We have presented numerous training courses for SME’s across the topics of strategic and business planning, managing growth, cash flow management and corporate governance.

As an extension to our work we have developed a governance tool termed the “Corporate Jacket” which provides a practical approach to Corporate Governance and information flows through SME’s. It is about SME’s consistently doing the right things at the right time, which is important to management through tough times and during growth phases.

The aim of the Corporate Jacket is to provide comfort for business owners and other stakeholders by considering:

• What must a business have to comply with legal requirements
• What should a business have as a minimum to run effectively
• What could a business have to drive optimum performance

There are four stages to the Corporate Jacket, namely;

• Stage 1 – Awareness – Review current processes and rank against “ideal”
• Stage 2 – Comprehension – Understanding the gap between now and potential position
• Stage 3 – Conviction by understanding the impact of improvement and achieving buy in from the management team
• Stage 4 – Action and Review – making sure changes stick and maximum benefit is obtained.

The Corporate Jacket considers the performance of businesses across the following 10 platforms which are all broadly linked under the term of Corporate Governance.

• Direction and Strategy
• Consultation
• Records
• Meetings structure
• Roles and Responsibilities
• Skills, Resources
• Conduct
• Performance reporting
• Financial reporting
• Risk management and internal controls