Cavendish Management Resources was established in 1984 initially as a group of private investors, providing a forum to review and syndicate investments. CMR has since grown to be a national organisation with over 450 senior executives, operating through thirteen regional centres covering the UK, providing both funding and specialist help for entrepreneurial businesses.
Mike Downey, CMR's Managing Director
Mike Downey (MD)
To understand the background to the organisation as it is today, it is necessary to briefly explain the career path of its founder, and the motivations that led him to establish CMR. Mike Downey has a very wide experience base, gained in blue-chip companies at senior board level, in the UK, Europe, and USA. He is a graduate of Harvard Business School, Boston, USA. It became apparent to him that so many small/medium-sized businesses had great difficulty in accessing the financial and management support needed to ensure achievement of their growth potential. Too many are denied the resources they need, when with some help from outside, they can grow and prosper into the future. Mike Downey formed Cavendish Management Resources, specifically with the objective of bringing skilled management expertise and private investment funds to bear on this situation.
CMR has grown into a quite exceptional and unique organisation, with the capability of providing all the financial, management and business services support needed. It combines the skills of several hundred very senior & highly experienced executives, with several hundred private investors keen to invest into the smaller company sector. In addition to its own bank of UK and USA-based private investors, CMR also has associations with many other sources of business capital, including from venture capitalists, trade financiers, and banks.

 
Introduction
CMR firstly provides advice on funding requests received. Many companies will find that funding is more readily available if they have structured their company and presented their proposition in a way that will be attractive to external investors.
In many cases, it is not straight funding that's needed, and other assistance maybe more appropriate - for example, it maybe better to internationally license an innovative product than to produce it oneself. Or it could be that arranging a merger with suitable partner is a better route forward, than going it alone. Whatever the way forward, CMR will be able to give expert advice and provide the specialist expertise needed to achieve a successful result.
It is an important aspect of CMR's philosophy that all management and specialist help from CMR is supplied by executives who have real ‘sharp-end’ experience, and can relate totally with the needs of its clients. CMR does not employ theoretical consultants.
When CMR is happy with an investment proposition, it will be introduced to its investors. For good propositions there will usually be a number of investors who will be interested, and whilst CMR will provide informal assistance, it is an important principle that CMR’s client must make their own decisions over which investor to work with, and on what terms taking independent professional advice as appropriate.
In some cases, there will be an ongoing need for management support - sometimes as a condition of the investment input, and sometimes at the request of the company's management. CMR will provide whatever support is needed, from its executive membership.
In all cases CMR will act in an ethical manner. The objectives are primarily long-term, and CMR’s main aim is to achieve sustained profitable growth for clients. We hope our business relationship with clients will continue well into the future.
CMR provides a wide range of innovative resources:
Full range of funding resources private equity, venture capital, business loans, etc. There are no upper nor lower limits to the funding that can be provided.
CMR’s unique ‘Procurement-backed Loan Scheme’, which provides bank loans (no equity dilution) which are effectively ‘Interest-free’ and with substantial additional benefits to ongoing profitability. The Scheme uses the considerable buying power of CMR’s purchasing partners to achieve significant cost savings which are then used to pay interest charges and also partially repay the original bank loan usually 50% of the loan is ‘gifted’ in this way. This Scheme is only available for established companies with sales turnovers in the range £4 million to £50 million.
CMR’s International IPR Licensing Programme provides the funding and expert resources needed to protect and commercialise on an international scale, innovative products and ideas. This CMR Programme is provided for businesses, individuals and universities, and is on a no success, no fee basis.
CMR’s Merger, Acquisition and Company Sale Resource confidential service handled by experts within CMR, and always on a partially success-related fee basis.
CMR’s Progressive Company Sale Programme an innovative form of MBI, which allows owners of companies to retire whilst retaining control, and maximising financial returns.
Management support provided through CMR’s Interim Management and Consultancy Resource. Expert, cost effective help provided when needed, but without cost when not needed!
Direct Business Services from CMR’s sister company, RMC, giving many essential back-up services, including direct sales & marketing support, business plan and company modelling, cost reduction consultancy, amongst many others.