Talking Guides summarise Knowledge Peers' findings and recommendations from the workshops we run, using embedded video clips to bring key points from the interviews to life.

Each Talking Guide features 12 - 20 video interviews with senior executives and experts with direct, practical experience of the topic under discussion. The Guide comes in PDF format, featuring video clips that play in the document, high-quality editorial, and supporting links to further content on Knowledge Peers' site.

Below you will see details of the Talking Guides that we have already published and those we are planning to publish. If you would like to talk to us about contributing your expertise to a Guide, please contact Chris Dines. For information about sponsoring a Guide, please click here.

Raising private equity, post-credit crunch

The credit crunch has had a dramatic impact on the supply of funding for larger, growing companies. Is it feasible to find equity backing in this environment, and how should you go about doing it? Is the funding there, and at what price? What are private equity investors looking for and what do they expect in return for their investment? Based on the recent experience of those involved in the private equity market, including companies seeking funds, this Talking Guide helps executives get a better understanding of how to access private equity.

Working with private equity backers

Private Equity investors look for high returns on their investments, as they accept that they'll have a few failures along the way. This means they expect the business to be driven hard, something that can put considerable strain on the relationship between investors and management. When the investment has been made in the "good times", that relationship is really put to the test when the going gets tough. This Guide, based on a number of case studies, provides guidance on how to make a real success of the relationship, so all parties can win.

Getting more from your advisers

Businesses can spend a fortune on their advisers, but are often dissatisfied with the outcome. This Talking Guide highlights how you can get the best out of your advisers. It captures the experiences of senior decision makers regarding how best to deal with advisers, as well as views from advisers themselves about how you can maximise the chances of their delivering what you have asked them to do, cost-effectively.

Restructuring executives' pay

Most growing companies will outgrow the pay packages that they had originally set up for their senior executives. But what should the new packages look like and how can they migrate to them from what they have today? This Knowledge Peers Guide helps answer these questions by bringing together advice from employment incentives experts as well as case studies of companies who have restructured their executives’ pay packages.

Keeping your business secure - March 2010 (Contact Eric Woods)

This Knowledge Peers Guide is for the Boards of mid-sized companies who are concerned about the security of their IT systems and their corporate data. It looks at the practical issues that businesses need to address, to ensure they are reducing the risks to their business from security failings and loss of data.

Refreshing your marketing (the CEO's view) - April 2010 (Contact Jessica Figueras)

A downturn can be a good time to review whether your business is getting a good return on its investment in marketing - especially if you have changed your overall business direction. It's not uncommon for organisations to stick to tried-and-tested activities which outlive their usefulness, leaving senior executives feeling that it is time for a refresh. This Guide looks at the practical experiences of organisations which have adopted new approaches to marketing, focusing particularly on the decision-making process at board level and change management implications.

Raising angel finance - April 2010 (Contact Chris Dines)

The main source of capital for smaller growth companies is friends, families and wealthy individuals, collectively known as "Angel" investors. But there are thousands of early stage companies competing for such funds, leading to a success rate of below 5%. If you are looking for £100,000 to £1,000,000 of equity backing, how do you go about ensuring you have a decent chance of securing funding? This Knowledge Peers Guide provides insight into the process of securing angel funding, based on a number of successful case studies.

Effective charity governance - April 2010 (Contact Chris Dines)

Creating an effective governance structure and attracting suitable trustees is a challenge for charities of all sizes. How do you best recruit trustees? Structure a board meeting agenda? Keep your trustees up-to-date with their legal responsibilities? This Talking Guide gathers insights from CEOs and trustees at a variety of charities that have addressed these challenges successfully.

Finding new clients for professional services companies - April 2010 (Contact Fash Darabi)

Professional services firms face unique challenges when it comes to finding new clients. In some firms partners and fee earners spend nearly all their time on client work and rely on their reputation and word of mouth referrals to win new business. Others make significant investments, both in terms of fee earner time and marketing expenditure, to look for new business. This Talking Guide helps professional services firms understand which approaches can be effective in generating new business.

Routes to market for food manufacturers - May 2010
Profiting from intellectual property - May 2010
Digital Money - June 2010
Ethics in the boardroom - June 2010
Outsourcing your core business functions - June 2010
Engaging charitable donors - July 2010
Tactics for turning your business around - July 2010
Getting your team onside - August 2010
Pitching for profitable business - August 2010
Sustainability and profits - September 2010