3 min read So long, and thanks for all the fish Following Ursula von der Leyen’s announcement earlier today, some form of Brexit deal is looking more likely. Leaving the European Union is a political choice ultimately based on sovereignty, and of course ‘fish’ judging by newspaper headlines. My headline is borrowed from the Douglas Adam’s…
10 min read At the start of this series, we defined a ‘perfect’ sale as a fast, optimised sale, with the right buyers or investors, with the right terms and timing, minimal tax and fuss, and a rewarding onward journey. This article considers what we mean by a rewarding onward journey by looking at Earn-Outs,…
12 min read Once a deal is agreed, an exclusive period with one buyer is typically undertaken followed by a focused push to finalise the transaction. This involves the purchaser ensuring that they are buying what they believe are being sold through a process of due diligence, finalising any funding requirements, and working with the buy-side…
8.5 min read In week 3 of our ‘perfect’ business sale series ‘Creating Competition’, we examine how to best drive value in the process and attract the right buyers. Creating an Auction You have worked hard for your success and now you want to realise that value by a full or partial business sale. Companies…
7.5 min read Market Presentation Presenting the business to create a “we want, we need” motivation in buyers is essential to achieving the ‘perfect’ sale. Here are our top five tips to positively engage the market. Advisors Selling a business might be the biggest transaction that you as a business leader will ever undertake. The…
6.5 min read The ‘perfect’ business sale – a fast, fuss-free transaction on the right terms with the right buyers, with a rewarding journey afterwards and no sting in the tail. The ‘perfect’ business sale is ‘easy to define but hard to align’. Despite the huge distraction caused by the COVID crisis, buyers are still…
3 min read Confidence is rising with the expectation that the economy will soon return to sustained growth as the lockdown continues to ease, however, the longer-term recovery prospects remain highly uncertain. Some of the recent gains in markets reflect short-term bounces as businesses returned to work, but demand remains weak. Many COVID-19 restrictions and…
The M&A market continues to be buoyant, with buyers actively seeking out investments. In the main, this is due to trade buyers need to make acquisitions to shift their business models and create scale and there is private capital looking for a yield which smaller companies can bring. Company valuations are holding, however, if your…
For those of you who do not know, a Babel Fish comes from the Douglas Adams comedy science fiction book “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”. In the book, he describes a bright yellow fish that, if placed in your ear, can automatically translate any language into your native tongue. Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) and…
I was listening to some old songs over the weekend that got me thinking. The lyrics “The road I must travel”, from Mr Mister’s cheerful 1986 song entitled Kyrie Eleison reminds me of the current challenges ahead. What is going to happen to the economy? How will our politicians and entrepreneurial leaders react? What is…