Considering selling your business?

No. Many of the most productive first conversations we have are with owners who are still thinking. You may be weighing retirement, succession, a partial exit or simply what your options are. Speaking to us early costs you nothing and commits you to nothing. It gives you a clearer picture of what a transaction with us might look like, so that if and when you do decide, you are deciding with better information. We will never pressure you to a decision, and we would rather you took your time than regretted a choice made in haste.

We look at the quality of maintainable earnings rather than headline revenue: how profitable the business is, how reliably it converts profit to cash, how recurring or repeat its revenue is, how concentrated its customers are, and how dependent it is on any one person. We also assess the strength and depth of management, the defensibility of the business's position in its market, and the operational and contractual risks it carries. Just as importantly, we assess fit: whether our involvement would help the business, and whether we and you would work well together.

Valuation is a judgement informed by the business's sustainable profitability and cash generation, its growth prospects, the risks attached to its earnings, comparable transactions, and the structure of the deal itself. There is no single formula and we will not quote you a multiple before we understand the business. What we can promise is that our view of value will be explained clearly, in writing, with the reasoning set out, and that structure and price will be discussed together, because the two are inseparable. We encourage you to take independent advice on any proposal we make.

Yes, if you wish to. Retained equity can be attractive for owners who believe in the business's future and want to share in the value it creates under new ownership. Equally, some owners prefer a clean break, and we respect that entirely. Retained equity is an option, never a requirement, and any arrangement would be subject to commercial agreement, due diligence and available financing. If you do retain a stake, we will be clear about governance, information rights and how and when that stake might eventually be realised.

Often, and in many cases we would welcome it. Continuity matters to customers, staff and suppliers, and an owner's knowledge is rarely fully documented. Involvement can range from a short handover period to a longer operational, advisory or non-executive role. The shape and duration are agreed before completion and written into the transaction documents, so both sides know exactly what has been committed to. If you want to step away promptly, we will plan for that instead. The arrangement should suit you, not a template.

In most of the businesses we consider, the management team and workforce are a large part of what we are acquiring. Our intention is to support and develop capable people, not to replace them. Where an owner has been the de facto managing director, we will discuss early how leadership transitions, and where there are gaps we will say so openly. Employees' statutory rights are protected on a change of ownership, and we take communication with staff seriously, planning it with you so that it happens at the right time and in the right way.

Very little. For a first conversation, an outline is enough: what the business does, roughly how large it is, where it operates and what you are thinking about. Publicly filed accounts are often a sufficient starting point. Detailed management accounts, customer information and contracts are not requested until a confidentiality agreement is signed and we have agreed together that it makes sense to go further. We would rather ask for information in stages, as trust develops, than present you with a lengthy request list on day one.

Entirely, and by design. Your enquiry is read by the Founder and discussed only within our leadership team. A mutual non-disclosure agreement is put in place before sensitive information changes hands. We do not circulate opportunities to a buyer network, because we are the buyer. Where external advisers are appointed for diligence, they are bound by professional duties and by the confidentiality agreement. If discussions end, information is returned or destroyed as agreed. We are glad to discuss any specific concerns you have about confidentiality before you share anything at all.

It varies, and anyone who promises a fixed timetable before understanding the business is guessing. From first conversation to completion, three to nine months is a reasonable range for a well-prepared business, though simpler transactions can be quicker and complex ones longer. The main variables are the quality and availability of information, the complexity of the structure, financing, and the pace both parties want to move at. We will give you a realistic timetable once we know enough to do so, and we will tell you promptly if it changes.

David Fam, our Founder and Head of Growth, reads every enquiry personally. Where there is a potential fit, he will respond directly, usually within two working days, to arrange an initial conversation. That conversation is exploratory and informal. If both sides want to continue, we agree a confidentiality agreement and the sequence of information to be shared. If the fit is not there, we will tell you candidly and, where we can, point you towards people who may be better placed to help. Either way, you will hear from us.