Insights & Guides
Practical thinking on running, funding, buying and selling owner-managed businesses.
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Growing your business
The finance disciplines that support stronger performance and business value in an owner-managed business: useful monthly figures, margin quality, cash and working capital, forecasting, the right KPIs, and when to bring in senior finance support.
Complete guide ·
Funding
How to prepare to fund the purchase of an owner-managed business: the total cash requirement, the broad sources of funding, debt capacity, forecasts and the information lenders typically ask for.
Complete guide ·
Selling a business
A practical guide to selling an owner-managed UK business: types of buyer, confidentiality, the Information Memorandum, comparing offers, due diligence, completion and life after the sale.
Complete guide ·
Buying a business
A practical, step-by-step guide to buying an owner-managed UK business: criteria, finding opportunities, the first review, valuing and structuring an offer, funding, due diligence, completion and the first 100 days.
Complete guide ·
Buying a business
A practical guide to financial due diligence when buying an owner-managed business: scope, quality of earnings, working capital, debt-like items, forecasts, and how findings change price and terms.
Complete guide ·
Preparing for exit
How to prepare an owner-managed business for sale over 12–36 months: the value drivers buyers focus on, reducing owner dependency, tidying the balance sheet, preparing information and choosing the timing.
Complete guide ·
Business valuation
A practical guide to how owner-managed businesses are valued: maintainable earnings, normalised EBITDA, owner replacement cost, what moves value, and how a headline value becomes what you receive.
Complete guide ·
Growing your business
The finance disciplines that support stronger performance and business value in an owner-managed business: useful monthly figures, margin quality, cash and working capital, forecasting, the right KPIs, and when to bring in senior finance support.
Complete guide ·
Business valuation
A practical guide to how owner-managed businesses are valued: maintainable earnings, normalised EBITDA, owner replacement cost, what moves value, and how a headline value becomes what you receive.
Complete guide ·
Business valuation
Many profitable owner-managed businesses are valued on a multiple of sustainable profit. Here is how sustainable profit is worked out, what moves the multiple, and why the price you receive can differ from the headline value.
Guide ·
Business valuation
Why buyers usually value predictable, recurring revenue more highly, the different kinds of recurring revenue, and how buyers test whether it really recurs.
Question ·
Business valuation
Why turnover on its own says little about what an owner-managed business is worth, and what buyers look at instead.
Question ·
Funding
How to prepare to fund the purchase of an owner-managed business: the total cash requirement, the broad sources of funding, debt capacity, forecasts and the information lenders typically ask for.
Complete guide ·
Buying a business
A practical, step-by-step guide to buying an owner-managed UK business: criteria, finding opportunities, the first review, valuing and structuring an offer, funding, due diligence, completion and the first 100 days.
Complete guide ·
Buying a business
A practical guide to financial due diligence when buying an owner-managed business: scope, quality of earnings, working capital, debt-like items, forecasts, and how findings change price and terms.
Complete guide ·
Buying a business
Financial due diligence tests whether the business you are buying is what it appears to be. Here is what it usually covers, how it is scaled to smaller deals, and what affects the cost.
Guide ·
Buying a business
Plain-English definitions of the terms used when valuing, buying, selling and funding an owner-managed business.
Guide ·
Buying a business
Sale particulars show a business at its best. Before you make an offer or pay for due diligence, here is how to test the numbers, the risks and the price.
Guide ·
Buying a business
The questions to ask a seller before making an offer and during due diligence – about earnings, customers, people, the owner's role, cash and the reasons for selling.
Question ·
Preparing for exit
How to prepare an owner-managed business for sale over 12–36 months: the value drivers buyers focus on, reducing owner dependency, tidying the balance sheet, preparing information and choosing the timing.
Complete guide ·
Preparing for exit
Issues a buyer finds late in a sale tend to reduce the price or change the terms. This checklist covers what to look at, ideally 12–36 months before you plan to sell.
Guide ·
Preparing for exit
Why reliance on a few customers worries buyers, how they measure it, how it shows up in price and deal terms, and what owners can do about it.
Question ·
Selling a business
A practical guide to selling an owner-managed UK business: types of buyer, confidentiality, the Information Memorandum, comparing offers, due diligence, completion and life after the sale.
Complete guide ·
Buying a business
The questions to ask a seller before making an offer and during due diligence – about earnings, customers, people, the owner's role, cash and the reasons for selling.
Question ·
Business valuation
Why buyers usually value predictable, recurring revenue more highly, the different kinds of recurring revenue, and how buyers test whether it really recurs.
Question ·
Preparing for exit
Why reliance on a few customers worries buyers, how they measure it, how it shows up in price and deal terms, and what owners can do about it.
Question ·
Business valuation
Why turnover on its own says little about what an owner-managed business is worth, and what buyers look at instead.
Question ·
