MUSIC & CREATIVE INDUSTRIES: SED Consulting has provided strategic analysis and business plans for music start-ups, creating 3 to 5 year financial plans, advising on appropriate funding strategies and modelling various exit strategies. With extensive experience of the sector and its evolution through technological disruption, the business provides insightful support to young and growing music companies. Services provided have included valuation of potential acquisition targets; companies, catalogues and songwriters. The consultancy is also involved in developing skills required to exploit the migration of value away from traditional areas and into more collaborative routes to market such as branding, co-creation and wider business partnerships.
INDUSTRY RESEARCH: Sponsored by UK Music and conducted as part of an MBA programme at Henley Business School, Stan recently conducted wide-ranging research into the competencies required of the music industry over the next 5 to 10 years. Entitled "Shining a light on orchestral manoeuvres in the dark", it was presented to music industry executives at Henley Business School on 29 February 2016. The event provided a platform with which to feed back the findings to the industry and its associated communities, encourage constructive discussion and debate, and sow the seeds of strategic development and change to the mutual benefit of all industry stakeholders. It was well received and the findings are now now being extended to a wider audience. The full research, executive summary and slide-show are available on request.
AGRICULTURE: In a business environment where commodity prices are currently depressed and the cost of operating travels ever upwards, the consultancy provides commercial advice and direction. SED Consulting presently provides medium and long-term strategic and financial planning to a large agricultural business in Bedfordshire, helping it to grow it's return on capital employed, make more informed decisions on investment in farm assets and provide more effective working capital management. The provision of analysis by business segment, for example, contract farming, grain storage has enabled the owners to review their future business direction and where appropriate, the consultancy has facilitated the development of alternative strategies and evaluated areas of diversification.
HAULAGE: The day to day business of bulk haulage is intensely competitive and where regular and timely management information can provide a significant commercial advantage. For a growing business in central England, SED Consulting provides weekly and monthly reporting on KPIs: breakeven analysis, earnings per truck and loading efficiency to mention a few. Dynamic financial forecasting models illustrate the importance of tight working capital management and provide short, medium and long-term cash flow requirements. The consultancy provides appraisals and recommendations on various financing arrangements for trucks and trailers. This is very much an industry where units need to be on the road, working efficient routes and carrying loads at appropriate pricing levels at all times.
TRAINING: SED Consulting has provided training courses extensively thoughout the Middle East (Dubai, Riyadh and Jeddah) and the Far East (Singapore). These are interactive and have been targeted at CEOs, finance directors and their teams, operations and general managers. Courses presented include (but are not limited to) strategy, effective budgeting, cash-flow management and finance (for both finance and non finance professionals). They are tailored to suit all abilities and roles. Please enquire for details and availability.