The Origin of the consultancy Species
The Sunday Business Post

Getting good advice is often the best starting point for businesses, regardless of the project they are undertaking. When it comes to mergers, acquisitions or even corporate finance this advice can be invaluable. Origin Corporate Finance provides consultancy services within these areas.

"We specialises in mergers and acquisitions, and general fundraising to do with that," said Dermot Grant, managing director of Origin Corporate Finance.

A "hands-on" approach to all its clients sets Origin Corporate Finance apart from the crowd. With a select staff of 12 people, Origin Corporate Finance is viewed as a medium sized boutique corporate financing house. The firm has built up a huge amount of experience in management buyouts (MBO), disposals and acquisition, exit and retirement planning, sourcing of finance, and reorganisation and crisis management.

"Clients get our full attention," Grant said. "They get to speak to a principal. We're not a large organisation that "pigeonholes" clients. This is particularly important for small medium-sized firms, which may prefer to get individual attention from their partners. We give the attention to the deal at senior level."

The firm has forged links with the main financial institutions, building relationships with banks, venture capital companies and private equity backers that will benefit its clients. Origin also, has experience dealing with Business Expansion Scheme (BES) funds, providing a range of funding options.

The firm has made its mark in the Irish market. The list of clients that Origin Corporate Finance has helped is impressive and varied. From MBO's for firms such as John Paul Construction, The London School of Marketing and Brita to venture capital investment for Optilase, Phonecard Warehouse, and Therapie Clinic, Origin Corporate Finance has gathered a range of clients in several industries.

Its track record should be more than enough to convince clients of its expertise in the market. The firm has worked hard to build up its customer base and has acquired expertise over the years in a number of different sectors.

Planning is always considered key to appropriate business decisions, which is an area in which Origin Corporate Finance excels. The dedicated team put together by the firm has considerable experience in its field and can work closely with clients to advise every step of the way.

When deciding to make an acquisition, early stage planning is important. Deciding how to approach a potential acquisition target is vital, and Origin Corporate Finance's extensive negotiation experience could be a key factor in securing that deal.

Retirement and exit strategies also require extensive forethought. "It's all about planning, if possible," Grant said. "Some people don't have the luxury of planning. If you want to retire or exit the business in five years, we would start looking at your business now. Start planning well in advance, give a bit of time to it and put in place the best structures to sell it."

For example, there may be business property that needs to be disposed of in the most cost-effective and tax efficient way for the business. Management structures may also need to be altered, especially if the owner of the business has been heavily involved in the running of the company.

"The value of the business can be determined by the strength of its management team," said Grant.

Therefore, if the owner is involved in managing the firm on a day-to-day business, the team must be structured to cover for that loss when he or she exits the business. Failure to do so would impact on the overall value of your business something no owner wants to hear.

Establishing the best tax structure for the firm from a legal and tax point of view may also take some time and preparation. There is a range of financial decisions to make, such as whether the owner is disposing of his or her shares in the company, along with other tax saving measures such as pension contributions that could help reduce the tax burden of the transaction.

Origin Corporate Finance has a strong team of in-house accountants and tax and pension consultants, who are supported by experienced merger and acquisition lawyers.

With such a wealth of expertise at the company's fingertips, this "boutique" firm is an established presence in the Irish market.