Your Business is our Priority

• Istheregulatoryburdenstiflingyourbusinessrequirements?

• Doyoustruggletoraisefinancebecauseyourfunderdoesnotunderstandyourbusiness?

• Dopotentialfinanciersseeyourbusinessinanegativeway?

• Doyouneedadditionalcapitaltofundyourgrowthstrategy?

At Aspire Corporate Solutions, we bring together specialist advisors in recruitment,intermediary payroll services, finance and business experience to deliver a unique business solution aimed at improving the profile of your business.

Howcanwehelp?

It is often the case that funders fail to understand how the recruitment sector operates, resulting in a negative response. As specialist recruitment industry advisers, we are able to present your business in the most favourable light by:

• Identifying opportunities to improve margins through a reduction in payroll costs

• Managing the risks associated with the use of intermediary payroll providers

• Advising on processes and procedures surrounding risk management

• Providing the business, finance and banking experience needed to present your business model in the most appropriate way.

We firmly believe that this combined approach will help to secure finance or additional funding from lending institutions or maintain the current level of funding by providing the level of assurance required.

Howdowework?

Although we are consultants, we like to think of ourselves as part of your team. We believe that a collaborative approach is the only way to fully understand the requirements of the business. Using such an approach, we are able to gain a thorough understanding of how your business operates in the sector, enabling us to identify risks, opportunities, threats and strengths that will be identified and documented in a comprehensive feedback report and action plan.

We will then work with you to implement the action plan and produce a Governance Brochure, which can either form part of a funding application or as a fundamental part of a presentation to a prospective client.

Our experienced team works proactively with your business to understand the issues you are facing, identify solutions and, where appropriate, negotiate with third parties.

Our aim is to leave your business on a sounder footing.

Help on hand in your time of need.

Do I need help? No I’m fine .......

Meet the teamAlanNolan–DirectorAlan is a leading recruitment industry expert and a technical advisor on Travel Schemes and Umbrella Companies. . He was previously Head of Employment Taxes for People Services at KPMG for 10 years, before leaving in 2009 to set up Aspire Business Partnership LLP.

Alan is also a former Special Compliance Office Investigator with HM Revenue and Customs and a director of Tax and Benefits (TABS) Ltd, an advisory business providing advice in connection with the claiming of Tax Credits. He has over 30 years’ experience dealing with employment taxation.

As head of Aspire Corporate Solutions, Alan is the key player in advising business owners on employment taxation in the recruitment sector. His experience and hands on approach allows him to assist and advise business owners and other key stakeholders on a wide range of issues, ranging from dealing with HMRC to formalising business plans.

MalcolmBrookesFCMA–DirectorMalcolm brings with him 37 years’ experience in the Banking and Asset Based Lending sectors. He has particular expertise in finance and business analysis, as well as experience in business start-up, internal audit and due diligence. This enables him to provide essential advice to help clients meet the requirements of their lenders.

Malcolm focuses on business review, including financial analysis, risk assessment relationship, and organisational structure, enabling funders and businesses to improve their performance and mitigate losses.

He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

JackThomas–AssociateJack has spent the last 2 years advising businesses on Tax Compliance, as well as implementing a number of cost saving solutions.

As a Business Consultant for Aspire Business Partnership LLP, Jack has advised clients on a number of Employment Tax queries as well as the operation of umbrella companies and implementation of Travel and Subsistence Schemes.

A CIMA finalist, he also has a sound accounting knowledge, including Internal Audit, enabling him to identify risks and implement control measures.

These experiences enable Jack to deliver effective financial analysis,- as well as identifying areas where savings can be made and capitalising on areas of profitability.

Don’t be afraid! We are here to help.

• Isyourprofitfallingwhileturnoverisrising?

• Aresalesdecreasing?

• Arecostsoutofcontrolorjustrisingfasterthantheyshouldbe?

• Aresectorperceptionsaffectingyourbusiness?

• Istheeconomicenvironmentadverselyimpactingyourbusinessorareyoubuckingthetrendandneedtogrow?

At Aspire Corporate Solutions, we have the business experience to identify operational issues that may have a detrimental impact on your business. Following a comprehensive review of your processes and procedures, we will draw up an action plan designed to provide you with the peace of mind that your business is operating at its optimum strength.

Ourcollaborativeapproachwillprovideyouwiththefollowing:

• Expertise to re-energise your business model

• Update management and financial information

• Formulate new strategic and operational plans

• Construct accurate profit forecasts

• Identify the use of cost reduction opportunities and product profitability assessments.

Wecanalsoundertakeariskassessmentcoveringthefollowing:

• Tax Compliance

• Employment Agency and Employment Business Conduct Regulations

• Agency Worker Regulations

• Gangmasters Licencing Act

• Payroll procedures

• Management of Debtors

• Market Perception

The outlook for the recruitment sector remains positive. This means operating models need to be ‘fit for the future’ to ensure that finance arrangements meet expected growth aspirations.

Whether you are a large corporate business or a Small to Medium Enterprise (SME), reputational risk remains high on the business agenda.

Reviewing your current business strategy in advance of an expected upturn in the placement of both permanent and temporary candidates will place you in the best possible position to meet the demands of future growth targets and regulatory compliance expectations.

Business Review

Review the recruitment sector, its market, legislation, practise, risks, opportunities, etc.

Assist the bank to make informed lending decisions: lend with confidence

Protect existing funding lines.

Provide a finance company with accurate, independent information on a company’s health, thus realising real risk.

Produce an unbiased report into the state of a company’s operations or of a specific area.

Supplement finance companies’ own review processes with expertise in this complex and growing sector.

Our steps to get you moving upwards

Delivering a niche service

SERVICEONE

Finance Options• Hasyourbankorfinanceproviderlostconfidenceinyouandyourbusiness?

• Dotheyfailtounderstandthesectorinwhichyouoperateanditsnuances?

• Dotheyalwaysquestionyourriskmanagementprocess,includingtheuseofintermediarypayrollproviders?

Finance is essential for your business to operate, and a key aspect of your business is your relationship with your bank or finance provider.

If this relationship falters, your business will be faced with the unenviable task of sourcing alternative funding and providing answers to tricky operational questions surrounding management of risk. Our experience of working in this sector tells us that funders adopt a cautious approach through a lack of understanding of how the sector operates. It is rare to find a lender with in-house expertise, which is why they out-source the role of ‘fact-finder’ to an equally uninformed company of business consultants.

Aspire Corporate Solutions is a strategic advisory business dedicated to servicing the needs of the recruitment sector. As industry specialists, we understand the trigger points that cause funders to reduce or even withdraw support for a business. By using this industry expertise, we are able to introduce systems and processes that give confidence to a funder, thus enabling them to provide the support your business requires, in order to continue to operate on tight margins in a challenging and competitive environment.

We are able to undertake an informed business review that will allow you to implement appropriate cost reduction opportunities together with risk management processes, which will give potential funders the confidence to continue to lend or extend existing finance facilities.

In the event that a funder is exerting undue pressure on your business, we are able to attend meetings to understand the issues and help to resolve them. It is often the case that funders work on perception rather than reality, and it is important to restore confidence by demonstrating that you have the right people on board. If all else fails and we have to seek alternative funding arrangements, we are able to call upon our extensive network of contacts to secure you the best deal.

We are also able to review your company’s capital structure to improve leverage, help secure addition capital and put the company on a more secure foundation to manage growth.

Whateverthesituation,youcanbeassuredthatwewillworktirelesslytoensureyourbusinesshastheoptimumfinancialpackagetoachievegrowthandprosperity.

Review funding options to suit your business, e.g. invoice discounting, factoring, bank loan, overdraft equity capital, etc.

Check you are compliant withappropriate legislation.

Highlight the real risks that couldotherwise go undetected.

With your permission, converse with your funding supplier to provide a full and factual description of your business and its operations to secure the funding you need at a price that is fair.

Assist in the process to secure initial or extended funding from your bank or finance provider.

Review your business health, including customer/portfolio analysis, balance sheet structure (capital etc.), finance, company structure, resources and people.

As experts in the recruitment sector, we can make you aware of opportunities that may otherwise pass you by.

Review your company processesensuring appropriate, not bureaucratic, policies and procedures are in place.

Planting seeds to secure

funds for growth

SERVICETWO

Our First Win!We were contacted by a Recruitment Agency to review a report that had been commissioned by a bank and was perceived negatively, leading to the bank’s refusal to grant further funding to support the Agency’s growth strategy. It was perfectly clear that the consultancy firm engaged to compile the report was not conversant with the business model and, more importantly, how the sector operates.

We met with management and operational staff to gain an insight into the business and the relationship with intermediary payroll providers known as “umbrella companies”. We were able to focus on areas contained in the report that highlighted aspects the bank had relied upon when refusing to extend credit facilities.

We quickly identified a negative slant to the report, which appeared to be based on perceived risks associated with, what we considered to be, accepted industry practices. Using our experience, we were able to respond to a number of negative comments and duly replaced them with an informed technical analysis of each point in question.

Each aspect of the report was re-examined, including a review of the sales forecasts, staff resources, outsourcing policy and, importantly, the use of third-party intermediary structures, which were perceived as the biggest risk to the company and its financiers.

The final report was issued to management and the company’s bankers. As a result, confidence in the company was restored and its finance facilities extended.

We can do thesame for you!

Want to know more?

Your business is our priority

To find out more about us and what we can offer your business, please contact Alan, Malcolm or Jack:

Aspire Corporate Solutions Ltd80 Hewell RoadBarnt GreenBirminghamB45 8NF

Tel: 0121 445 6178Fax: 0121 445 0540

E-mail: enquire@aspirepartnership.co.uk