The stages in a company's lifecycle often dictate different capital structures. Private equity sponsorship can be a powerful and flexible source of capital for growing companies who are not yet ready to go public, for public companies that the public markets have neglected or undervalued, or for owners of private companies that would like to diversify and partner to maximize their long-term value.

Young, entrepreneurial companies often are not big enough or do not have enough operating history to raise public equity. In these situations, a private equity sponsor can provide capital, help a company build a strong business foundation, and ultimately guide it to a public offering.

Conversely, when the public markets lose interest in certain public companies, private equity can be a source of growth capital, it can serve as an endorsement in the public markets, or it can be a means of taking the company private–allowing management to focus on operations and implementing the firm's long-term growth plan.

Entrepreneurs who have built successful companies often eventually reach a point where they face a tough decision–sell their business to generate liquidity or stay with the business to capitalize on the opportunity that remains ahead. Partnership with a private equity sponsor enables a business owner to capture the best of both of these options–liquidity along with a continuing ownership interest and a partner that can help maximize the value of this remaining stake.

Ultimately, a private equity sponsor like FFL allows companies to follow a financial path that doesn't revolve around quarterly earnings reports, but instead is based upon creating long-term shareholder value. We like to back long-term development plans, and as experienced private investors we can spend the time to understand all parts of the business plan in depth, unlike most public investors who can only learn about the parts of the plan that the company is willing to share publicly.

By partnering with a private equity sponsor like FFL, a company gains a powerful and committed partner and sounding board that will actively work with them to accelerate toward company goals and create value.