Insights
We work with privately owned businesses around the world, so we know that many share common challenges and opportunities. We have written a range of articles to share our insight and guidance on how to successfully navigate the competitive and shifting business environment. The latest insight, based our extensive experience and data, can be found in the articles below.
How to ensure business continuity during and beyond Covid-19
04/06/2020 Owners and managers of privately owned businesses are no strangers to overcoming challenges, but Covid-19 has created unprecedented issues that even the most experienced leaders are unsure how to handle. One of the most frequently asked questions in recent weeks has been, “What happens if I am suddenly unable to manage the business for a period of time? And how can I ensure business continuity during my absence?
Securing debt during Covid-19
04/05/2020 The world has significantly changed for businesses over the last couple of months. A key consideration which has emerged as a result of the Covid-19 crisis is cash flow management. Access to funding has become critical for many businesses in the short term and to ensure liquidity in the medium term for a post-Covid world.
Dealing with COVID-19 as a Privately Owned Business
19/03/2020 As we all know, the Covid-19 pandemic is a very serious threat to the health and wellbeing of people throughout the world. The spread of the virus, as well as efforts to contain it, are now significantly impacting our daily lives. The priority must be to take all actions required to mitigate the effect of the pandemic and protect our people. We must also acknowledge the inevitable knock-on effect of major economic uncertainty, which hugely impacts privately-owned businesses.
How to enhance your business’ value through exit planning
While most business owners understand the importance of planning how they will exit their business, the time invested in it does not always get the attention it deserves due to the demands of daily operations.
Recruiting and retaining Gen Z
As Millennials, or Generation Y, grow into the founders, directors and managers of today’s workplace, focus is now shifting towards the new cohort coming through: Gen Z. Born between 1995 and the early 2000s, Gen Z are either just entering employment, or starting to think about what they want from their careers. They are the future leaders for growing businesses and the race is on to attract and retain them.
How to successfully scale and grow your business
For all the good that growth can deliver, many medium-sized businesses come to a point where it can begin to negatively impact processes, management and employees.
How to improve financial performance and transform your business
In today’s complex business environment, developing a consistent approach to measuring and improving financial performance can be challenging. However, by ensuring measures are in place and in line with the business’ strategy, it can help enhance financial standing. Without sufficient transparency, important strategic decisions and respective measures are basically not possible. As they say, “you can only manage what you can measure!”
Seven steps to creating a successful international business
Exporting your medium-sized business abroad can create significant growth opportunities, yet many are reluctant to venture out of their home market. Despite world trade increasing 38-fold over the last 60 years, only a small proportion of all businesses export abroad. In the UK, for example, just one in ten businesses export, while in the US that number plummets to one in 100.
How to create sustainable value in medium-sized companies
Despite the strong entrepreneurial drivers that can be a force behind many businesses, some still face challenges when it comes to achieving sustainable value.
Three simple steps to kickstart your sustainability strategy
Executing a business sustainability strategy is more important than ever and is essential for the long-term success of a company.
Not only does it help in the development of your business vision and strategy, but a sustainability strategy will also help to reduce unnecessary costs through the implementation of leaner and smarter processes.
Not only does it help in the development of your business vision and strategy, but a sustainability strategy will also help to reduce unnecessary costs through the implementation of leaner and smarter processes.
Getting smart about business planning and performance management
Running a business comes with many demands, big and small, and requires focus and attention on various areas. As a result, focus can be heavily placed on the day to day tasks while the long-term planning is pushed to the side.
Getting the digital-cultural balance right
Digital and technological advances have brought great benefits to businesses worldwide. Through digital innovation, we have experienced increased customer communication and reach, artificial intelligence, development of new solutions and systems as well as being able to collect copious amounts of valuable data through various algorithms that help drive business direction.
Preparing to sell your business
As an owner, selling your business is one of the most important decisions you will make. Having invested energy, time, effort and money building your business, you want to make sure that when the time comes, you receive the maximum return.
Mittelstand champions leading digitisation
Our strategic partner, the Hidden Champions Institute (HCI) at ESMT Berlin, together with IDG Research Services, has examined the digital transformation of German companies. The study investigates the different levels of development during the process of digitalization in German corporations, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as hidden champions.
5 top tips for Growing your business and improving sales
Joe Carr, Privately Owned Business Partner at Forvis Mazars, outlines the five top tips for growing your business and improving sales for sustainable success.
Optimizing Mid-Sized Businesses – Forvis Mazars Research
Find out more about our Optimize report, based on researching 72,000 European companies over a four year period
Venturing Abroad
The Economist Intelligence Unit wrote a series of articles sponsored by Forvis Mazars focusing on five challenges facing SMEs venturing abroad for the first time. Indeed, the challenges of operating in an unfamiliar environment are daunting, but offer tremendous potential.