Unlike internal advisors, full-service brokers serve as go-betweens when you purchase various financial products. These include investment and insurance products. External funding is vital to a business’s success.
A capital advisory service can help identify growth opportunities and determine the best financing options. Young companies may use advisory shares to compensate their advisors, but the equity awarded varies by position and expertise.
1. Identifying the Limitations of Your Business
Often, companies limit their growth by not fully understanding the limitations they face. These limitations include limited staff, lack of expertise or inadequate research and development facilities.
They can also be due to economic conditions or import restrictions that prevent the company from expanding into new markets. An external business advisor can help you identify these limitations and provide creative solutions.
They can also offer fresh perspectives you may miss as a business owner because of your familiarity with the company.
Using an advisory service also helps you avoid violating laws or regulations. These advisors stay up-to-date on changes to the law and can help you avoid fines or tax penalties. They can also help you qualify for special tax deductions.
Moreover, they can save money by drawing plans that lower costs. They are not committed to a single company and have a wide breadth of knowledge.
2. Identifying the Financing Options
Capital advisory services can help you identify and understand the different financing options available to your business. They can also assist you in negotiating better interest rates and loan terms, ultimately saving you money.
A common example of financing involves equity or ownership shares. It can be a great way to motivate employees and provide incentives for growth. However, this type of financing is typically only used by seasoned businesses that have established a track record of success.
Another financing option is debt financing, which involves selling bonds to investors. These investors will then pay you interest on the amount they invest in your company.
This financing type is often considered a safer option for small businesses because it does not require you to guarantee the loans personally.
However, banks’ reluctance to lend has changed this landscape and highlights the need for an advisor with expertise across multiple markets.
3. Identifying the Growth Opportunities
A financial advisory service can help a client with business growth strategies. It can provide various services, including mergers & acquisitions and capital raising. It can also help clients identify a new market opportunity and explore potential partnerships.
A business can only grow if it has sufficient funds. It can raise this funding by selling shares to investors or through debt financing.
It can also use a combination of both methods. Some companies offer advisory shares to advisors to motivate them to contribute to the company’s success. These can range from 0.25% to 1% of a company’s equity.
The amount depends on the role of the advisor and their expertise. Typically, the options will vest over a year or two. Advisory shares can be a great way for young companies to motivate savvy experts without investing their scarce cash.
It helps the advisor build a long-term relationship with the company and increase their share of the pie.
4 Identifying the Risks
Offering capital advisory services means helping clients find the right balance of risk and reward in their financial portfolio.
One of the ways that advisors can do this is by establishing an asset allocation that fits each client’s risk tolerance and risk capacity.
For example, an individual more concerned about preserving their wealth may opt for a conservative asset allocation focusing on government bonds, certificates of deposit, and money market investments.
On the other hand, an individual who is more comfortable with risk may choose to invest in stocks and alternative assets.
A company can only grow if it has enough capital to fuel its objectives. However, raising business capital can take time and effort, especially for small and emerging businesses.
A business can raise money by offering shares of its stock to potential investors or by selling debt that purchasers buy with the promise of future interest payments.
Other risks can affect your business, including changes in the financial markets, being overly reliant on a few customers, or being subject to increased regulations. These can derail the profitability of your firm.
