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Cygnet has extensive experience of doing business globally. Initiating contacts in new territories, developing relationships and converting these to ongoing profitable business requires a set of skills that have been acquired and honed by Cygnet over the last twenty years. With experience of dealing with the Far East, Middle East, North & South America, Eastern & Western Europe, South Africa, Austrasia, the Pacific Rim and Indian sub-continent makes us the ideal partner to develop a global business.

• Should contact be made directly, through agents, representatives or distributors?
• What contracts should be signed up and when?
• What should terms be - who gets what? How are local customs to be dealt with?
• How is the project to be secured financially?

All these and many other questions have to be addressed by any company that wants to benefit from the global economy. Cygnet already has this experience and can not only help to rapidly expand your global presence, but ensure that this journey is as hassle and risk free as possible.

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Cygnet is experienced in packing and shipping goods to a global customer base. Packing objects from a small parts parcel up to shipment of many containers split into several batches.

All paperwork and local country requirements are understood and an already established network of shippers and packers facilitate the process, allowing the most efficient methods and routes to be used at the most competitive prices.

Combined with a full understanding of the requirement to secure payment, Cygnet's experienced team of expeditors can really take the load for your business.

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Accounting & finance

Cygnet employ a number of fully qualified chartered and certified management accountants, along with an experienced book keeping team, who have the skills and experience to do everything for you, from day to day transaction processing, credit control, cash flow monitoring, monthly management accounts, to preparing your yearly financial statements. With tax and corporate finance experience we are ideally suited to ensure that full value is extracted from professional advisors and that the best corporate and management structure is developed, whether to address a planned exit or optimise growth.

Experienced in overseas transactions with individual values of many millions of pounds, let our experts guide you through the maze and minefield of Letters of Credit, Bank Guarantees, Credit insurance and invoice factoring. A daunting array that can be simplified and explained to you in easily understandable language, by normal people who make it their business to understand and communicate the critical details without losing you in the jargon.

Employee motivation

Cygnet has experience of management incentive schemes (e.g. EMI share options), benefit schemes and ways to involve, motivate and retain your staff.

Grants

Cygnet has close links with local and national government agencies whose objective is to invest in and promote UK businesses. Having developed an exceeding good relationship with the local Business Link, Cygnet is ideally placed to help raise funding at the required level with the minimum of hassle. Experienced in preparation of documentation, let us take the strain, while you focus on moving the product forward.

Insurance

• What level of cover do you require?
• Why pay for insurance before the business has taken off?
• How to understand and mitigate the key risks without incurring unnecessary costs?

These are key questions faced by all companies, but for start ups the consequences on cash are even more significant. Let our experience guide you.

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Having filed numerous patents each year for the last ten years, Cygnet has extensive experience of working with patent attorneys to ensure the best chance of product protection is achieved.

In the early days of start up,the potential level of IP protection is crucial and the ability to both demonstrate and defend this position is vital. Often this is all a fledgling company has going for it in the early days, and sadly it is also an area where corners are cut due to a desire to cut costs.

Let Cygnet help you get the correct level of protection at the best price. We know the patent process and can help you with the decisions.

Contracts of employment, terms and conditions of sale, global agency agreements. Get them right from the start at the least possible cost without compromise.

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To meet their own requirements Cygnet have developed and operate a full enterprise content management (ECM) and manufacturing control system. Able to control all aspects of your business, from initial contacts to daily correspondence, through to quoting, job processing, shipping and after sales, along with the standard financial features expected in a top rate package. With this experience Cygnet can help you put control into your systems to allow you the freedom to develop the business without worrying about the basics.

Our experience team also have the knowledge of Sage line 50 book keeping systems, which is used when apropriate.

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The core area of Cygnet's competency is our engineering team. With a wealth of experience from many different industry sectors, our diverse team of mechanical, electrical, electronic and mechatronic engineers are available for your benefit. With experience ranging from highly technical systems operations and computer modelling to hands on prototype fabrication, our engineers are ideally equipped to fill the needs of your business. From our degree qualified members of the institute to our skilled fitters, all our engineers share the common skill of being able to provide an elegant, cost effective, functional solution to your engineering problems. Experienced in metal fabrication, laser cutting, machining, casting, forging, injection moulding, blow moulding and other more esoteric manufacturing techniques, you can rely on our engineers to lead you to the optimal solution.

Working with a strong network of specialist sub-suppliers, Cygnet are able to stay at the cutting edge of technology and materials science. Knowledgeable in rapid proto-typing techniques and how to quickly and effectively manufacture working prototypes, we are the ideal partner to get your idea from the drawing board to real life. Working now from the latest versions of Solidworks and able to perform all FEA and FMEA analysis, not only can you be sure that your design is right, but you can easily demonstrate it to your prospective customer base using our 3D modelling skills.

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Cygnet works on a policy of 100% sub-contract manufacturing. Mainly in the UK but with some experience of manufacturing in China, Cygnet use a network of sub-contractors to provide the latest in manufacturing technology, bulk purchasing power and cutting edge expertise in their chosen field. Many of these relationships have existed for over 30 years and allow a new entrant access to information, prices and speed of manufacture that would normally take many years to establish. The Cygnet Group's manufacturing requirements ensure you get treated as an established customer with a good credit history and track record, rather than as a start up to put at the back of the queue with a proforma invoice. These relationships and experience allow our partners to establish the best manufacturing methods for their business plan, and significantly reduce the time to market of a new product.

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Cygnet is set up to perform sub-assembly either in house or by sub- contract using proven partners. Experienced in controlling quality of low and high value items, in low or high volume numbers, Cygnet are ideally placed to work with you to ensure that quality issues do not create business problems for you. One small mistake can have significant cost and reputation issues for any business and can be fatal for a new start-up.

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Cygnet Group companies have successfully achieved ISO9001 manufacturing standards, DNV (Det Norsk Veritas) product accreditation and the Group Investors in People status. Experienced in meeting the various certification and qualification requirements of different industries, Cygnet can guide you through this potentially time consuming and confusing maze of documentation with minimum fuss.

Our ability to ensure that systems and certification not only provide the requisite bit of paper, but actually work for the benefit of your business, ensure that money and time is not wasted jumping through legalistic hoops.

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