CAREERS NEWS | IN BRIEF
NUMBER OF MBOS HAVE TRIPLED
The number of business owners prepared to consider a management buyout (MBO) has tripled in the last three years since entrepreneurs have had to consider all options in a difficult economic market, according to new research by Coutts. However, most entrepreneurs will only instinctively sell their business to their own management team as a last resort, although those that have been through a MBO say it is the best way to exit a business. Around a third (30 per cent) of entrepreneurs who have completed an MBO say it represents the best form of exit.
SMES USING ALTERNATIVE FINANCE
MarketInvoice, the online invoice trading platform for small and medium-sized businesses (SME), announced it has reached £2m volume in total invoices sold through online auctions since trading began in February 2011. This has come on the back of its most successful month yet with £500,000 of SME business capital raised through the platform in August alone. Anil Stocker, co-founder of MarketInvoice, says: “Over the last few months we have seen an increasing number of small businesses turn to alternative financing solutions to help run their businesses.”
NEW MEDIA KEY TO GROWTH
A survey of small and medium-sized businesses (SME) conducted by Entrepreneur Country shows that four out of 10 small business owners believe that the influence of social networking and in particular new media are key technology growth areas over the next five years. With the popularity of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, SMEs believe that not only will these medias continue to influence consumer choice and marketing spend but that new disruptive social networking and communication platforms are likely to dominate over the next five years.