Cavendish Management Resources

Cavendish Management Resources was established in the UK in 1984 initially as a group of private investors, providing a forum to review and syndicate investments. CMR has since grown to be an international organisation with over 450 senior executives, operating globally in Europe, USA & Canada, Middle East, India & Asia, South America, Africa, Australasia and the Caribbean, providing both funding and specialist help for entrepreneurial businesses.

Introduction	Philosophy	Operational Concepts	Objectives	Specialised Services

Introduction

Mike Downey is CMR's Managing Director

To understand the background to the CMR organisation as it is today, it is necessary to briefly explain the career path of its founder, and the motivations that led him to establish CMR. Mike Downey has a wide experience base, mostly gained in blue-chip companies at senior board level, in the UK, Europe, USA, and covering particularly finance, marketing and production disciplines. He was International Finance Director of Wilkinson Sword, and Managing Director, Sunbeam Europe.

He is an AMP graduate of Harvard Business School, Boston, USA. In 1985 he established a new venture capital company named Inventure Ltd., which had the objective of investing in, and commercially developing through international licensing, innovative products and processes, particularly those that could be patent protected. In 1988 this work was expanded to also help innovative companies who had financial or other difficulties.

It became apparent to him that so many small/medium-sized businesses had great difficulty in accessing the financial and management support needed to ensure achievement of their growth potential. Too many are denied the resources they need, when with some help from outside, they can grow and prosper into the future. Mike Downey formed Cavendish Management Resources, specifically with the objective of bringing skilled management expertise and private investment funds to bear on this situation.

CMR has been able to expand its operations both in terms of the scope of its activities, and in terms of size. Since then CMR has grown into a quite exceptional and unique organisation, with the capability of providing all the financial, management and business services support so badly needed by small to medium-sized companies. It combines the skills of several hundred very senior & highly experienced executives, with its global bank of private investors keen to invest into the smaller company sector. CMR also has associations with many other sources of business capital, including from venture capitalists, trade financiers, and banks.

CMR's objectives are to continue to grow by attracting particularly gifted senior executives, and expanding further the investor base available to it.

CMR's PHILOSOPHY

Venture capital uk, business funding uk, executive recruitment uk, business services uk

It is a truism to say that the majority of privately-owned small/medium-sized companies could benefit greatly from having better access to funding and good management support, enabling them to profitably grow faster, in a more controlled and managed way

CMR's central philosophy is to provide the resources needed by this sector, in the way it is wanted. We recognise that the requirement for funding is likely to be the trigger-point for companies to make contact with CMR in the first place - very few companies in this sector will normally embrace and ask for help from 'ordinary' management consultants, except for specialised, limited tasks. Whilst a funding requirement will be the initial reason for contacting CMR, many of these companies will actually require help in many other directions, and in fact some may not actually need or be able to attract funding. It is important that CMR has the skill and resource base to help those companies in whatever way is appropriate for their special circumstances.

The operational concepts upon which CMR is based are:

	CMR firstly provides advice on funding requests received. Many companies will find that funding is more readily available if they have structured their company and presented their proposition in a way that will be attractive to external investors.
	In many cases, it is not straight funding that's needed, and other assistance maybe more appropriate - for example, it maybe better to internationally license an innovative product than to produce it oneself. Or it could be that arranging a merger with suitable partner is a better route forward, than going it alone. Whatever the way forward, CMR will be able to give expert advice and provide the specialist expertise needed to achieve a successful result.
	It is an important aspect of CMR's philosophy that all management and specialist help from CMR is supplied by executives who have real ‘sharp-end’ experience, and can relate totally with the needs of its clients. CMR does not employ theoretical consultants.
	When CMR is happy with an investment proposition, it will be introduced to its investors. For good propositions there will usually be a number of investors who will be interested, and whilst CMR will provide informal assistance, it is an important principle that CMR’s client must make their own decisions over which investor to work with, and on what terms taking independent professional advice as appropriate.
	In some cases, there will be an ongoing need for management support - sometimes as a condition of the investment input, and sometimes at the request of the company's management. CMR will provide whatever support is needed, from its executive membership.
	In all cases CMR will act in an ethical manner. The objectives are primarily long-term, and CMR’s main aim is to achieve sustained profitable growth for clients. We hope our business relationship with clients will continue well into the future.

CMR's OBJECTIVES

CMR is a quite unique organisation, with many innovative aspects to its operations. CMR continues to set the standards and by its professionalism and creativeness, has become the pre-dominant agency for providing the financial and executive resources enabling small/medium-sized companies to realise their full potential.

Specifically CMR aims to:
	Set the standards in providing financial & management support for SMEs. CMR is regarded as the smaller company's friend - not a soft touch - but people that understand and can help.
	Provide its executive members with a stimulating and rewarding environment in which they too can realise their own potential. CMR will never be a soft option, but for those prepared to extend themselves, CMR will provide access to opportunities that provide satisfaction and material well being.
	To develop other areas of opportunity that allows CMR in total, and its members individually to fully exploit the business and interpersonal skills possessed. CMR has the ability to both change the established way SMEs are considered, and to develop catalyst and other business activities that extends the value of what we do way beyond our present level of comprehension.
	To provide an operating environment that allows all CMR members to share thoughts and ideas for improving and expanding our collective business, and to provide a forum for the efficient networking of the skills we all possess.

Specialised Services
CMR provides a wide range of innovative resources:
	Full range of funding resources private equity, venture capital, business loans, etc. There are no upper nor lower limits to the funding that can be provided.
	CMR’s unique ‘Procurement-backed Loan Scheme’, which provides bank loans (no equity dilution) which are effectively ‘Interest-free’ and with substantial additional benefits to ongoing profitability. The Scheme uses the considerable buying power of CMR’s purchasing partners to achieve significant cost savings which are then used to pay interest charges and also partially repay the original bank loan usually 50% of the loan is ‘gifted’ in this way. This Scheme is only available for established companies with sales turnovers in the range GBP4 million to GBP50 million.
	CMR’s International IPR Licensing Programme provides the funding and expert resources needed to protect and commercialise on an international scale, innovative products and ideas. This CMR Programme is provided for businesses, individuals and universities, and is on a no success, no fee basis.
	CMR’s Merger, Acquisition and Company Sale Resource confidential service handled by experts within CMR, and always on a partially success-related fee basis.
	CMR’s Progressive Company Sale Programme an innovative form of MBI, which allows owners of companies to retire whilst retaining control, and maximising financial returns. Management support provided through CMR’s Interim Management and Consultancy Resource. Expert, cost effective help provided when needed, but without cost when not needed!
	Direct Business Services from CMR’s sister company, RMC, giving many essential back-up services, including direct sales & marketing support, business plan and company modelling, cost reduction consultancy, amongst many others.