IB SURVEY MAZARS
The Making of
Standout Owner Managers Mazars has launched the Mittelstand Business School in a bid to support the development of owner managed businesses across Europe. Lorcan Colclough, Partner at Mazars and Head of Owner Managed Business, fills us in.
T
he genesis of the Mittelstand Business School was contained in the Mazars report, ‘How to be a Standout SME’, which benchmarked the performance of SMEs across eight European countries. That report revealed weaknesses in the SME sector in terms of management expertise and overall capability to grow businesses to strong mid-market positions. We recognise the need to develop owner-managers who can drive their businesses from the ‘S’ of SME towards the ‘M’ and beyond where they are considering how to grow their business internationally. Research has consistently shown that companies with strong leadership and an international footprint are more sustainable businesses which employ more people and have a greater value. The Mazars Mittelstand Business School is a bespoke programme for business consultants working with pioneering owner-managers wishing to take their development to the next level. This is an important international initiative for Mazars and we are delighted to work with our European partners, Mazars University and Dublin City University, to develop an even stronger offering for clients. The mid-market is a key market for Mazars in Ireland and we look forward to bringing some of the value generated in this initiative to our clients in Ireland. InBUSINESS | Q3 2016
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Lorcan Colclough, Partner at Mazars
By understanding the dynamics of your team and the business, we can work with you to develop tailored solutions and strategies to achieve your long term goals. We have created a unique business appraisal and diagnostic tool – Mazars Corporate Appraisal Matrix (MCAM) – and this is a key tool of the Mittlestand Business School. We guide the business owner through the MCAM process and its current performance. The MCAM process is designed to draw out the potentially contrasting views, objectives and ambitions of the people responsible for setting the strategy and delivering performance. We will look at potential challenges and opportunities for the business and how they impact on the overall strategy, helping you develop, adapt or strengthen your business plan accordingly. The tried and tested MCAM framework brings an objective
structure to business appraisal, giving you an opportunity to sit down and consider issues that often get lost in the day-to-day challenges of running a business. At the same time, it enables us to get under the skin of your business to analyse current performance, identify critical issues, consider the influencing factors and focus on your future objectives. By understanding the dynamics of your team and the business, we can work with you to develop tailored solutions and strategies to achieve your long term goals. At the end of the MCAM process, which usually takes around two hours, the company being appraised will receive a full report outlining the findings of the appraisal. The MCAM is most suited to established businesses looking to grow and develop. If you are interested in learning more about the work we do in this area please contact me at lcolclough@ mazars.ie or 01-449 4420.
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