Recession-Proofing Programme / Downturn Survival Kit

Following strong interest in our Top Tips for Recession-Proofing, including in the Times, the Telegraph and Real Business; we have had a lot of enquiries about what we can actually do to help companies in these increasingly tough conditions.

Shield Corporate Finance is now unbundling its acclaimed Value-Building / Recession-Proofing Programme, making elements available on a modular basis, starting at £500. Shield's Recession-Proofing modules include:

1.	Needs Assessments (£500)

2.	Stand-Alone Modules
a.	Cash Flow Management modules
	ii. Rolling cash flow projection spreadsheet for at least 3 months, with suitable periodicity (monthly/weekly/daily)
	ii. Working capital management & credit control review & recommendations
	iii. Management Dashboards
	1. Plan (Sales & Marketing, Financial, Production and other key performance indicators)
	2. Construction* (Defining the outputs, with a web front end or Excel spreadsheet)
	3. Implementation* (connection to CRM, accounting & other systems)

b.	Credit Capacity Review & Recommendations
	i. Financial modelling of interest coverage & gearing ratios under 3 scenarios
	ii. Imminent & future funding requirements: Review & Recommendations
	iii. Fund-raising prospectus, for use by third parties*. 3 Year Business Plan with projection scenarios

c.	Sales Effectiveness Review & Recommendations
	i. Analysis of profitability by product & customer
	ii. Pricing review (Supply & demand; product attractiveness/ vulnerability; scope for price increases; need for price reduction)
	iii. Sales Process Mapping & refinement recommendations
	iv. Sales Message Definition & Communication Plan
	v. Sales Force Training*

d.	Marketing Review & Recommendations
	i. E-marketing Review & Recommendations
	ii. Direct marketing Review & Recommendations
	iii. Monthly Press release programme*
	iv. Case Study production (written & video)*

e.	Cost Reduction Review & Recommendations
	i. Break-even analysis & Recommendations
	ii. Overhead reduction plans*
	iii. Monthly performance review system for all staff/ Redundancy selection criteria*

*Shield also offers a 6 - 12 month programme covering all the modules listed with the exception of those asterixed.

Whether or not the credit crunch is behind us, recession certainly lies ahead. Unwelcome as that may be, it should spell long term success for businesses which embrace the opportunity to run a tighter ship in terms of basic management disciplines.

Remember, your competitors are facing the same storm; what matters is that you come through it better than they do.

Call us on +44 (0)20 7031 8265 or email us to find out more about Recession-Proofing and surviving the downturn.