Khaniá, Crete, Greece
Hi, I’m Craig Alexander. I’m an investor, author, business owner and the creator of The Freedom Circle, a private group for ambitious business owners who want to build greater wealth, create more freedom and live life on their terms. I’ve spent more than 30 years in business, from qualifying as a chartered accountant and working in corporate finance and private equity to building, investing in and exiting businesses of my own. Today, I’m a shareholder in several companies, I live in Crete, and I work with business owners who want more from what they’re building and from life itself. Here’s what I’ve come to believe: a successful business should create far more than a healthy bank balance. It should create options. The ability to choose where you live, how you spend your time, who you work with and what you say yes or no to. It should give you the financial strength to enjoy life, spend time with the people who matter and do more of the things that make you feel alive. That’s freedom to me. I’ve seen too many business owners achieve the success they once chased, only to find themselves with more pressure, more responsibility and even less time to enjoy it. They’ve built something valuable, but somewhere along the way the business has started dictating the terms of their life. The business became in control of them, not the other way round. I want to help change that. My own story started in a council flat. I worked three paper rounds from the age of 13, started my first commercial venture at 15 and became the first in my family to attend university. Since then, I’ve invested significant sums alongside major institutions and high-net-worth investors, built and backed businesses, experienced significant exits, helped create multiple millionaires and made plenty of mistakes along the way. I’ve done okay financially too! All of that has shaped how I think about success today. I believe you can build serious wealth and a life you genuinely love. You can grow a valuable business without giving it every waking hour. You can be ambitious about what you earn, what you experience, where you live, how you spend your time and what the next chapter of your life could look like. That philosophy sits behind my latest book, "Work Less, Make More" and it’s at the heart of The Freedom Circle. Because for me, the goal isn’t simply to become more successful. It’s to turn that success into something far more valuable: The freedom to live life on your terms. That’s what I have created for my own life. That's what I'd love to help you create to.
Most business owners are great at what they do, but when it comes to running their business; not so much. The result? Sleepless nights, cashflow struggles, worry around making payments, being consumed by the business, and perhaps even serious or debilitating stress. The key that unlocks profitability, growth, wealth and happiness, both personally and professionally, is Knowing Your Numbers, and knowing how the financial and growth sides of business truly work. Know Your Numbers® is a 12-week interactive group program with Craig Alexander Rattray, designed to completely transform your business, your finances, and unlock serious business growth. Know Your Numbers, Know Your Business, Make Better Decisions and Make More Money.
Ambitious business owners work with me to grow their profitability, cash flow and business value, whilst reducing their stress and making business fun. I operate as part-time Finance Director / Fractional Chief Financial with a select few companies. Many of those business owners also better educate themselves in all things finance by working with fellow entrepreneurs in our Know Your Numbers 12-week groups.
Do you want a structured way of increasing the value of your business? We work with Business Owners with the vision and drive to grow their company, and help develop and implement effective growth and exit strategies, building value and providing freedom in terms of time, stress and money. Our niche is in working with owner managed businesses with turnover between £2m and £20m, leading them to higher revenue and profitability, as well as enhanced cashflow and shareholder value. We supplement our experience with that of the Value Builder System™ a statistically proven methodology for increasing the value of your company. The Value Builder System™ was established in 2012 has been used in more than 60,000 companies with an average increase in value of 71%. Craig Alexander is a Certified Value Builder™ and trusted advisor to entrepreneurs, and works on a one-to-one basis or through MasterMind groups.
As an award winning Enterprise Partner for the University of Strathclyde, I was responsible for mentoring and coaching students and staff with an interest in entrepreneurship by providing financial and strategic advice. Key Achievements & Responsibilities: ▪ Won the Enterprise Partner Award in 2012/2013. ▪ Mentored, coached and advised a winning entry in four annual Santander Universities Entrepreneurship Awards - four years running – UK wide and only three awards each year. ▪ Developed business opportunities for entrepreneurs through one-to-one sessions and workshops to unlock potential and growth, and devised effective business strategies. Successfully established and helped to fund numerous market-leading businesses through the securing of external finance, grants and awards.
Business mentoring support to recently established companies supported by The PSYBT. Now The King's Trust, we help young people build confidence, learn new skills and start a career. We also help young people access jobs, training and education to set them up for life.