, anxiously waiting to hear news of your success. This isn’t the end of the line. There is still a lot more you need to know. First you should receive a letter acknowledging receipt of your application. If not, contact the grant administrator…
Australian Government opens new venture capital opportunity The Federal Government has officially opened its new venture capital program for fund registrations. The Early Stage Venture Capital Limited Partnerships program aims to assist and motivate early-stage investment in innovative companies and industries around Australia. The drawcard for investors: any dividends and capital gains…
The Budget So you are now ready to ask for money in your application. At this point, many applicants start to feel a bit giddy and begin dreaming about pots of gold at the end of the rainbow. However, getting the budget right is critical. There is no room for sentiment. A logical and well-supported…
Many business owners lack exit strategy The Commonwealth Bank Local Business Banking division has released a new report revealing that under half of Australian small business owners have a viable exit strategy. The report shows that only 47 percent of small business owners have an exit strategy, such as selling the business upon retirement, and…
Grant Writing Grant writing is a specialist art. Writing from the heart or what you think an assessor wants to hear is not usually the best approach. Here are our top tips for preparing a great application. Know the rules Constructing a grant application is not like constructing IKEA furniture. You must read the guidelines…
Champ acquires golding contractors In March CHAMP Private Equity, along with existing Golding Management, acquired Queensland-based mining and civil infrastructure services company Golding Contractors Pty Ltd. The acquisition price was undisclosed. However, total revenue will be over A$350 million per annum for Golding, with expected EBITDA of $50 million. The company specialises in…
Finding the right grant There are literally hundreds of grant funding programs available supporting an enormous range of activities. The challenge is to find the best options. Trawling through government websites can be tedious and frustrating. Most people simply don’t have the time to do this. Subscriptions to databases are available, although most focus on…
Top 200 ASX companies face climate change complications A recent report looking at the top 200 ASX-listed companies revealed that only 20 percent are ready to deal properly with climate change and its negative implications. In addition, the study, conducted by RepuTex, an investment research and consulting firm, stated that there was a direct correlation…
The best funding applications are based on projects that are genuinely important and reflect real need. Strong and competitive applications should demonstrate firm commitment and be enthusiastically supported, both from within and outside the organisation. This should be clear in the application. Too many organisations become blinkered or enamoured with their project. Be careful…
AUSSIE BIOTECHS COMBINE FORCES A merger has been announced between two listed Australian biotechnology companies, Peptech and EvoGenix. EvoGenix shareholders approved the merger proposal to form a yet-to-be renamed company from the two antibody therapeutics companies. It is expected that the combined funds of the merged companies will be $167 million in cash, which…
It is essential for publicly funded research organisations to work well together. It is even more important that these organisations work in a manner consistent with the objectives of private enterprise. Cooperative research centers (CRCs) are failing on this front, in so far as small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) are concerned. While SMEs are in the best…
It will soon be 20 years since the Federal Government launched its MIC Program to kick-start the Australian venture capital industry. So why is it that we still haven’t got it together when it comes to ICT? Why does this sector still bemoan a lack of venture capital? Unfortunately, the answer is not in either…
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