SELLING YOUR BUSINESS
Ready to sell your business? Let’s make sure it is ready for market.
We help you understand what it may be worth, prepare it for buyer scrutiny, identify the buyers most likely to value it and negotiate the price and terms through to completion.
Confidential · No obligation · Speak directly with a senior Corporate Finance adviser
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Selling a business is rarely
only a financial decision
You may be considering the future of something that has
shaped much of your life, supported the people around you
and created livelihoods for others. It is natural to feel pride,
uncertainty and responsibility at the same time.
Our role is to give you a clear view of your options, protect
what you have built and guide you through the process with
discretion, honesty and personal involvement from senior
advisers
Clear advice when
the decision matters.
- – Independent judgement
- – Confidential process
- – Senior adviser involved throughout
Most founders know their business. Few have sold one before.
For many founders, this will be the largest, most personal
transaction they undertake. Buyers may have completed many
— so preparation, positioning and negotiation can matter as
much as finding an interested buyer.
Before going to market, you need clear answers:
- What might the business be worth in today’s market?
- What would a buyer question, challenge or discount?
- Which buyers are most likely to recognise its value?
- How can they be approached without unsettling employees, customers or suppliers?
- How should competing offers be compared beyond the headline price?
- How will due diligence be managed without distracting the business from performing?
Ready to sell is not the same as ready for market.
Before we approach buyers, we assess whether the business,
its financials and its sale story are ready to withstand scrutiny.
Addressing weaknesses early protects negotiating leverage
and reduces the risk of surprises later.
Before going to market, you need clear answers:
- Establish a credible view of value and likely buyer interest
- Identify issues that could reduce price, delay the transaction or weaken terms
- Prepare the financial information and evidence buyers will expect
- Present a clear and compelling reason for acquiring the business
- Determine the right buyer universe and route to market
Selected transaction and advisory experience
Our work spans completed sales, exit planning, due diligence
and fundraising. These selected assignments show the
breadth of judgement and execution we bring to a founder’s
transaction.
Completed sale
£18M+
Enterprise value
Specialist drainage and water Technology consultancy infrastructure contractor
Enterprise value Enterprise value Sale to a US-based, private-equity-backed corporate
Our role
Lead sell-side adviser
Completed
September 2023
Acuity guided the shareholders through the sale, built the consolidated transaction model, managed the data room and buyer due diligence, supported negotiations and coordinated the principal transaction workstreams.
Our Finance Function team also stepped in during due diligence and continued supporting the UK operation after completion.
Enterprise value Enterprise value Sale to a US-based, private-equity-backed corporate
Our role
Lead sell-side adviser
Completed
September 2023
Acuity guided the shareholders through the sale, built the consolidated transaction model, managed the data room and buyer due diligence, supported negotiations and coordinated the principal transaction workstreams.
Our Finance Function team also stepped in during due diligence and continued supporting the UK operation after completion.
Completed trade sale
£50M+
Enterprise value
Technology consultancy
Long-term growth support followed by a successful trade sale
Our role
Finance function, modelling and transaction support
Completed
Early 2023
Acuity supported the business as it grew from less than £1m to more than £20m of revenue, built the live transaction model, managed the vendor due-diligence process and data room, and produced the reporting required by transaction stakeholders.
Long-term growth support followed by a successful trade sale
Our role
Finance function, modelling and transaction support
Completed
Early 2023
Acuity supported the business as it grew from less than £1m to more than £20m of revenue, built the live transaction model, managed the vendor due-diligence process and data room, and produced the reporting required by transaction stakeholders.
Exit options & sale readiness
£25m-turnover construction business
Trade sale and Employee Ownership Trust options
Our role Financial modelling, options analysis and sale-readiness review. Acuity built multi-scenario models, tested alternative funding structures, researched transaction comparables and assessed whether the business was ready for a future sale.
Our role Financial modelling, options analysis and sale-readiness review. Acuity built multi-scenario models, tested alternative funding structures, researched transaction comparables and assessed whether the business was ready for a future sale.
Buy-side due diligence
Hard FM, electrical engineering and fire-safety businesses
Leveraged buy-out strategy
Our role
Financial due diligence and quality-of-earnings analysis. Our work identified outdated customer contracts, margin deterioration and historical VAT risks, allowing the management team to address the findings within its transaction protections.
Our role
Financial due diligence and quality-of-earnings analysis. Our work identified outdated customer contracts, margin deterioration and historical VAT risks, allowing the management team to address the findings within its transaction protections.
Capital raise & acquisition
US flight-school acquisition
Approximately £2.4m of angel investment
Our role
Financial modelling, fundraising support and transaction management. Acuity built the investment model, helped structure and negotiate investor terms and supported the transaction through to completion. The relationship continued through an ongoing Finance Function engagement.
Our role
Financial modelling, fundraising support and transaction management. Acuity built the investment model, helped structure and negotiate investor terms and supported the transaction through to completion. The relationship continued through an ongoing Finance Function engagement.
Your transaction will be different. The need for preparation, judgement and disciplined execution will not be.
Considering a sale?
Speak confidentially with a senior Corporate Finance adviser
about what your business may be worth, whether it is ready for
market and what the right next step may be.
about what your business may be worth, whether it is ready for
market and what the right next step may be.
A managed sale process, from
first assessment to completion
We manage the process alongside you, so you can stay
focused on protecting the performance of the business.
focused on protecting the performance of the business.
1. Establish value
and objectives
Understand what the
business may be worth,
what you need from
the transaction and
whether the timing is
right.
2. Prepare the
business for
market
Address the issues
buyers may challenge,
prepare the financial
information and
develop a clear
investment case for
the business.
3. Identify and
approach the right
buyers
Build a carefully
selected buyer
universe and approach
potential acquirers
confidentially and
professionally.
4. Create
competition and
negotiate
Evaluate interest,
compare offers and
negotiate the price,
structure, conditions
and terms of the
transaction.
5. Manage due
diligence through
to completion
Coordinate the
process alongside
your legal and tax
advisers, answer buyer
enquiries and maintain
momentum until the
transaction completes.
The highest headline offer is not always the best deal.
What matters isn’t only the headline price. Cash at completion,
earn-outs, funding certainty, conditions, warranties and the
likelihood of completion can all affect the real outcome.
Acuity helps you compare what each proposal is genuinely offering — and what risk you are being asked to retain.
Acuity helps you compare what each proposal is genuinely offering — and what risk you are being asked to retain.
Headline price is only one part of transaction value.
Your business. Your decision. A process we manage with you.
You remain in control of the important decisions. We bring
independent valuation judgement, buyer strategy and
negotiation discipline, working alongside you and your legal
and tax advisers throughout.
- A senior adviser remains involved throughout
- Buyer approaches are selective and confidential
- The business is positioned using evidence, not unsupported claims
- Offers are assessed across price, terms, risk and certainty
- You receive clear advice at each decision point
- Where the business is not yet ready for market, we will say so rather than push you into a premature sale
Led by someone who understands the business
– and the founder behind it
Acuity combines senior founder and transaction advice with in-house capability across valuation,
financial modelling, due diligence, buyer research and financial analysis.
Simon Howitt
Senior Partner — Business Value Acceleration
Simon leads Acuity’s Business Value Acceleration and founder-advisory work. As a business coach from 2004 to 2020, he prepared more than a dozen business owners for exit and sale, helping them shape their ideal life beyond the business. He helps owners clarify their objectives, assess whether the business is ready for a future transaction and strengthen the factors that influence buyer confidence, providing continuity into the Corporate Finance process
Jonathan Skinner
Managing Partner
Jonathan brings more than 15 years of transaction experience across M&A, private equity and tax advisory, joining Acuity from EY in 2013. He provides senior leadership on transaction strategy, judgement and negotiation, working closely with founders through every stage of a sale. Jonathan also leads Acuity’s cross-disciplinary advisory teams spanning Corporate Finance, Tax Advisory and Finance Function across the firm.se.
Daniel Corless, CFA
Senior Manager, Corporate Finance
Dan is a CFA charterholder and the day-to-day execution lead on Acuity’s Corporate Finance engagements across M&A, capital raising and valuation. He manages financial modelling, deal preparation, negotiation support and due diligence coordination, working closely with founders and their legal and tax advisers, keeping every transaction moving without unnecessary delay from first assessment through to completion, so nothing important gets missed along the way.
Thaveesha Lokuarachch
Business Analyst
Specialist capability in valuation and
financial modelling, with previous
experience at KPMG. Thaveesha supports
transaction teams with detailed
analysis, helping build the evidence
base behind every valuation and deal
recommendation.
Gazal Goel
Gazal Goel
Supports transactions through financial
modelling and data analytics. Gazal
brings relevant industry experience to
every engagement, helping the team
build clear, well-evidenced financial
pictures for founders and buyers alike.
Rukishil Deman
Business Analyst
Brings experience in financial analysis
from roles including EY and IBM. Rukishil
supports transaction teams with
detailed financial and market analysis,
helping build the evidence base behind
Acuity’s recommendations.
Considering a sale?
Tell us a little about your business and what you are considering. A senior member of our Corporate Finance team will contact you, normally within one working day, to understand your position and discuss the appropriate next step.
Your enquiry will be handled confidentially and does not
commit you to beginning a sale process. Fields marked *
are required. See our privacy policy for how we handle your
information.
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