Guides
Practical writing on exit planning, valuation, tax, and the sale process. Written for UK business owners, not for advisers.
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How Much Is My Business Worth?
The most common valuation method for UK owner-managed businesses is the EBITDA multiple. A buyer looks at your maintainable annual earnings. Earnings before interest…
4 min readExit RoutesThe 5 Exit Routes for UK Business Owners
There are five main ways to exit a UK owner-managed business: trade sale, management buyout, employee ownership trust, family succession, and private equity. Each ha…
4 min readPreparationThe 18-Month Exit Preparation Checklist for UK Business Owners
Eighteen months is about the minimum time you need to prepare a business properly for sale. Most owners who rush to market in three to six months leave money on the…
10 min readWhat is your business worth?
All Valuation guides →Valuation methods, sector multiples, and the factors that move the number up or down.
How to Value a Healthcare or Care Services Business in the UK
Valuing a healthcare or care services business follows the same fundamental logic as any other owner-managed business. EBITDA multiplied by a sector-appropriate mult…
10 min readValuationEBITDA Multiples by Sector: UK Mid-Market Guide 2026
EBITDA multiples in the UK mid-market typically range from 3.5x to 9x, depending on sector, business quality, and market conditions. The table below covers the most…
4 min readValuationHow to Value a Logistics and Distribution Business in the UK
Logistics and distribution businesses in the UK typically sell for between 4x and 8x EBITDA, but that range conceals a great deal. A well-contracted, technology-enab…
9 min readYour exit options
All Exit Routes guides →Trade sale, MBO, EOT, private equity, family succession — how each works and who it suits.
What Is a Management Buyout? A Plain English Guide for UK Business Owners
A management buyout (MBO) is when the people already running your business — your directors, senior managers, or a combination of both — buy it from you. They raise…
10 min readExit RoutesHow Does Private Equity Actually Buy a Business in the UK?
Private equity firms buy businesses by combining equity from their fund with debt borrowed against the target company's cash flows — a structure called a leveraged b…
10 min readExit RoutesWhat Is a Search Fund? A Guide for UK Business Owners Who Have Been Approached
If someone has contacted you describing themselves as an "entrepreneur through acquisition" or mentioning a "search fund", you are not alone in wondering what on ear…
9 min readGetting ready to sell
All Preparation guides →Preparation timeline, due diligence, and how the formal sale process unfolds.
Building a Management Team for Exit: What Buyers Want to See
The single biggest thing that kills a business sale. Or crushes the multiple. Is a business that only works because the owner is in it every day. Buyers aren't just…
9 min readPreparationHow to Sell Your Business Confidentially. Without Spooking Staff or Customers
Confidentiality is one of the hardest parts of selling a business. Not legally, but humanly. The moment word gets out that you're considering a sale, staff start upd…
9 min readPreparationHow to Prepare Your Business for Sale 18 Months Out: A Practical UK Guide
Eighteen months is the right amount of runway. It's enough time to fix what's genuinely fixable, build a credible narrative, and reach the market in a position of st…
10 min readTax and structuring
All Tax guides →BADR, CGT, share vs asset sale, and legitimate ways to reduce the tax on your exit.
The 2024 Autumn Budget and UK Business Exits: What Changed and What It Means
The October 2024 Budget was the most significant reset for UK business exit taxation in over a decade. If you were planning to sell in 2026 or 2027 and hadn't revisi…
8 min readTaxHow to Minimise Tax When Selling Your Business: Legal Strategies for UK Owners
The single biggest factor most owner-managers underestimate when planning a business sale is how much of the proceeds they'll actually keep. With capital gains tax r…
10 min readTaxBADR Eligibility: Who Qualifies, What Disqualifies You, and How to Check
Business Asset Disposal Relief (BADR) can reduce your Capital Gains Tax rate to 10% on qualifying business disposals, up to a £1 million lifetime limit. It is one of…
10 min readAdvisers and the process
All Advisers guides →Choosing an adviser, fees, timelines, and how deals actually get done.
Business Broker vs Corporate Finance Adviser: Which Do You Need?
Business brokers and corporate finance advisers both help owners sell their businesses, but they operate in different parts of the market, charge differently, and de…
4 min readAdvisersThe Business Sale Process: A Timeline from Decision to Completion
Selling a business typically takes 12 to 24 months from the moment you decide to sell to the day funds hit your account. Most owners underestimate the complexity. No…
11 min readAdvisersHow Corporate Finance Adviser Fees Work. And How to Negotiate Them
Most owner-managers going through their first sale have no idea what they should be paying a corporate finance adviser. And that information asymmetry costs them mon…
9 min readRegional guides
The UK M&A market varies meaningfully by region — adviser landscape, buyer access, and property considerations all differ. These guides cover what to expect in each area.
Sector guides
Valuation multiples, buyer types, and key due diligence areas vary significantly by sector. These guides cover the specifics for the most active UK mid-market industries.