Everything you need to know before you sell
Written for owners, not advisers. Follow the three stage-by-stage tracks and read the opening of every guide free. Join to unlock the rest. Unsure of a term? Try the glossary.
Foundation
18–24 months outGet the numbers honest and understand what a buyer is really paying for.
The 24-month exit timeline
What to do, quarter by quarter, in the two years before you sell, and why the order matters.
ReadHow buyers actually value your business
Multiples are the headline, but quality of earnings, risk and transferability set the real number.
ReadNormalising your EBITDA: the add-backs buyers accept
The adjustments that legitimately raise your maintainable earnings, and the ones a buyer will strike out.
ReadPreparation
6–18 months outPackage the business, protect confidentiality and plan the tax position.
Preparing a data room buyers trust
How to organise the documents buyers will ask for, so diligence runs faster and price chipping is harder.
ReadSelling without telling the whole world
Blind teasers, NDAs and staged disclosure, and how confidential sales protect staff, customers and price.
ReadTax on selling your business: the essentials
Capital Gains Tax, Business Asset Disposal Relief and the structuring choices that change what you keep.
ReadEmployee Ownership Trust or trade sale?
The EOT route, how it compares with selling to a trade buyer, and the trade-offs owners should weigh.
ReadDeal execution
0–6 months outNegotiate terms, survive diligence and protect the money paid after completion.
Heads of terms: the clauses that decide your deal
Mostly non-binding, entirely decisive: what to negotiate before the lawyers start drafting.
ReadWhat buyers ask in due diligence
The questions that come up in almost every UK deal, and how to have good answers ready.
ReadEarn-outs explained
How earn-outs work, when they make sense, and how to protect yourself if part of your price depends on future performance.
ReadChoosing the right exit adviser
Corporate finance advisers, brokers, accountants and solicitors: who you need, when, and what to ask them.
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