David Appleton gives his take on being an associate at GJC and all the positivity it brings.
‘The thing I love most about being a Portfolio or Part Time Finance Director is the variety of work that comes along with it. Below is a snapshot of some of the projects that I have been working on over the last few months, which certainly makes working life interesting.’
– Supported an existing client with their application under the Business Recovery Loan scheme by preparing a 3 year detailed financial cash flow and P&L forecast
– Worked with two new clients to help them get “investor ready” in their aim to get venture capital investment into their new businesses. This included preparing 5-year financial forecasts, writing an Information Memorandum, putting a pitch deck together and working with them to get the narrative ready to support the pitch presentation
– Worked with a new client who is in the process of being acquired to help them model the financials and commercials of what the business will look like post-acquisition and supported them through the due diligence process
– Picked up with a client I hadn’t worked with for 18 months to support them on a short-term basis to cover someone leaving the business, giving them time (and advice) on how best to restructure that part of the business to make the best use of existing people and cover knowledge gaps
– Spent 2 days with a client on a business discovery session to help them understand how GJC can add value to their existing team and how our combined business and sector experience can complement their internal skill set to help them get investor ready
Some of these projects involved working with other GJC associates, bringing a financial and non-financial perspective to the project and bouncing ideas off each other and getting great insights into the breadth of expertise our practice specialises in. Other work was sitting side by side with the client and understanding their requirements and giving them the benefit of my 30+ years of being in a finance environment.
This variety, coupled with being part of a multi discipline business advisory practice, reinforces the decision I took a few years ago to establish myself as a Portfolio Finance Director. Being a SME business owner can be tough, especially when dealing with the financial aspects but people like me, and my GJC colleagues, can take the pressure off. What gets me out of bed in the morning can often be what keeps you awake at night; focus on your strengths and outsource your weaknesses.’
If you would like to learn more about how GJC can help add value to your business or you are looking for a change of direction in your own career please get in touch today.
