Realising value: An entrepreneur’s experience of selling their business

21 June 2023

For many of our clients, selling their business is a once-in-a-lifetime event. We asked some of our clients to share their experiences of navigating the sale process and the advice they would give to entrepreneurs looking to take this step. Whether it is a sale to a strategic buyer or a full or partial sale to a private equity partner, it’s important to get it right. Our guides can help you transaction-proof your business and maximise value. Here’s what our clients had to say.

Meet the entrepreneurs
Getting transaction ready
Finding the right PE partner
Finding the right trade buyer

Meet the entrepreneurs

Meet the entrepreneurs behind the deals who share their experiences, key takeaways, and advice when navigating a transaction.

Explore the deals in more detail below:
Accordance Technical Services
Barwick Bathroom Distribution
Celerity
Chandlers Building Supplies
Connect 2 cleanrooms
Practice Labs
Wood Thilsted

As one of the most active advisers in the mid-market, our sell-side specialists understand what buyers and investors are looking for and how best to prepare your business for a transaction. We work closely with shareholders to help them assess their exit options, find the right partner for their business and maximise value through the process.

If you want to know more about our experience and the options for your business, contact Natalie Ord or James Wild.

Getting transaction ready

Selling your business can be stressful. A lot of value is at stake and for many entrepreneurs the process is unknown. Identifying what you want from a transaction, and how to achieve it, is the first step in enhancing both the likelihood and terms of a deal. Preparation is key to a successful outcome for any deal. Here, our clients share their experiences – how they prepared, what they learnt along the way and how they managed the day-to-day running of the deal whilst keeping the business on track.

As one of the most active advisers in the mid-market, our sell-side specialists understand what buyers and investors are looking for and how best to prepare your business for a transaction. We work closely with shareholders to help them assess their exit options, find the right partner for their business and maximise value through the process.

If you want to know more about our experience and the options for your business, contact Natalie Ord or James Wild.

Finding the right PE partner

Selling to a private equity investor can be daunting. There are many different types of funds and they don’t all look at opportunities in the same way. Identifying the right partner for you and your business, and knowing what they will expect, is crucial to achieving a successful outcome. Our clients share their initial perceptions of private equity and their experience of working with an investor.

As one of the most active advisers in the mid-market, our sell-side specialists understand what buyers and investors are looking for and how best to prepare your business for a transaction. We work closely with shareholders to help them assess their exit options, find the right partner for their business and maximise value through the process.

If you want to know more about our experience and the options for your business, contact Natalie Ord or James Wild.

Finding the right trade buyer

For a strategic buyer, an acquisition may provide access to new capabilities, new markets, bring cross-selling opportunities and skills-sets they don’t currently have. For these reasons, they often pay a premium and provide a natural home for the business and its people. Our clients take us on their journey to find the right strategic buyer and share insights on what about their business attracted them and whether the hype lived up to the reality.

As one of the most active advisers in the mid-market, our sell-side specialists understand what buyers and investors are looking for and how best to prepare your business for a transaction. We work closely with shareholders to help them assess their exit options, find the right partner for their business and maximise value through the process.

If you want to know more about our experience and the options for your business, contact Natalie Ord or James Wild.