Management consultants on expansion trail after NPIF investment

Christiane Hutchinson with business wealth creation manager Mike Walton, left, and marketing coordinator Adam Karow

Biramis Management Partners, a specialist management consultancy firm, has secured £35,000 from NPIF-BFS & MSIF Microfinance, a product managed by GC Business Finance and MSIF and part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF).

Based on King Street, in Manchester city centre, Biramis provides consultancy services to help maximise the wealth creation opportunities for growing or maturing organisations.

The firm works alongside business owners to implement strategies that will strengthen the value of their company and help them prepare for an exit in three to five years’ time.

Headed up by Christiane Hutchinson, the firm advises on systems and processes, brand positioning, re-positioning, value proposition and business model strategy.

The firm is sector-agnostic, having worked in construction, wealth management, life sciences and technology companies.

The NPIF funding provided by GC Business Finance has allowed Biramis to employ three members of staff, bringing its total headcount to six.

The firm is also looking to hire a full-time software developer who will be working on an online dashboard that supports Biramis’ propriety value creation methodology.

The loan has also been used to fund a marketing campaign with Yorkshire Bank, in which Biramis ran ‘Wealth Creation Clinics’ at the bank’s branch on Market Street, Manchester.

Biramis was introduced to Geoff Clowes, a specialist adviser in the Business Growth Hub’s Access to Finance team.

Christiane Hutchinson said: “Whilst we have found it difficult to secure funding from a traditional lender, GC Business Finance understood our ambition and were happy to support us on our journey through NPIF funding.

“With this injection of capital we are now able to commercialise ourselves and transform Biramis from a sustainable business to one that can expand rapidly.”

Andy Nichols, senior loan manager at GC Business Finance, said: “We were keen to support Biramis, as they not only make a real difference for their clients, they impact business growth and job creation in the North West region.

“It is important that whilst the high street lenders take a step back from commercial opportunities, investment vehicles such as NPIF continue to deploy vital funds that SMEs require to reach the next phase of their growth.”

Sue Barnard, senior manager at British Business Bank, said: “Since its launch in 2017, NPIF’s impact on businesses has been wide-ranging, providing funding to launch new products, employ new staff, enter new markets and acquire new facilities.

“We are pleased that NPIF is continuing to unlock the North’s growth potential by supporting small growing businesses with vital investment.”

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.

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