Owning it. | Episode-6
Business conversations with Mark Sapsford and Douglas Edmunds from CapEq | Episode 6.
Owning it.
Business conversations with Mark Sapsford and Douglas Edmunds, of CapEQ Ep.6
About the Series 'Owning it.'
Read on to learn more about our brand new podcast series...
Introduction
The brand new series of business conversations brought to you by Haines Watts aims to uncover the trials and tribulations of being a business owner, from the highs and the lows to everything in between. What keeps a business owner up at night, what lessons have they learned, and what advice have they got to offer other business owners? The raw, honest, and un-sugar coated truth about the pitfalls and triumphs of managing a business.
The series is led by Professor Damian Hughes, an international speaker and bestselling author who combines his practical and academic background within sport, organisational development and change psychology, to help organisations and teams to create a high performing culture.
Damian is the author of eight best-selling business books, and delivers the High Performance Podcast series along with Jake Humphrey. He has vast experience meeting and interviewing remarkable individuals and uses this to gain a real insight into what drives people, but he also brings about a genuine warmth and inquisitive style that makes him so endearing and encourages people to be so open and candid.
Damian is the author of eight best-selling business books, and delivers the High Performance Podcast series with presenter Jake Humphrey.
Being part of the ‘Owning it.' series has offered me the great privilege of being able to ask questions of a wide variety of entrepreneurs, business leaders and clients of Haines Watts and learn their lessons, their stories and their techniques which have enabled them to enjoy great success.
Each one have generously provided these with great wit, warmth and wisdom and I am excited to share them with you.”
Damian Hughes
From this wealth of knowledge and experience, this series can offer untapped insight and exploration of thought into how to run a successful business whilst remaining mentally resilient.
The episodes within this first series see us interview a variety of clients across the country to find out what drives and motivates them in running their own business.
I have a genuine belief that you should ask a question of everyone you meet. Everybody knows something you don’t.”
Damian Hughes
Terry Cheesman
R&D Tax Specialist | Haines Watts
Terry is a North West based, chartered accountant and owner of Haines Watts R&D (North West). He is a tax specialist and business owner with a passion for helping companies of all sizes. Terry leads two specialist teams based in Altrincham and Liverpool: together they have achieved tax savings of £65.6 million in the last 66 months.
Terry was working on behalf of a client that required a B Corp Certified M&A consultant and therefore approached CapEQ, a-like minded company whose values align well with our own.
B Corp Certification is a designation that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials.
On working with the CapEQ team, Terry says, "The partnership we have with CapEQ came about during August 2020 when the pandemic hit, we all had to shift the way we operated to online methods and networking was no different. I contacted Mark through LinkedIn as I had a requirement to find a company that cared about their social impact and it was important to the business I was advising (who also had high standards of social governance) that they practice what they preach; it had to be complementary to their offering hence choosing CapEQ who are B Corp certified.
CapEQ were a perfect fit and spent the time with me to understand my client’s needs, and as we ourselves embark on our own transition into becoming a B Corp Certified business, they were the ideal partners to support us as a sounding board.
Becoming more sustainable is not just the right thing to do but it also makes perfect business sense, we all need to take responsibility for the world around us and whilst it may not be easy to make changes, they will pay off in the long term."
Watch the video: \'Emotionally Invested'.
Please click 'Read on' below to watch episode 6 with Mark and Douglas.
Click the play button to watch the video.
Listen to the full podcast: 'Emotionally Invested'.
Please click 'Read on' below to listen to the full podcast with Mark and Douglas.
Listen to the full podcast...
The video shows the highlights of the podcast but you can listen to the full interview audio below.
We would love to get your feedback on our sixth episode in the series, if you would kindly complete the poll, this will help steer our future content for Owning it.
Tell us what you liked best about this episode:
- Hearing about how the team have focused on the Emotional Intelligence needed in merges and acquisitions.
- The advice they shared about owning and running a business and how you have to tread sensitively when it comes to a sale or an exit.
- The supplementary information provided in this digital guide.
CapEQ advises some of Europe's leading Firms, Business Owners, Shareholders, and Entrepreneurs on strategic Mergers and Acquisitions. They worked alongside Terry Cheesman of Haines Watts for a client in the North West as a B Corp Certified M&A adviser who were aligned with our values.
CapEQ specialise in helping businesses navigate the world of selling, buying, and developing Mergers & Acquisition strategies for their business. CapEQ, put their clients at the centre of their business, ensuring that they are successful in every opportunity.
We firmly believe that business exists both to make a profit and as a force for positive change in the world and we are proud to have become a certified B Corporation”
CapEQ
Being Europe's first B-Corp M&A advisor, CapEQ are proud to put ethics and societal impact at the heart of everything they do. Their client advocacy attests to their commitment to doing the right thing by their clients, and the positive outcomes of these engagements. With over 70 years of combined M&A experience and a history of entrepreneurship, CapEQ has the experience and the knowledge to help deliver excellence.
Their approach is driven by the highest levels of integrity and honesty, putting clients first while always treating them as people, not just a project or transaction. "Our focus is on finding the right outcome for clients, considering ethos, fit and value while delivering the right advice at the right time."
Follow CapEQ on Twitter
About Mark Sapsford
Co-Founder & Partner | CapEQ
MARK SAPSFORD
Co-Founder & Partner
Few M&A professionals have led or facilitated as many successful transactions in as many jurisdictions as Mark. His personal tally is approaching 50, while he has overseen a further 100 – leading teams in the UK, USA, Netherlands, Australia, Spain and Poland.
This breadth of experience has given him a rare insight into global best practice, international contracts and a deep understanding of business culture across the world.
After previous careers in the Royal Air Force, oil industry and recruitment, Mark worked in M&A for 15 years – where he established international offices in New York, Fort Worth, Los Angeles and Calgary.
After helping more business owners exit in industries as diverse as wind energy, electrical lighting, creative, life sciences, and transportation, Mark founded CapEQ with James Pugh.
Mark has recently become a grandfather but belies this with youthful enthusiasm for rugby, a stride through the countryside, and a delight in travelling the world in search of old friends and new experiences. His sourdough feeds the entire street at weekends!
About Douglas Edmunds
Partner | CapEQ
Critics and consultants: they all know how it’s done, but can’t do it themselves. Doug is the antithesis. Like everyone at CapEQ, he brings practical ‘been there, done that’ experience to bear on any transaction, advising from a position of insight and knowledge. Whether leading a deal, running a team or make a cross-border transaction stick, his proven expertise and credibility build trust and propel deals to positive conclusions.
As with his fellow directors, Doug has started successful companies, grown them, then moved on to conquer new challenges. Having held senior positions in technology and professional services companies, he understands strategy, motivation and the best way to get from problem to solution.
Within M&A, his successful transactions include the sale of CAN UK to RSK Group; Vista Equity-backed Granicus’s acquisition of Firmstep; Cynergie UK to Davies Group; PCM Healthcare to Cogoora; and File Express to Iron Mountain. Many of his deals have involved private equity-backed and international buyers, particularly within technology, online retail and regulated sectors (though he loves applying his existing knowledge in fresh fields).
Sharing his CapEQ’s partners’ love of rugby, Doug can often be found going one further, standing touchlines in the rain, shouting at the sub-Wilkinson efforts of his four children. A runner and snowboarder, he’s probably the fittest of CaqEQ’s leaders: wise heads might point out this makes him the most prone to injury.
Industry Insight: Management Consulting
INDUSTRY INSIGHT PROVIDED BY IBIS WORLD
Management Consulting UK
The Management Consultants industry covers a broad range of consulting services, including strategic and organisational planning, marketing, IT, human resource consulting and business process management. Over the five years through 2022-23, industry revenue is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 2.2% to reach £70.2 billion. This growth has largely been driven by rising demand for IT consulting services. In addition, regulatory changes in the financial services sector, the industry's largest downstream market, have benefited the industry, as banks and other financial institutions have required assistance to reformulate business strategies and operations in order to comply with new policies.
Plunging business confidence following the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak reduced demand for industry services in 2020-21, as downstream firms held back on expanding their operations in the immediate aftermath of the outbreak. In particular, vulnerable companies in the private sector, such as in the tourism, leisure and retail industries, cut spending on consulting services.
However, as industry services include management consultancy on matters such as restructuring, cost-cutting and risk management, the pandemic presented operators with opportunities to offer such services to clients to help them understand the economic consequences and plan their strategies going forward. In addition, demand from the public sector remained resilient, with large consultancies being awarded lucrative contracts from the government for work related to the UK's response to the pandemic. Surging merger and acquisition activity led to a strong increase in demand for consulting services in 2021-22. However, soaring inflation, tougher regulation and the global consequences of the Russia-Ukraine conflict have led to a slowdown in M&As, with industry revenue expected to grow by just 0.8% in 2022-23 as a result.
Industry revenue is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 4.5% over the five years through 2027-28 to £87.3 billion, driven by improving economic conditions as the effects of the pandemic fade and strong demand for IT consulting.
The financial sector is expected to continue providing an important source of demand due to the wide-ranging changes in financial services regulations that the government is planning to implement. Nonetheless, industry profit margins are expected to remain under pressure, due to strong competition and rising wage costs.
Industry revenue is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 4.5% over the five years through 2027-28 to £87.3 billion.
Management Consulting Stats
Industry overview provided by IBISWorld.
IBISWorld provides trusted industry research on thousands of industries worldwide. Their in-house analysts leverage economic, demographic and market data, then add analytical and forward-looking insight, to help organisations of all types make better business decisions.
Visit the Ibis website here
About the venue
Stock Exchange Hotel
ABOUT THE VENUE
Stock Exchange Hotel
Meticulous. Heritage. Trust
The building originally opened in 1906 as the Manchester Stock Exchange, before becoming the Northern Stock Exchange in the 1970s and trading as such until 1979 when it was amalgamated into the London Stock Exchange. In 2014 the building was purchased by Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs and opened its doors as a hotel in 2019.
Co-owned by Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs and hotelier Winston Zahra, the boutique property is made up of a collection of 40 rooms, including two signature suites and a stunning 3,500 square foot penthouse residence, operated by Manchester based GG Hospitality. Stock Exchange Hotel is also part of 520 of the world’s most premium hotels that make up the Small Luxury Hotel group.
Design
The hotel’s interiors have been designed by internationally renowned design studio Autoban. Their bespoke design – a subtle arrangement of a light palette of colours, combined with luxurious materials, original marble, brass, glass and woodwork - ensures guests will experience spaces deeply rooted in the history and heart of the city, crafted around the remarkable stories of the building.
Food & Beverage
The heart and soul of the hotel is The Bull & Bear by Chef Tom Kerridge, housed under the magnificent dome which for decades was the trading floor of the Stock Exchange. The space has been designed to be a social space where people can enjoy quality food in a casual and relaxed atmosphere.
The Bank offers private dining experiences for up to 14 people in an intimate environment with area for a private chef to cook in front of guests. Click here for more information.
Heritage
The Manchester Stock Exchange was built between 1904 and 1906, on a design by “Bradshaw, John Gass and Arthur Hope” and was opened ceremoniously on the 13th December 1906. The exquisite example of Edwardian Baroque architecture was purpose built as a symbol of confidence in the future of a growing Manchester, which at the time was the 9th most populous city in the world. Stock Exchange Hotel pays homage to the rich history of the Grade II listed building, both in style and spirit.
Friends of Haines Watts
The Stock Exchange is offering 12% off their best available rate for bedrooms, just quote Haines Watts and code ZHWT when booking.
