During the holiday season, our tradition is to reflect on the year and assess how we fulfilled our purpose as a firm. Maybe you do something similar.
Oaklyn Consulting’s purpose is to be a good citizen of the business communities where we operate, by handling situations that do not otherwise attract thoughtful investment banking advice.
1. We did this by responding to introductions to CEO’s from counterparts in the business community, like investment banking firms, wealth managers, law firms, accounting firms, banks, investors and entrepreneurs.
In 2018, we responded to 100 such introductions. Sometimes the conversation was exploratory, sometimes we were not the best fit, and sometimes we earned a client. However, every time, we tried to enrich the business community with a helpful option, while ensuring those who made the introduction were proud of placing their trust in us.
To honor this trust, we tried to make a business introduction for every one received.
2. We helped clients with situations where the traditional success fee-based business model for investment bankers wasn’t an option.
For example, in 2018, we supported business owners that wanted to pursue transactions only with partners they had already identified. These were in tech-enabled business services, insurance services, hotel management and distribution.
We helped companies experiencing distress to understand and navigate all their strategic options, deal and no-deal. These were in software, manufacturing, healthcare services and HR services.
We acted as counselor to CEOs navigating strategic choices for their businesses or investors. Generally, the choices involved how to structure strategic sales relationships that might lead to investments in the business or outright acquisition. These were in insurance brokerage, professional services and medical devices.
We helped early stage businesses run by veteran entrepreneurs pursue financing, whether strategic, venture capital or bank debt. These were involved in various aspects of healthcare and business services — from staffing to process expertise to technology.
We oriented clients to the expectations of investors and acquirers, putting them in a position to maximize value when current investors exit. We helped them conceive and model long-term business plans.
And we helped a large company understand the sensitivities of building a business relationship with a small but strategic vendor.
3. We shared our expertise broadly in order to make capital easier for businesses to arrange.
We contributed to national publications for business owners and investors like Mergers & Acquisitions Magazine, The Journal of Private Equity, CFO Magazine, BOSS Magazine, Business.com, Small Biz Daily, and Mid-Market Talk.
And we continued to appear around the Southeast in publications like Business Journals in Memphis, Nashville, Jacksonville, and Upstate South Carolina; magazines like Business Alabama and EDGE; and newspapers like the Atlanta Journal Constitution and The Tennessean.
Our holiday wish is that 2019 will offer you new opportunities to pursue your purpose and the chance to top last year’s success. Should you find that capital worries are keeping you up nights, you can always turn to us for perspective.