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 Financial Adviser Client Book in 2026
Valuing an adviser client book in 2026 starts with durable, transferable earnings, not a list of names or a headline total for assets under advice. A buyer is acquir…
7 min readValuationAsset-Light vs Asset-Heavy Logistics Business Valuation in the UK
The phrase “logistics business” covers companies with very different economics. An asset-heavy haulage operator may own vehicles, depots, and warehouse equipment. An…
6 min readValuationDental Practice Valuation by UK Region: London, Wales, Leeds and Birmingham
Owners often ask how much a dental practice will sell for in London, Wales, Leeds, Birmingham, or the UK as a whole. Location matters, but not because every practice…
6 min readYour exit options
All Exit Routes guides →Trade sale, MBO, EOT, private equity, family succession — how each works and who it suits.
Family Business Buyout in the UK: Funding, Valuation and Control
A family business buyout happens when one family member, one branch of the family, or a family-led management team acquires shares from another owner. It can keep th…
9 min readExit RoutesFinancial Adviser Business Succession Planning in the UK
Succession planning for a financial adviser business is the work of making clients, income, people, and operations transferable before the owner steps back. It is br…
9 min readExit RoutesHow to Pass On a Family Business in the UK
Passing on a family business works best as a planned handover of leadership, ownership, and decision-making, rather than a single transfer of shares. The process mus…
8 min readGetting ready to sell
All Preparation guides →Preparation timeline, due diligence, and how the formal sale process unfolds.
Business Sale Data Room Checklist for UK Sellers
A well-organised data room helps a buyer verify the business without turning every request into a search exercise. It can shorten response times, reduce avoidable un…
8 min readPreparationWhat Buyers Look for in Due Diligence. And How to Prepare for It
Due diligence is where deals either hold together or start to fall apart. If you go into it unprepared, you will face a combination of deal chip (the buyer reducing…
10 min readPreparationWhat Happens During Due Diligence When Selling a UK Business?
Due diligence begins the moment Heads of Terms are signed and typically runs for four to eight weeks — longer if your records are disorganised or the buyer's team is…
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 18% 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.
The 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 to Choose a Corporate Finance Adviser to Sell Your Business
The adviser you appoint will shape who hears about your business, how buyers understand it, and how much competitive tension survives once negotiations become diffic…
9 min readAdvisersBusiness Broker vs Corporate Finance Adviser: Which Do You Need?
If you have decided that a corporate finance-led process fits your business, use the practical guide to choosing a corporate finance adviser to compare teams, buyer…
4 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.