Business sale advice for established business owners
Thinking about selling the business you've spent years building?
Maybe you've made a decision. Maybe you haven't.
Either way, you'll want to understand what your business is realistically worth, whether the market is likely to pay it, who the right buyer might be and what happens to the people and customers you've spent years looking after.
No obligation. Completely confidential.
"An exit you can feel comfortable walking away from."
Why owners reach this point
It's rarely about one single reason.
Maybe running it has started to feel more draining than it used to.
Maybe you've reached a point where the business could give you the financial security to do something else, and you're not sure yet what that looks like.
Maybe you've already had a call from a broker, or met a firm or two, and it didn't feel right.
You don't need to have made your mind up. You may simply want to understand your options.
What a successful exit looks like
A good price matters. So does who you're selling to.
01
A strong result
Getting a strong, realistic result matters. The number has to reflect the years you've put in.
02
The right buyer
The highest headline offer isn't always the strongest deal. Funding, structure, buyer credibility and the likelihood of completion all matter.
You've built something that pays wages and looks after clients who trust you. Price is important, but it is not the only measure.
Who leads your sale
You deal with Gavin, from the first conversation to completion.
You deal directly with Gavin, from the first conversation through valuation, buyer approaches and negotiation, all the way to completion.
When negotiations get difficult, buyers need chasing or the process starts creating pressure, Gavin stays involved and helps keep things moving.
One adviser.
One point of contact.
No handover.
The first conversation
What it's worth and whether it will sell are two different questions.
A valuation
Tells you what the numbers suggest.
Saleability
Asks a harder question: whether the market is actually likely to pay it.
We call the first conversation an Exit Reality Check.
At no obligation, Gavin will start to give you a realistic view of where your business may sit, how saleable it looks today, what could make a sale difficult and what the sensible next step might be.
If the honest answer is "not yet", that's what you'll hear.
No obligation. Completely confidential.
Not ready to sell yet? Find out about Coach to Sell
How it works
The process, in plain English.
Stage 01
A confidential conversation about your situation
Stage 02
An honest view of value and saleability
Stage 03
Preparing the business for market, without disrupting how it runs day to day
Stage 04
Finding and qualifying the right buyers, confidentially
Stage 05
Negotiating offers, not just accepting the first one
Stage 06
Managing due diligence and keeping the deal moving
Stage 07
Completion and a proper handover
Deals can fall through.
If that happens, we'll explain clearly why, what it means and what your realistic options are from there.
Qualifying buyers
Not every enquiry deserves access to your business.
Before a buyer gets access to sensitive information, we want to understand whether they can fund the acquisition, why they want to buy, whether we're dealing with the decision maker and whether there's a genuine fit.
We also look at their intentions for the business and whether the proposed deal structure stands up to scrutiny.
Nothing sensitive is shared before a confidentiality agreement is in place.
- Funding
- Whether they can genuinely fund the acquisition, not just talk about it.
- Intent
- Why they want to buy, and what they plan to do with the business.
- Authority
- Whether we're dealing with the decision maker, not a messenger.
- Fit
- Whether there's a genuine fit between buyer and business.
- People
- Their intentions for the people who work for you.
- Structure
- Whether the proposed deal structure stands up to scrutiny.
Staying informed
You shouldn't have to wonder what's happening with your sale.
While your business is being actively marketed, you'll get a weekly update.
You'll know what's been happening, how buyers have responded, which conversations are live, anything that's holding things up and what happens next.
Even when there's nothing significant to report, you'll know where things stand.
Your weekly update
Activity this week
What has been done on your sale
Buyer responses
How each approached buyer has responded
Live conversations
Which discussions are active and where they stand
Blockers
Anything holding things up, and what is being done about it
Next actions
What happens next, and when
From Gavin, every week your business is on the market.
Experience
We understand what buyers look for, because we've been buyers ourselves.
Before founding Transition 360 Partners Ltd, Gavin built and ran his own group of businesses, completing nine acquisitions as part of its growth.
He's experienced transactions as a buyer, business owner and adviser, and now uses that experience to help owners navigate their own exit.
Knowing what buyers look for, where they'll challenge the numbers and what can cause a deal to stall makes a difference when you're sitting on the seller's side of the table.
9
acquisitions completed as part of growing his own group of businesses
- 01
As a buyer
Gavin built and ran his own group of businesses, completing nine acquisitions as part of its growth.
- 02
As an owner
He has run businesses himself, so he understands what the years of building actually feel like.
- 03
As an adviser
He now uses that experience to help owners navigate their own exit, sitting on the seller's side of the table.
Gavin Page
Founder, Transition 360 Partners Ltd
About Gavin
You'll deal directly with Gavin.
Selling a business is a big decision, and for most owners it's not something they've done before.
Gavin understands that because he's spent years running businesses himself as well as buying and selling them.
From your first conversation to completion, Gavin remains personally responsible for your sale.
You'll have his direct contact details and you won't be passed from one person to another.
Clear fees from the start
You should know what selling your business will cost.
Our fees are explained before you instruct us, including what is payable when we start marketing your business, when the Transaction Progress Fee becomes due and when your sale completes.
Stage 1
When you instruct us
An upfront marketing retainer is agreed based on the value and requirements of your business.
This covers the work involved in preparing your business for market and beginning the sale process.
Stage 2
Transaction Progress Fee
When Heads of Terms, a Letter of Intent, Memorandum of Understanding or similar agreement is signed with your chosen buyer, a Transaction Progress Fee of 0.5% of the Enterprise Value becomes due.
This payment is credited in full against the success fee payable when the transaction completes. There is no cap on this fee.
Stage 3
When your sale completes
The remaining success fee becomes payable when the transaction completes.
5% of Enterprise Value up to and including £1,000,000. 2.5% of Enterprise Value above £1,000,000.
Real fee examples
See what you could pay at different Enterprise Values. These examples show the upfront marketing retainer, the Transaction Progress Fee and the success fee.
Enterprise Value
£250,000
Enterprise Value
£500,000
Enterprise Value
£750,000
Enterprise Value
£1,000,000
Enterprise Value
£2,000,000
Upfront marketing retainer bands
The Transaction Progress Fee is not an additional success fee. It is credited in full against the success fee due at completion. The upfront marketing retainer is separate.
The figures above are examples based on the Enterprise Values shown. Your exact marketing retainer and fee structure will be agreed with you before you instruct us.
All fees shown exclude VAT.
How the credit works
For example, on a £500,000 business, the success fee is £25,000. You pay £2,500 of this as a Transaction Progress Fee when Heads of Terms are signed, leaving £22,500 of the success fee payable when the sale completes. Together with the £3,000 upfront marketing retainer, your total professional fees would be £28,000, excluding VAT.
Common questions about our fees
Common questions
Before you get in touch.
Start here
Start with a conversation, not a decision.
Tell us a little about the business and what's on your mind.
You'll hear back directly from Gavin, and nothing about this conversation goes further without your say so.
No obligation. Completely confidential.