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Dear Tony

If we've learned one thing from the global financial collapse and downturn, it's that size means nothing. The biggest banks in the world have fallen like skittles. The bigger they were, the harder they fell.

Many big names are running on empty – big voices with big borrowings and shaky backing. It's true in every market, including windows and roofline. It's the quality of backing that counts, not size or history or how loud you shout.

Some big groups are still behaving as if size equals solidity. But a simple credit check may tell a different story and the bigger they are, the more damage they can do to customers and suppliers. And actions speak louder than words. If a group shuts down one of its companies and leaves creditors in the lurch and its staff on the streets, is it a sign of financial strength?

Today, for our own protection, we all need to check the stability of customers and all our suppliers.

Having bought Everwhite out of administration at the beginning of the year, we know the value of having the blue chip financial backing of Jon Moulton, a well known private equity specialist and boss of Alchemy Partners. Our sales have grown fast since April by regaining old Everwhite customers and winning many new ones.

When markets get tough and business is tight, some also spread gossip and doubt about competitors. It's understandable, and in its milder form is rather like the practice of 'sledging' in sport. But the first thing to look at is who is telling the stories, to ask why one company is smearing another. Is it innocent gossip or a crude attempt to destabilise a rival? Or is it a smoke screen to distract attention from their weakness?

Yours sincerely

Paul Jayne
Managing Director
Everwhite Ltd