The Business Exchange Swindon & Wiltshire Edition 33: Oct/Nov 2017 | Page 16

BUSINESS ADVICE
NOVUS INVESTMENTS
LAUNCHES IN WILTSHIRE
A team of entrepreneurs passionate about helping
others grow and take their business to the next level
has launched its services in Swindon and Wiltshire.
Novus Investments was setup by Gary Wetherall, founder
of Swindon-based Excalibur IT and Communications in
partnership with Adrian Wheeler, a highly experienced
accountant and business manager and Clive Gunther
a business development and marketing specialist. Their
complimentary skillset is seen as their greatest asset,
offering fi rms a range of business support services from
initial business assessment, to establishing a company’s
key needs, whether it’s assistance with business strategy,
product development, sales and marketing or fi nding the
funding they need to aid growth plans.
The trio understand the growing pains of taking a
company to the next level having ‘been there and got the
t-shirt’. How they differ in their approach to other business
advisors is they work with clients to fi nd a sustainable way
Adrian Wheeler, Clive Gunther and Gary Wetherall
for them to be able to afford their services, understanding
it’s a big investment that has to work. In some cases
Novus Investments directly invests in companies and in
others they help clients fi nd the right funding options.
They have a strong relationship with some of the leading
banks and angel investors and have extensive experience
in completing fi nance applications. Adrian Wheeler said:
“It’s this experience that can make the difference between
being accepted for a bank loan or refused. We know
what bank managers expect to see from a business when
applying for funding and make sure they are properly
prepared.”
Clive Gunther added: “In the past we’ve all been burnt
from ill advice and our mission is offer ethical business
support that adds value and delivers real results.”
Novus Investments knows trust is at the heart of
working with a business advisor. To enable fellow
entrepreneurs the opportunity to fi nd out more about
their services and if they’re right for them, they offer free
business checks. To fi nd out more visit:
www.novusinvestments.co.uk or call 01183 347 458
Framework Agreements - an effective,
yet underutilised sourcing strategy
A Framework Agreement is one of a number
of procurement methods that can be used
for the purchase of goods or services.
In legal parlance, a Framework
Agreement is usually characterised by
being a ‘standing offer’, with a ‘contract’
being concluded each time the purchaser
issues an order, instruction or other form of
commitment against the framework. In the
procurement sense, ‘Framework Agreement’
is a generic term whose precise defi nition
varies considerably between purchasing
organisations. At its simplest level, it can
be no more than an agreed schedule of
rates or terms of trading: whereas, at its
more sophisticated level it could be a highly
mature, long term arrangement where
specifi cation, performance measures, price,
terms etc are fully worked out and agreed.
The principal prerequisite for
implementing a Framework Agreement is
having repeat buys of a particular service
or product over a period of time, where
the precise timing and quantity of the
purchases are uncertain. The corollary is that
Frameworks are usually inappropriate for
one-off purchases or highly infrequent buys.
A Framework Agreement does not in
itself automatically achieve lower prices, but
suppliers will frequently offer reductions
under a Framework on the basis that their
costs of supply are usually lower when
compared to repeat ‘one-off’ orders and,
more signifi cantly, they are much more likely
to secure more business with minimum
effort.
The nature of the supply market for
any particular product or service is a key
factor for the purchaser in determining the
duration of a Framework. If the market
is price stable and consists of a well
established supply base, the Framework
can tend towards a longer duration; on
the other hand, if the market is volatile
with signifi cant fl uctuations in price or has
frequent new entrants, the purchaser may
tend toward shorter agreements to minimise
the risk of missing new opportunities.
Once the prerequisite for a Framework
has been confi rmed and the basic benefi ts
securable, Frameworks can be used to
deliver a number of other benefi ts or
objectives; these include:
PROCUREMENT STRATEGY
AND TRANSFORMATION
Contact Doug Fellows on 01793 781514
or email doug @ pams.support
Discover more at www.pams.support
16
THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2017
Article by Doug Fellows, director of TVC Ltd,
leader of PAMS and trusted partner to Inspire.
• better cost stability and price certainty
• reduced lead times and quicker
implementation
• improved planning and cooperative
working
• quicker response times and increased
productivity
• more focus on innovation and continuous
improvement
• supplier rationalisation and product
standardisation
• increased security of supply and better
after-sales support.