Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
The questions we are asked before a first meeting, answered as we answer them — including when the answer is no.
Do we have to sign a confidentiality agreement before talking to you?
Yes. We sign a confidentiality agreement before any document is exchanged. An initial scoping conversation can take place before that, with no documents circulating.
Do you work without a written mandate?
No. No file is presented to a financier without a signed mandate letter setting out the scope, the deliverables and the fee. If anyone offers to present your file without a written mandate, be wary.
How long does a transaction take?
We do not quote a standard timeframe, because it does not depend on us: it depends on the state of your file at the outset. Up-to-date accounts, documented governance and a costed need shorten everything; missing documents lengthen everything.
How are you paid?
Fees are set in the mandate letter, before any work begins, and their structure is discussed during scoping. You know what you are paying, and when, before you sign.
Do you ask for money before starting?
We never charge an upfront file fee, and we never solicit investment from the public. Any such approach made in our name is an impersonation: please report it to us.
Do you guarantee the financing will be obtained?
No, and no one can: the decision belongs to the financier. We commit to preparing the file and running the transaction, never to a third party’s decision. A firm that guarantees you a result is telling you what you want to hear.
Do you lend money, or take equity stakes?
No. DIDIAL Conseil is an advisory firm: we prepare files and run transactions. We are neither a lender nor an investor.
Is my company too small?
Size is not the criterion. What matters is a real business, legible accounts and a costed need. A small, well-documented company goes ahead of a larger one that is not.
My accounts are not audited. Is that fatal?
No. Audited accounts speed up the review considerably, but their absence closes no door if it is disclosed upfront. What blocks a file is letting it be discovered mid-review.
I have already been refused by a bank. Is it hopeless?
Not necessarily. In most of the files we take over, the refusal concerned the form of the file or the type of financing requested, not the business. A misdiagnosed need is the leading cause of refusal.
Do you work outside Guinea?
Yes. Our primary market is the Republic of Guinea, and we work more widely across West Africa, particularly on transactions connecting parties in several countries.
What happens if the file does not succeed?
We tell you precisely why, and what would need to be corrected for a further attempt. A file refused for an identified reason is worth more than one refused without explanation.
Do you also train teams?
Yes. Our Transformation & Human Capital Academy trains managers and their teams in financial modelling, governance, preparing for a fundraising, and finance for non-financial managers.
How do we start?
With a meeting, under a confidentiality agreement, after which we tell you whether and how we can help. If there is no mandate to take, we say that too.
Let’s talk about your project.
A first meeting, under non-disclosure agreement, is enough to tell whether and how we can help.