Administration can be used to trade a business with a view to restructuring and saving it. Failing this, an Administrator might look to sell the business to existing management or a third party. Finally, the Administrator can use the procedure to maximise asset realisations, producing a better return to creditors.

The main advantages of Administration are:

• Immediate protection from any legal action being taken by creditors
• Potential to rescue or sell the business, saving jobs
• The company is being handled by a Licenced Insolvency Practitioner who has a duty to creditors as a whole.
• The return to creditors is often more than in an alternative, such as Liquidation

Pre-packs

A pre-pack Administration is essentially what it says on the tin. It pre-packs the business to a trade buyer, third party or existing management operating under a new company. The business is sold immediately or shortly after the company is placed into Administration.

There has been a lot of negative reports in the media about ‘pre-packs’, but used in the correct way, it is a useful tool in potentially saving jobs and ongoing trade.

The main advantages of a ‘pre-pack’ Administration are:

• Provides uninterrupted business trade
• Saves jobs
• Contracts with customers can be completed
• Maximising return for creditors from an insolvent company