Equity and loans, sourced and negotiated for private companies planning to expand, buy a business, or reshape their shareholder base, on terms selected with care.
The headline figure is only the beginning of what capital costs. Attached to every loan or investment are conditions on borrowing, rights for investors, reporting duties, and repayment dates, and they travel with the money and can limit a company’s freedom long after the funds are spent.
So the first question is what the money is for. A new plant, the purchase of a rival, a partner’s exit, or the replacement of an expensive loan each points toward a different provider, and the balance between borrowing and outside equity depends on the reliability of your earnings and the degree of influence you are willing to share.
With that settled, we introduce the company to the banks, funds, and investors most likely to value it, so they bid against one another rather than setting the terms. Proposals come to you side by side, each with our assessment of what it really costs.
We act for family businesses welcoming their first outside shareholder, expanding firms financing new capacity, and owners paying for an acquisition or the exit of a fellow shareholder.
Companies that know what new capital is meant to achieve.
A sound expansion plan is in hand, and you want funding that supports it without stretching the balance sheet.
A purchase is in prospect, and committed finance must be in place before you submit a bid.
Some of your ownership should become cash, or a co-owner needs buying out, and you intend to stay in control.
Every type of capital brings different costs and obligations. We help you decide which suits you, then manage the raise.
An investor acquires less than half of the shares and the proceeds fund the company’s plans, leaving control in your hands. We negotiate price, board seats, and the consent rights investors typically request.
Suited to: expanding businesses that want a backer, not a boss.
A private equity sponsor acquires control while the owners reinvest a meaningful portion of their proceeds alongside it. We run sponsors against one another on valuation, plans for the business, and their record with management.
Suited to: owners willing to cede control in exchange for more cash now.
Amortizing term loans and revolving lines from banks large and small, normally the lowest-cost funding open to a private company. Inviting several banks to compete keeps the margin low and the covenants workable.
Suited to: profitable businesses with predictable cash generation.
Direct lenders can extend further and respond faster than a bank will. We show the full price of that flexibility, fees and all, so you can decide whether it earns its keep.
Suited to: borrowers whose requirements run past a bank’s limits.
Finance committed before your offer is made, which tells a seller your bid is real. Lender documents and the share purchase agreement are negotiated on the same timetable.
Suited to: buyers chasing one target or working through several.
Retiring loans whose pricing, conditions, or approaching maturity no longer make sense, and putting in place an arrangement suited to the company as it is now.
Suited to: businesses whose facilities no longer fit their size.
From engagement to money in the bank usually takes one to two quarters. Here is each stage and your part in it.
The purpose and size of the raise are fixed, along with the balance of equity and borrowing your earnings will bear.
From you: the plan, the latest figures, and your position on sharing control.
A forecast model and a presentation for capital providers are prepared, dealing with the awkward questions up front.
From you: sessions with whoever keeps your books.
Shortlisted lenders and investors are contacted under confidentiality. We arrange the meetings, answer follow-up requests, and hold everyone to one closing date for proposals.
From you: several presentations and possibly a tour of your premises.
Each term sheet is ranked by price, structure, and control rights, and the best two or three are asked for better terms.
From you: a view on what flexibility is worth to you.
Your lawyers and accountants work alongside us on final diligence and the legal documents, so funds reach you on the agreed day.
From you: timely answers and sign-off on the closing papers.
Four commitments to every capital markets client.
The form of funding we would pick if the company were ours, and why.
Several providers vying for the mandate.
Each proposal set out on cost and on restrictions.
We remain engaged until the funds have arrived.
A loan keeps the shareholder register as it is, yet it must be paid back on a schedule and obliges you to meet covenants. New equity never falls due, though it reduces your percentage and adds a partner to major decisions. We build both cases with your own numbers.
Lenders lend chiefly against earnings and free cash flow, adjusted for customer strength and available collateral. We agree a sensible target before any lender is called.
Not unless you sell a majority. A minority holder owns less than half and generally expects a board seat and approval rights on significant decisions.
When a bank cannot offer enough leverage, flexibility, or speed. The higher price means it should finance something with an evident payoff.
A simple bank facility can close in about a quarter. Equity and layered financings more often need two quarters.
Audited or reviewed accounts for recent years, a credible projection, details of major customers and senior managers, and a clear explanation of where every dollar will go.
In most cases. A lender that already knows you will often improve its offer once it faces serious competition.
A monthly retainer while we prepare and a completion fee once funds arrive, both fixed in an engagement letter at the start.
Tell us briefly what the business does and the choice you face. Every message is read by a partner, who replies in person, and nothing you send goes further.
info@sablewoodpartners.co