Partners 2013

We're among the world's most trusted and respected firms. Our practice is broad and deep, spanning the globe and crossing industries. Like many lawyers, we pride ourselves on our integrity, client relationships, and ability to win cases. But that's not why 53 of us left a major law firm in 1979 to start Crowell & Moring.

We did it because we believed we could create a different kind of law firm. A place where lawyers could think differently. Act differently. Be themselves. What we are has much to do with what we are not: stuffy, arrogant, closed-minded.

Instead, we're here for you when you need us. To think strategically, as well as creatively about your legal matter. To be intellectually curious. To work together as one team, leveraging individual strengths where they will have the greatest impact. To enjoy what we do. To be tough, yet approachable. To serve our community as well as our clients. To win.

Dell

For more than 26 years, Dell has played a critical role in transforming computing, enabling more affordable and more pervasive access to technology around the world. Today, its goals remain the same – bringing innovative solutions to customers, doing right by them and believing in the dreams of entrepreneurs.
 
Dell develops and delivers innovative technology and services that give its customers the power to do more. Through its technology products and services Dell is committed to helping small and medium businesses grow and better serve their customers by drawing greater value from technology.
 
Dell has a number of programmes aimed at empowering entrepreneurs, start-ups and small businesses worldwide to support every stage of a growing business. Started by Dell’s first Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Ingrid Vanderveldt, Dell’s Center for Entrepreneurs offers start-ups access to Dell investors and venture capital firms through initiatives like the Dell Innovators Credit Fund  which aims to unite entrepreneurs with the right technology and solutions to enable their business to scale and grow. In addition, Techpageone.com  offers news and analysis on the latest technology trends and business challenges for entrepreneurs and small business globally.  
 
As part of its commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs, Dell established the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network (DWEN) as part of its wider Women Powering Business community which actively engages with over 2,000 women worldwide with the goal of accelerating opportunities for women business leaders to expand their networks, find valuable resources and showcase how technology can enable business innovation and growth.
 
Learn more about Dell’s support for entrepreneurs and its business technology solutions by visiting: www.dell.co.uk/business or following @dellsmbuk on twitter.

Enterprise Ireland

Enterprise Ireland is the Irish Government’s startup agency. Our mission is to make Ireland the best country in the world for starting and running a business. We provide a range of financial and nonfinancial services including mentors, management development programmes, access to international markets through our global network of 28 offices, and linkages with Universities. Eligible companies can also get grants and investment. Our €10m International Startup Fund is targeted at investor-ready international startups seeking to locate in Ireland.

For more information about us or to get in touch please go to http://startinireland.com.

FileMaker

FileMaker is the leader in easy-to-use database software. Millions of people, from individuals to some of the world’s largest companies, rely on FileMaker software to manage, analyse and share essential information. The company’s products are the FileMaker Pro product line — versatile database software for teams and organisations, for Windows, Mac, iPad, iPhone and the Web - and Bento, the personal database. FileMaker, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Apple Inc.
 
FileMaker’s enduring leadership is due to its ease of use, powerful customisation options, support for Windows, Mac, iOS and Web browsers and affordability.
 
Individuals and workgroups in business, education, and government rely on FileMaker software to manage people, projects, images, assets and other information.
 
Solutions built with the award-winning FileMaker Pro database technology are used for a wide range of functions including: project management, asset management, tracking jobs/invoices/billing, Web publishing, catalogue creation, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), patient records management, logistics management, film and video production, sales and advertising management, workflow automation, business processes tracking, customer service and video production.
 
FileMaker, Inc. software scales easily from individuals up to large workgroups.
 
With more than 18 million units shipped, FileMaker Pro is used in virtually every private and public market sector worldwide."

http://www.filemaker.co.uk/solutions/ios/?source=Entrepreneur%20Country

NetSuite

NetSuite is the UK’s #1 cloud business management system with hundreds of customers across the UK and Europe and thousands more across the world.  Built specifically to meet the needs of fast-growing organisations, NetSuite provides businesses with one complete web-based system to manage an entire business from front to back-office — including accounting, order management, CRM, and e-commerce.  More than 12,000 organisations, including some of the UK’s fastest-growing companies such as Mimecast, YouGov, and Innovise, are using NetSuite to reduce financial close time by up to 50%, cut manual and spreadsheet-based processes by 70%, and lower total cost of ownership by 50%+.

NetSuite’s cloud computing delivery is proven to reduce IT maintenance and complexity, produce substantial IT cost savings, provide anytime anywhere access, offer greater security and reliability, and automatically keep customers’ systems up-to-date with the latest product updates.  With its complete business management suite, NetSuite streamlines routine business processes such as cash flow management, lead-to-cash, and procure-to-pay to significantly improve business efficiency, provide real-time visibility across the organisation, and remove time and money spent on wasteful integration projects.

 RM2

The RM2 Partnership Limited is a leading share scheme consultancy owned by The Baxi Partnership, specialists in employee ownership. RM2 specialise in equity-based reward arrangements such as Share Incentive Plans, Enterprise Management Incentives, approved and unapproved share option plans. RM2’s service is broadened by using employee benefit trusts to provide exit and succession planning opportunities for director shareholders. Baxi Partnership specialise in providing help for companies looking to become employee owned; together Baxi Partnership and RM2 offer the full range of employee ownership models.

Share scheme opportunities can be utilised by small and medium sized private companies as well as larger listed groups. Each company’s circumstances are different and individual plans are designed accordingly.

We provide a turn-key service including all aspects of plan design, implementation, communication and ongoing administration.

The successful implementation of remuneration arrangements requires a detailed appreciation of tax and company law, accounting standards, share valuation issues and employment legislation and trust law. We also understand the commercial realities and pressures that determine corporate objectives and shape corporate culture.

Our ability to develop comprehensive and practical solutions for clients is our principal competitive advantage, together with highly competitive fees.

RM2 clients are found in most industry sectors including information technology, media, transport, electronics, biotechnology, and consulting services. Clients include public and private companies from start-ups to household names.

Further information is available at http://www.rm2.co.uk

Santander Breakthrough

Santander’s Breakthrough programme seeks to identify the best entrepreneurial companies in the UK and help them achieve their full potential.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are pivotal to the success of the UK economy. According to Government statistics, SMEs account for almost half of UK private sector output and almost 60% of private sector employment. In short, SMEs are vital in terms of job and wealth creation.

Seeded within the SME sector are the economic giants of tomorrow. These are the companies that are not only trading successfully, but also growing rapidly. Such star performers have the potential to become major players in their industries, employing not just tens or hundreds of people but perhaps thousands as their businesses expand. Santander’s Breakthrough programme is designed to help businesses like these fulfil their potential.

Through Breakthrough, Santander seeks to identify and support successful, fast-growth SMEs as they work to break through to the next level of success. Of course, funding is an important part of the package, and over the next few years we aim to make £200 million available for investment in businesses that we see as ‘Growth Champions’. At the same time, we will also ensure that any company selected for the programme will have access to some of the best advice and talent available, including businesspeople who have already established their own companies as market leaders on a national and global stage.

The Breakthrough programme is designed to provide fast-growth companies with the resources and knowledge they need to push towards the next level. The programme does this in a number of ways. Businesses that receive funding through the Breakthrough programme will have first call on a series of groundbreaking initiatives, including:

Breakthrough Live
Breakthrough Talent
Breakthrough Responsibly
Breakthrough Growth Capital
Breakthrough Masterclasses
Breakthrough International

http://www.santanderbreakthrough.co.uk/

Skype

Skype is for doing things together, whenever you’re apart. Skype’s text, voice and video make it simple to share experiences with the people that matter to you, wherever they are.

With Skype, you can share a story, celebrate a birthday, learn a language, hold a meeting, work with colleagues – just about anything you need to do together every day. You can use Skype on whatever works best for you - on your phone or computer or a TV with Skype on it. It is free to start using Skype - to speak, see and instant message other people on Skype for example. You can even try out group video, with the latest version of Skype.

If you pay a little, you can do more things, in more ways, with more people – like call phones, access WiFi or send texts. You can pay as you go or buy a subscription, whatever works for you. And in the world of business, this means you can bring your entire ecosystem of workers, partners and customers together to get things done. Try Skype out today and start adding your friends, family and colleagues. They won’t be hard to find; hundreds of millions of people are already using Skype to do all sorts of things together.
Find out more Skype at www.skype.com.

Smith & Williamson

Smith & Williamson is a leading financial services group, with around 1,500 people operating from 11 offices in the UK and Ireland. They focus on wealth creation, wealth management and wealth preservation.

The entrepreneurial and growth business sector is one of the firm’s key areas of focus. Their clients include private and quoted businesses, as well as their owners and investors. Together with their alliance partners, they use their energy and expertise to help clients grow, working alongside emerging and established entrepreneurs and management teams to help them succeed and make a difference.

The firm has an international capability in over 100 countries which comes through their membership of Nexia International, the 10th largest global accounting and consulting network, and M&A International, the leading mid-market M&A network.

The firm’s services include accountancy, tax, corporate finance, investment management, private banking and financial advisory services.

To find out more about Smith & Williamson visit http://www.smith.williamson.co.uk/entrepreneurs, or alternatively call Guy Rigby, Head of Entrepreneurs at Smith & Williamson, on 020 7131 8213 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

TalkTalk Business

At TalkTalk Business we’re specialists in providing the solutions, value and support that today’s organisations rely on. Through ongoing network investment, and the latest scalable technology we’re making sure that every business can have the future-proof communications needed to take them forward.

Whether you’re a large multi-site organisation, or at the smaller end of the business scale, TalkTalk Business has the Business Grade solutions and service you need.

Over the past 20 years, we’ve worked with more than 180,000 businesses making us the UK’s leading provider of B2B data networking and telephony solutions. Today we deliver a full range of Business Grade offerings, including Connectivity and Networking, Hosted Solutions, Mobile, Voice and IP telephone systems. All supported by our team of more than 600 UK-based customer service professionals who deliver a true Business Grade service.  

With the largest Next Generation Network in the UK, purpose-designed and built with over £600 million of investment, we deliver over 93% coverage - more than double what our nearest competitors provide.  Our network underpins everything we do – enabling our innovation, competitive prices and crucially the prioritisation of business connectivity over residential services which enables us to deliver the consistent, reliable bandwidth to drive businesses forward.

All-IP fibre optic technology makes our network futureproof - so businesses that make an investment today know that they will meet future requirements. This is something that providers who rely on legacy technology simply cannot guarantee.

We strive to help business growth and know that sound investments in the right technology can lead to increased revenues and greater profitability, enabling a more productive and efficient workplace.