Meet the team: How we support business owners and entrepreneurs

Owning and running a business may be an incredible amount of hard work but it remains remarkably popular. Research published this month by NatWest and data provider Beauhurst found the UK set a new record of 5.63 million active companies at the end of 2024 – a 3% increase on the year before.

However, it can be tough to make a new business last. In separate research last year by the Entrepreneurs Network and accountancy practice Sumer, 44% of the UK business founders surveyed said they came close to closing in 2024.

It takes tenacity, talent, courage and conviction to ensure a new enterprise becomes a success.

Coutts is in the business of supporting such people – the trailblazers who can make such an endeavour work. We have a long, rich history of helping business owners at every stage of their entrepreneurial journey. 

We offer the full range of financial planning services you would expect from one of the world’s most well-known private banks, including:

• investment management services that could help you grow your wealth over time
• bespoke mortgages for entrepreneurs, built with your business’s performance and potential in mind
• a financial planning service to help you preserve your wealth, including estate planning support and protection.

But we provide much more, as our Head of Entrepreneurs Franklin Asante (pictured) explains.

“We are effectively business partners to our clients,” he says.

“We understand the many challenges and complexities involved in setting up and running a business, so our approach is highly personalised – tailored to each person’s specific needs.”

Eligibility criteria apply for our services. Fees and charges may apply. The value of investments, and the income from them, can go down as well as up, and you may not recover the amount of your original investment. You should continue to hold cash for your short-term needs.

Your home or property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Over 18s only. Credit is subject to status and approval.

We go beyond banking to support business owners in a number of different ways. A good example is the unique network of contemporaries and specialists we provide to our clients so they can gather insights and garner inspiration.

We run a range of networking opportunities and exclusive events which give business owners access to industry experts and thought leaders. This provides them with the chance to hear how others address challenges and stay abreast of latest trends.

We also provide regular insight on various elements of entrepreneurship (see below). This includes a significant new research report coming this March that will examine the new ambition for UK entrepreneurs, exploring themes such as capital, talent and innovation.

But our support does not start and end with the entrepreneurs team. It provides a gateway for clients to access the wide range of specialist services Coutts offers. This includes introductions to our Commercial Banking team to help with business banking solutions and bespoke borrowing, and our Private Markets team which connects eligible businesses with a select group of investors. Our Private Markets service also helps business owners who need corporate finance advice. 

Franklin stresses how the team are by their clients’ sides throughout the entire life of their business.

“We help entrepreneurs get the financial fundamentals in place and build that all-important support network,” he says.

“Then, as their businesses grow, we help them ensure they and their families benefit from their success in the way that best suits them.

“And if they one day want to sell the business, we help them do so as smoothly as possible – whether they’re passing it on to somebody close or selling to the wider market.”

Coutts Wealth Manager and entrepreneur specialist Sukaina Karim-Hussein adds that, when supporting a client with a business sale, it’s about their feelings as much as their finances.

“We run a Business Exit Programme designed to help clients with every aspect of selling a business,” she says. “It covers a range of topics from finding the right time to sell to attracting buyer interest, and includes advice from hundreds of leading business owners.

“But as well as managing the financial side of it, we provide advice to help our clients deal with the emotions involved. Giving up something you’ve built from scratch and made a success of can, after all, be very difficult.”

If you do sell your business, then when the deal goes through and it changes hands, that is anything but the end of our relationship. We continue to help our clients through the next phase of their journey.  

Coutts Wealth Manager Richard Clegg, who works with a number of entrepreneurs, says, “Selling a successful business can lead to receiving a huge amount of money all at once, and that can feel daunting even if you’re already wealthy.

“We work with clients to help them plan ahead and arrange their new-found wealth in the best, most-efficient way – for themselves and their families. We help them think about their priorities in life and future aspirations, and to position their finances accordingly.”

He adds, “Just as importantly, we help them take a moment to make sure they celebrate and enjoy their new-found wealth. That can be easily overlooked when coming to terms with a major windfall.”

• Entrepreneurs just getting started can apply to our NatWest accelerator hubs, where they receive support to help them develop their enterprises.
• We work closely with BGF, the most active equity investor in the UK and Ireland, which supports growing companies.
• Our bespoke mortgages are designed to help you buy your dream home while keeping the right amount of liquidity in your business.
• The entrepreneurs team hosted seven events across the country in 2024, bringing business owners together to exchange ideas and forge new relationships.
• Over 400 clients have attended our Business Exit Programme since it launched in November 2021. We’ve shared a host of guidance based on our experience to help clients deal with ‘life after exit’.