100 Stories of Growth - Insights from Entrepreneurs

79 78 RESEARCH AREA INSIGHTS FROM ENTREPRENEURS capital providers, and professional services partners are to thank. Investing in talent and great professional human relationships has served the vast majority of founders and business leaders very well. The SME business community should continue to place these solid relationships at the core of all quality decision-making processes, not least when it comes to committing to long-term financial capital deals. Aiming for perfect alignment of interest with capital providers Our research shows that with more cash in the system, it’s very important to understand the motivations behind those offers. Many founders have told us how they have searched intently for the right capital partnerships. Walking away from a deal is totally justifiable if it doesn’t fully appeal or if the financial capital comes with strings that will end up becoming an unwelcome complication in the future. Knowing your investor or your acquirer is just as important for entrepreneurs as it has always been for reputable capital providers looking to understand the people and the companies they choose to back. Good, solid relationships pave the way for long-term successful outcomes that many entrepreneurs are focused on achieving. The emotional end-game and legacy fulfilment With all of the effort, emotional capacity and energy that go into growing a successful business, people are motivated by a tangible result. That can be to see their company expand to new horizons, as part of a lifelong journey. For others, they chase a specific goal to work towards. We’ve found that many scale-up entrepreneurs want to create a bright future for them and their family. But the emotional stakes are much greater for a large number of entrepreneurs who want to create stellar outcomes and legacies for their teams and stakeholders. We believe that the emotional energy that goes into running a business can deliver great results when nurtured and supported well. We hope that this research report will go some way to helping entrepreneurs, their teams and all of their stakeholders to identify what works in their particular situation and where more focus may be needed. The UK’s scale-up community has the potential to deliver scalable benefits to all of the communities where businesses operate. With a concerted, joined-up and human approach, those benefits have every potential to deliver long-term sustainable benefits for all.