18
Oct

Jeremy LawrenceWe had a terrific reaction to the iPad offer. Thanks to all those who are already in line for one and for the rest – there is still time! Because it was so popular, we are going to extend the iPad offer to the end November.

And this update brings a new offer – please see below. This is an exclusive – something you won’t see anywhere else!

Business Review

Like everyone I speak to, the summer was predictably quiet and although we signed up some really interesting new clients and did some great deals, the level of activity was lower than usual. Since the end of the summer, the level of good enquiries has rocketed up – thanks to all my brokers and other introducers!

However, I think we have shared a similar experience to others – namely an all round reluctance on the part of potential prospects to commit.

I put this down to genuine and understandable fear and uncertainty at both the micro and macro level – better to do nothing than to make a wrong decision.

Our strategy for this economic climate – let’s work together!

My view is that if a business is reluctant to commit there is not much anyone can do to change that and it may well be the right strategy anyway. However, not committing need not be the same as doing nothing.

As I think you are all aware our single invoice factoring product can work very well in an uncertain marketplace because of the fact that the client makes no commitment

I think we can use this to everyone’s advantage. Why not think of single invoice factoring as a safe way to help your potential clients to dip their toe in the water without having to make a decision which is later regretted? Once that client has experienced the benefits of factoring as a concept there is a good chance they will want to talk to you about moving to a full factoring facility.

So if you are a funder or a broker working with other funders, let’s talk about ways of working together. We can get your prospects started using single invoice factoring while they make up their minds about committing to your full factoring offer.

Case Study

A business supplying the construction industry was turning down business for fear of being unable to finance the upfront purchases needed to start the work. Catalyst agreed to open a facility which potentially gave him around £150k line of credit. As a result of having access to cash at short notice, this client was;

a) able to negotiate improved terms with suppliers by ordering in larger quantities and paying up front and

b) was able to take on profitable business which he would otherwise have turned down.

Most of our factoring cost was covered by the supply discounts he was able to negotiate and the ability to expand has turned the business round from break-even static to profitable growth. If things carry on as they are, his need for factoring will reduce and he has the comfort of knowing that he can stop using our service any time he wants to

And now to the new offers;

1) iPad as before extended to 30 November - see my previous post for details
2) Portrait photography offer (same terms as for iPad)
Why not treat yourself and your family to some really top quality professional portrait photography? Catalyst will pay up to £400 of sitting fees and prints by Sylvain Guenot who is one of the best professional portrait photographers in the country.

For examples of his work look at his website – http://www.portrait-photographer-gloucestershire.co.uk/

11
Oct

IPL joins forces with Catalyst Venture Partners to provide a leg up to early stage IT companies

Catalyst IPL Partner ProgrammeNew partnership between corporate finance advisors and IT services company provides young software companies with combined investment and research & development assistance to boost business growth.
Download press release

Press Release 11 October 2011: IPL, an IT services company specialising in business intelligence and information management, has partnered with corporate finance advisers Catalyst Venture Partners to provide businesses with a combined investment and software development proposition that is specifically designed to help small technology businesses enter new markets and accelerate their growth.

Catalyst Venture Partners provides early stage technology businesses with development funding, commercial expertise and consultancy in order to help grow the businesses into highly successful operations. The partnership with IPL will mean that once an organisation is identified that has a strong proposition and concept, the IT services company, with extensive software development expertise, can be brought in to help define, drive and deliver the development of the software product or portfolio.

Richard Turner, CEO at Catalyst Venture Partners, comments, “There are plenty of businesses in the UK SME technology market that have excellent propositions and the potential to radically change their respective markets, but simply investing in them is not enough to help them realise that potential. Often, technical guidance is required on the best ways to develop the software and the practical requirements of bringing the product to market. We therefore needed to partner with an organisation that could offer reliable direction and assistance, no matter what the technology or industry sector.”

Turner continues, “We chose to partner with IPL because of their broad experience and success in multiple vertical markets and in high-profile and demanding projects, including for the public sector, defence & aerospace and telecoms. We had to be certain that if we were going to invest time and money into these organisations, we could be confident that the IT services partner who we entrusted with guiding the software development would be able to deliver success. IPL’s highly impressive track record with so many varied projects meant that trust became thoroughly implicit.”

Shaun Davey, CEO at IPL, comments, “IPL as a business has an enviable reputation of success in high profile projects and in the development of new products to enhance our clients’ portfolios. However, it was important to us to show that we are not solely focused on blue chip companies or large public sector departments, but are equally interested in and equipped to help smaller organisations with their software and product development. Joining forces with corporate finance advisors such as Catalyst Venture Partners, especially considering their history of working with technology companies in their early stages, allows us to approach SMEs that have ambitious ideas for their own organisations and their markets and use our broad expertise to help them achieve those goals.”

The new partnership is open to UK B2B or B2C entrepreneurial technology start-ups, or companies with proven propositions, in any sector. Following successful application for funding, IPL and Catalyst will work together with the partner organisation to develop the software prototype, test the final product and ensure its market feasibility so that the new products can be profitably launched to the target market.

Turner concludes, “Securing investment from third parties has been notoriously difficult in the current economic climate, meaning that we have had to create inventive ways to make investments more secure and less risky. Technology companies in the UK that aspire to lead their markets but lack the expertise with which to develop – both from a technical and commercial stance – are now able to take advantage of a funding package that brings with it proven exceptional practical benefits.”
ENDS
About IPL: www.ipl.com

IPL – Information Processing Limited – is a software development and consultancy company, established in 1979, based in Bath and has 260 employees.

IPL prides itself on its professional and reliable approach to software development, delivering ‘right first time’ solutions which significantly reduce Total Cost of Ownership.

IPL’s quality, environmental and information security management systems are certificated to ISO 9001/TickIT, 14001 and 27001.

IPL provides enterprise level solutions for major industry sectors including aerospace and defence, banking and finance, emergency services, government, telecoms and media.  IPL’s clients include Nationwide, BT, ITV, Thales and Sony.

5
Oct

Richard will be giving a paper on ‘Routes to Funding’ next Friday. Alpha Version’s annual event for tech ventures in the software, digital media, consumer applications and Web 2.0 space.

The event offers the opportunity to meet some of the most active investors in UK, hear their thoughts on the investments they are looking for and discuss your plans with them over lunch. Other participants include:

Oscar Jazdowski: Head of origination, Silicon Valley Bank UK

Kevin Douglas, Partner, Antrak Capital

Dan Somers: Partner, Boundary Capital

Tickets are available from the Alphatech website.

Date: Friday 14th October

12 Henrietta Street
Covent Garden
WC2E 8LH London