Build a stronger business to sell. Understand the business you buy.
A valuation depends on more than the latest profit figure. The quality of the revenue, reliability of delivery, strength of the team and dependence on the owner all shape what a buyer is taking on.
I help owners prepare their businesses for sale and help buyers assess potential acquisitions. The work connects financial information with commercial performance, operations and organisational structure, so you can see what needs attention before making your next move.
For owners preparing for sale
Make the business easier to understand, operate and transfer. Identify the weaknesses that could undermine buyer confidence or reduce the value you can defend.
Review customer concentration, pipeline quality, margins, cash visibility, delivery consistency, management ownership and the decisions and relationships that still depend on you.
Turn the findings into a prioritised improvement roadmap. Where needed, I work with your team to strengthen reporting, accountability and ways of working, and build evidence that the changes are holding.
For buyers assessing an acquisition
Understand how the business actually works before relying on the headline numbers. Review the available evidence, test assumptions and identify the questions that need resolving.
Assess the financial position alongside revenue quality, customer relationships, commercial processes, delivery capacity, systems, team structure and reliance on key people.
Use the findings to inform valuation discussions, further diligence, deal conditions and the practical work required after completion. Separate evidenced strengths from assumptions and improvement opportunities.
Four connected areas of assessment
Financial: reported performance, cash flow, working capital, cost structure and the quality and consistency of management information. Identify gaps and questions for your accountant or financial diligence team.
Commercial: customer concentration and retention, sales ownership, pipeline credibility, pricing, margins and the evidence behind growth assumptions.
Operational: delivery performance, capacity, supplier dependence, processes, systems, controls and continuity when key people are unavailable.
Structural: management capability, role clarity, decision rights, reporting, accountability and how much of the business still sits with its owner.
What you receive
An evidence-based findings report setting out strengths, risks, missing information and the assumptions that require further investigation.
A prioritised action plan showing what needs addressing, who should own it and what successful improvement would look like.
For sellers, a readiness roadmap focused on transferability and buyer confidence. For buyers, assessment findings and initial integration priorities to support an informed decision.
From assessment to practical change
First, we discuss the business, your objective and timescale. We agree a defined scope, information requirements, deliverables and fee before work begins.
The review combines document analysis, management conversations and examination of how work and decisions flow through the business. Findings distinguish what is evidenced from what is reported or still unknown.
We work through the implications together. If implementation support is useful, that can be scoped separately, including management routines, performance visibility, commercial processes and post-acquisition integration.
Experience that connects the commercial and operational picture
My background spans sales, operations, programme delivery and organisational change across HP, Capita, Socitm Advisory and the public sector.
That includes supporting the integration of two automotive manufacturing businesses across finance, HR, procurement and operations, and improving account management, governance and commercial delivery.
I bring an operator’s perspective: what needs to be true for the business to perform reliably, transfer successfully and deliver the value expected of it.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be ready to sell now? No. Starting before a transaction gives you time to address weaknesses, reduce owner dependence and build a stronger operating record.
Can you assess a business I am considering buying? Yes. We agree the scope around the information available and your stage in the process, then identify material risks and questions for further diligence.
Is this a formal valuation or statutory audit? The assessment informs valuation and commercial decisions. Formal valuation, audit, legal and tax work can be coordinated with your appointed specialists where required.
Will the work guarantee a higher sale price or a successful acquisition? No. The purpose is to improve the evidence, readiness and quality of the decision. Transaction outcomes depend on the business, buyer, market and agreed terms.