Considered advice for proprietors parting with a business and for the companies buying one, from an early view of value to the day the deal closes.
Selling a business you have built asks more of you than almost any other decision in a career. There is the question of price, of course, but also of timing, of who the buyer will be, of what happens to the people you employ, and of the part you want to play afterward.
Our first job is to help you see those questions clearly and decide which matter most. Some owners want the strongest possible price; others want continuity, a gradual handover, or a buyer who shares their values. Those priorities then guide every choice we make on your behalf.
Preparation does more for the outcome than any single negotiation. We look at the company as a buyer would, resolve what can be resolved in advance, and present the business with confidence to a field of buyers chosen for their reasons to pay well.
When we represent acquirers, we work the other way around: clarifying what to buy, finding owners who may not yet be selling, and agreeing terms that keep their value long after the transaction closes.
Proprietors of established private companies, and the businesses that hope to buy them.
You have built a company worth selling and want to sell it on your terms, to a buyer you can trust.
A sale may be a few years away, and you want to use the time to raise value and reduce risk.
Acquisitions are part of your plan, and you want help finding, valuing, and closing the right one.
Ways we can help, whether you are selling, buying, or planning a handover.
We prepare the business, decide with you which buyers to approach, and run a structured process with clear deadlines, so offers arrive together and can be weighed against each other. You decide which to pursue, and we negotiate it through to closing.
Suited to: proprietors set on a sale who want buyers competing for it.
An investor buys part of the company, sometimes most of it, and you keep the rest along with an active role. The cash you take now reduces your risk, and the share you keep can grow in value under the new ownership.
Suited to: founders who would like money in the bank but still want to lead.
We turn your growth plans into a short list of companies worth owning, approach their owners discreetly, and lead the work on value, structure, and terms.
Suited to: companies and investors expanding through acquisition.
The managers who know the business best become its owners, typically with bank debt, a note from the seller, and sometimes outside equity. Our role is to agree a price both sides consider fair and a financing plan that leaves the company room to grow.
Suited to: owners who want their own team to carry the business forward.
When ownership passes within a family, fairness between relatives and a sound funding plan matter as much as price. We provide an independent valuation and help design the transfer, the financing, and the governance that follows.
Suited to: families passing the business on gradually, one step at a time.
Parting with one division or line of business means untangling staff, systems, and agreements while the rest runs undisturbed. We plan that separation early and find buyers who value the unit for what it is.
Suited to: companies narrowing their attention to their core activities.
From first meeting to closing usually takes six to nine months. This is how the time is spent, and when we will need you.
We review your financial results, customers, contracts, people, and market, and share an honest view of value along with the doubts a careful purchaser will voice.
From you: a few in-depth conversations and three years of financial statements.
Our team prepares the numbers, drafts the offering document, opens a secure online data room, and settles the list of buyers with you.
From you: help gathering information and reviewing drafts.
Buyers first receive an unnamed summary. Once they sign a confidentiality agreement they see the full document, meet you, and send initial offers.
From you: a small number of meetings, each prepared with us in advance.
We place the offers next to each other, invite the front-runners to sharpen their terms, and agree a letter of intent written to guard your interests.
From you: your call on price, deal structure, and what you do after the sale.
The chosen purchaser finishes its checks while we keep momentum, work alongside your advisers, and settle problems before they grow.
From you: prompt answers and steady management of the business.
How we work with every owner we represent.
The person you meet first is the one who leads your sale.
No jargon, and every trade-off explained in terms you can act on.
If waiting would serve you better, we will tell you.
The bulk of what you pay us depends on the sale completing.
Ideally two to three years ahead. That leaves time to put the accounts in order, spread the business across more customers and more managers, and build a steady record, each of which buyers pay for.
Mostly on the earnings they believe the business can sustain, adjusted for growth and risk, and compared with recent sales of similar companies. The particular buyer matters too: one that can combine your business with its own may be able to pay more.
Many buyers welcome it. You might keep a stake, stay on as chief executive, or move to a board seat. We negotiate your role alongside the price so both are settled before you sign.
Interested parties first see a profile without your name. Nothing further is released until they sign a confidentiality agreement, and sensitive figures are kept for the most serious bidder. We also agree with you the right moment to brief your staff.
It records the headline terms a buyer is offering, such as price, structure, and timing, before the detailed checks start. It is mostly non-binding, but it shapes everything that follows, so we negotiate it with care.
Sometimes. A slice may be deferred, held in escrow for a while, or tied to the company hitting agreed results after the sale. These arrangements can close a gap on price, but they carry risk, so we explain each one and push for as much certainty as possible.
Yes, closely. Both play important roles in any sale, and we coordinate with them from the start so tax, legal, and commercial questions are answered together rather than in turn.
A small charge covers the preparation work; the main fee falls due at completion and reflects the value achieved. Everything is agreed in writing before we start, and an initial conversation is free.
Drop us a line describing the business and the decision on your mind. A senior adviser will answer personally, and everything you share stays confidential.