Attention Uk Searchfunders: Should We Partner With Industry Watch By Merlin Scott Associates?

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03/30/2021 Redacted Redacted

admin Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MIT Sloan School of Management Taylor University Stanford University - Graduate School of Business

ATTENTION UK SEARCHFUNDERS: SHOULD WE PARTNER WITH INDUSTRY WATCH BY MERLIN SCOTT ASSOCIATES?

To our friends in the United Kingdom, Searchfunder is currently exploring a partnership with Industry Watch by Merlin Scott Associates. It was recommend to us by UK Searchfunder ^[redacted]‌. Before we proceed, I wanted to solicit feedback from you all. Please watch the 3m45s attached video and let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.  If you have additional partnership suggestions for the UK and/or Europe, please PM and I will do my best to investigate personally. 

With Best Wishes, ^[redacted]‌

1 like 107 views 36 comments

admin Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MIT Sloan School of Management Taylor University Stanford University - Graduate School of Business - 03/30/2021

Tagging some of our friends in the UK to help us evaluate this potential partnership with Industry Watch by Merlin Scott Associates:

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THANK YOU for helping to make Searchfunder a collaborative community! Be sure to take full advantage of your UNLIMITED access to IBISWorld UK (Searchers only) & BVR Deal Stats, now available under the INDUSTRIES & VALUATIONS tabs at the top of this screen. Here are the direct links:

www.searchfunder.com/ibisworld

www.searchfunder.com/bvr

Searchfunder is currently working on partnerships with DataAxle & ZoomInfo to help with your proprietary outreach. If you have additional suggestions for partnerships that would benefit the Searchfunder community in the UK and/or Europe, please PM me and I'll do my best to investigate personally.
‌
With Best Wishes, ^[redacted]‌

like reply | 0 likes

searcher University of Reading University of London University of Wales, Aberystwyth - 03/30/2021

Hi there, definitely go for it, if you are currently considering! Comprehensive coverage of of 1000+ industries in the UK. Seems like the perfect tool for benchmarking industry averages & KPIs, alongside IBIS world.

like reply | 1 like

searcher University of Cambridge - 03/30/2021

Looks great Luke!

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searcher University of Cambridge Brunel University Uxbridge Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology - 03/30/2021

Its a good resource Luke. Will be very useful.

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searcher Ryerson University - Ted Rogers School of Management University of London - 03/30/2021

Yes!

like reply | 0 likes

searcher University of Nottingham - 03/31/2021

Yes agreed

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searcher London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London - 03/31/2021

Looks like a good source of info - can see myself and others using. Go for it!

like reply | 0 likes

searcher University of Glasgow Nottingham Trent University - 03/31/2021

This would be great addition to searchfunder for UK based searchers. It provides a comprehensive amount of data on sector analysis, together with background on the company, directors etc, very good resource for analysis, finding opportunities and drilling down into industry comparables on the numbers. Would definitely recommend.

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searcher The University of Chicago - Booth School of Business Northumbria University - Newcastle Business School - 03/31/2021

Dear Luke, I had not heard of them prior to your message. However, as the Tesco add says, "Every little helps." They would indeed be a Welcome addition to the resource base. Thank you.

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searcher London Business School University of Westminster University of Ibadan - 03/31/2021

As others have said, I think it will be a useful resource. Many thanks

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searcher London Business School - 03/31/2021

Hi Luke, I would look at what they offer compared to Ibis world, if the information is more or less the same (except a few financing ratios). Then perhaps there maybe other things to look at spending on. If you are not paying for it then of course yes, but there is only so many of the industry/benchmark data points you need..
My 2 pence worth

like reply | 2 likes

searcher HEC School of Management, Paris University of Sheffield - 03/31/2021

Second this

like reply | 0 likes

admin Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MIT Sloan School of Management Taylor University Stanford University - Graduate School of Business - 03/31/2021

^[redacted]‌ - Thank you for your comment. The biggest advantage over IBISWorld is that Industry Watch includes the names of the individual companies and the directors of those companies, although no contact information is available. My understanding, based on just one phone call with the owner, is that it covers all Private Limited Companies in the UK.

We hope to get access to DataAxle later today, one of the leading providers of company data & contact information for the US/Canada markets, with more than 16m companies. We're working on ZoomInfo next, which has a similar offering.

We are looking for similar partners in Europe so you guys don't have a disadvantage relative to your North American peers.

like reply | 1 like

searcher London Business School - 03/31/2021

To be honest, you can pull a list of company names from companies house in a CSV format. If there is a specific sector you are interested in, filter the sector and see a list of companies, appreciate at the moment there isn't a list of owners, but since you have the company names(and company numbers) you can search companies house for registered office addresses and list of directors. If the financing ratios are specific to the companies then it could be useful to potential searchers, but I imagine those ratios are similar to a lot of market research firms and are at an aggregate level?

like reply | 1 like

searcher University of Reading University of London University of Wales, Aberystwyth - 03/31/2021

I am not very familiar with the area, but was wondering if you’ve checked Beauhurst. I have heard they offer comprehensive data on all private companies in the UK, including contact details of directors, etc. Their subscription fees might be a bit higher though, not sure.

like reply | 0 likes

admin Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MIT Sloan School of Management Taylor University Stanford University - Graduate School of Business - 03/31/2021

Thanks ^[redacted]‌ & ^[redacted]‌. Sounds like its much easier to get information on companies in the UK than it is here in the US.

Bearhurst is probably a closer equivalent to DataAxle & ZoomInfo. I just booked a demo and will reach out to their CEO.

like reply | 1 like

searcher University of Reading University of London University of Wales, Aberystwyth - 03/31/2021

I guess it’s easier in certain aspects considering that UK publishes personal details of directors.

I reckon, you would still require a data management company such as the ones you have mentioned to comb through the data in a meaningful manner.

All the best with demo! Do keep us posted.

like reply | 0 likes

admin Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MIT Sloan School of Management Taylor University Stanford University - Graduate School of Business - 03/31/2021

Thank you all for your responses. Perhaps a better way to phrase the question would be:

Given that Searchfunder has limited resources, should Industry Watch be our next highest priority for our Searchfunders in the UK?

like reply | 0 likes

searcher HEC School of Management, Paris University of Sheffield - 03/31/2021

Luke, something that would of greater value (for me) is access to EtA case studies from Harvard, Stanford, etc.

like reply | 0 likes

searcher London Business School - 03/31/2021

Something like the US lenders active on the platform would go a long way. The options around business financing, especially leasehold businesses in the UK are quite disappointing.. Again only my 2 pence

like reply | 0 likes

admin Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MIT Sloan School of Management Taylor University Stanford University - Graduate School of Business - 03/31/2021

^[redacted]‌ - Good suggestion that would benefit all Searchfunders. I will look into it.

like reply | 0 likes

searcher London Business School Villanova University Bucknell University - 03/31/2021

Hi Luke,

I like how you framed this, and I think there are better items for you to focus for the UK market. Specifically, some deal to get structure Companies House data (DueDil, FAME, Endol, MarketIQ) would be much more valuable in my mind. This would cover all companies, where it seems Merlin Scott is a segment of the population.

Kind regards,
Jim

like reply | 1 like

admin Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MIT Sloan School of Management Taylor University Stanford University - Graduate School of Business - 03/31/2021

^[redacted]‌ - Searchfunder has grown almost entirely through word of mouth. Aside from sponsoring Searchfund conferences at MBA programs, we don't have any external outreach. Unfortunately only a handful of UK lenders have found us this way. If all of the 300+ Searchfunders in the UK referred or suggested one lender, we could build a pretty big list that would greatly benefit posterity.

Alternatively, if you can point me to UK Lenders you'd like us to approach on your behalf, we'll do our best.

like reply | 0 likes

searcher London Business School - 03/31/2021

Well i can start- so currently have lending with Barclays for a freehold business (wasn't easy). I could name and shame those who haven't supported, but it could just be me! (perhaps that list would be useful to understand those who don't have an appetite and save jumping through the hoops). Got to say organisations such as the British Business Bank and the Alternative Business Funding have been hugely disappointing..but again could be me

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searcher Glasgow Caledonian University - 04/08/2021

I currently use Endole as my go-to tool. I have been using mostly the free service for which I can get a lot done. If I need more details I have been paying for additional reports. I would say that you don't get that much more value for paying extra. Endole has been an excellent tool for me but it is constrained in some respects to the data it is scraping from companies house and the company websites.

It would be difficult to say if Merlin Scott would be any better without giving it a try for a period to do a benchmark on the functionality.

like reply | 0 likes

searcher The University of Chicago - Booth School of Business Northumbria University - Newcastle Business School - 03/31/2021

Having a list of UK Lenders would be hugely beneficial to the community.

like reply | 1 like

searcher Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay University of Mumbai London Business School - 03/31/2021

It is useful if the tool allows to search companies with all historical financial information, as it can then double up for sourcing too.

like reply | 0 likes

investor Universidad Católica Argentina Santa Maria de los Buenos Aires - 04/01/2021

It sounds pretty promising if they have a good and complete data base which is the most important thing for this type of products. That's why Bloomberg is Bloomberg

like reply | 0 likes

searcher The Manchester Metropolitan University Goldsmiths College, University of London - 04/03/2021

This looks good. I also echo the suggestion that a financial metric tool like FAME could be valuable too

like reply | 0 likes

searcher London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London - 04/03/2021

I like the tool. It would help a lot.

like reply | 0 likes

searcher London Business School University of Stellenbosch - 04/05/2021

Looks like a very nice tool. I like the fact that it interacts with companies house data.

like reply | 0 likes

searcher - 04/05/2021

I think partnering with Industry Watch by Merlin Scott Associates would be great if possible. I downloaded a sample report and it appears chock full of useful info. From an acquisitions perspective, you can see trends over time of (i) specific financial metrics (ii) across different sizes of businesses in a specific industry (iii) across the entire industry. You also see rankings of companies in the industry across multiple criteria. Again, incredible useful for the purpose of acquisitions targeting and exit planning.

like reply | 0 likes

searcher University of Texas at Austin - 04/05/2021

Bump.

like reply | 0 likes

searcher City University London - Cass Business School Birkbeck College, University of London - 04/06/2021

Go for it, the partnership with Merlin scott/USP would be incredibly valuable!

like reply | 1 like

searcher HEC School of Management, Paris Loughborough University - 04/07/2021

Looks good

like reply | 0 likes

investor City University London - Cass Business School - 04/08/2021

Interesting resource!

like reply | 0 likes

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