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Dealing with unhappy shareholders

Spurious allegations of ‘boardroom bullying’ from minority shareholders seeking a payout are on the increase. Exit Strategies / Wednesday, 3rd March 2010

Destination infinity

In business, some people really do reach for the stars. Simon Cook, chief executive of venture capital firm DFJ Esprit, explores what happens when an entrepreneur's ambition is truly limitless. Achieving Growth / Thursday, 21st January 2010

The secret of search funds 

There can’t be many asset classes that boast an average IRR of 52 per cent. Search funds, in which an inexperienced entrepreneur is backed by angel investors to search for and acquire a business, have this enviable distinction. Achieving Growth / Tuesday, 20th October 2009

Tax breaks for investors in AIM

Now business asset taper relief has been removed, what are the remaining tax incentives for investors in AIM? Wealth Management / Thursday, 30th July 2009

Pre-packs aren't all bad

Pre-pack deals, in which a buyer is lined up before a struggling business goes into administration, have been given a bad press of late. David Moore, a partner at business recovery firm Begbies Traynor, argues that this is unjustified. Exit Strategies / Monday, 8th June 2009

Warren Buffett's secrets of success

Alessandro Hatami, MD of payment specialist provider PayPoint.net, reveals what he learned from Buffett's biography. Business Leaders / Wednesday, 15th April 2009

Getting cash out

Whether an investor wants to come on board or is seeking an exit, remixing the company’s capital base may allow you to get some money of your own in the bank and strengthen the business as a whole. Exit Strategies / Thursday, 5th February 2009

Investing outside the family

Diversifying your investment portfolio is all very well, but it can be tough when the lion’s share of your wealth is tied up in the family business. Wealth Management / Thursday, 24th July 2008

Peter Cullum: Towering above the rest

Insurance conjures up images of risk-averse males in grey suits and bowler hats. It’s made Towergate’s executive chairman, Peter Cullum, a billionaire. He tells Marc Barber what keeps driving him to be the best Business Leaders / Tuesday, 25th March 2008

My best business decision: Nick Craven

Nick Craven, chief executive of Weatherbys Ventures, says his best business decision was to widen the company's offerings from its traditional remit of horseracing while using skills it already had in-house. Achieving Growth / Wednesday, 30th January 2008

Buy-outs and the credit crunch

The collapse of the US sub-prime market put paid to a record buy-out boom. Here's how it all happened. Exit Strategies / Wednesday, 12th December 2007

Cut and thrust

For some entrepreneurs, buying a business is not only a full-time occupation – it’s a pastime as well. Bristol-based entrepreneurs Arron Banks and John Gannon tell Andrew Chilvers about serial deal making. Business Leaders / Tuesday, 15th May 2007

Towergate: the art of smart buying

When Peter Cullum and his colleagues first sat around his kitchen table in 1997 to plan the creation of Towergate, they were clear from the outset that acquisition was central to the strategy. What has been remarkable is the speed and intensity of the ambition and execution. Business Leaders / Wednesday, 12th July 2006

Pavilion's online journey

Serial entrepreneur Andrew Selby launched Pavilion Insurance, insurer of musical and photographic equipment, bikes and fishing gear, in 1997 and guided the group to flotation seven years later. Now generating annual premiums of around £2 million, he is overseeing the company’s expansion into France. Achieving Growth / Friday, 12th May 2006

King of finance, king of fun

Peter Cullum is shaking up the insurance sector by injecting a sense of fun, having boldly rejected the rituals of corporate life for the thrill of building his own business. Towergate Partnership is now heading for £2 billion turnover and Cullum has been showered with awards for his achievement. GrowthBusiness meets the UK’s Entrepreneur of the Year. Business Leaders / Thursday, 24th November 2005

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