Buying your first business can be exciting and daunting in equal measure and, despite how prepared you might feel, the entire process is likely to be a learning curve. Making some mistakes along the way is natural and these are things that you’ll learn from and will stand you in good stead when making future acquisitions.
That said, you’ll want your first acquisition to be as successful as possible. A well-executed first acquisi... Continue Reading
When buying a business, there are of course a huge number of things to take into account and to investigate during your discussions with the seller and in your due diligence.
Due diligence is vitally important and will be how you gauge the most crucial facts and figures regarding a business, but asking the right questions of the company’s outgoing owner can provide you with an invaluable insider’s perspective on the state of the... Continue Reading
Generally, we perhaps tend to think of due diligence in the M&A process as being conducted on the buyer’s side, as they look into the business they are considering making a major investment in to ensure there are no hidden snags.
However, due diligence is also important from a seller’s perspective in order to help find the right buyer. Seller’s due diligence is not just crucial for a successful sale, it can also be vital to he... Continue Reading
Pretty much all business owners, no matter the size of their firm, share one common aim: to grow their business and increase its value. Whether you’re the new owner of a business looking to future growth, or you’re planning to sell your current one, increasing its value is equally important to both aims.
Talk of increasing your business’ value may conjure up thoughts of wildly ambitious or complex growth strategies that take y... Continue Reading
In times of upheaval like these, businesses that are looking to do more than merely survive will need to consider what they can do differently. How can they respond and adjust to meet the different needs of customers and clients?
Diversification will be crucial to many firms making it through the COVID-19 pandemic in good shape. But even outside the context of a crisis, diversifying your small business can be an excellent way to tap ... Continue Reading
There are almost countless issues to consider before you make the final decision to purchase a business, but it's important to remember the role the seller can play in helping you make up your mind. While anyone who is selling a business will want to promote their company as best as they can, they can also act as a source of valuable information if you take the time to ask the right questions.
We have put together a list of eig... Continue Reading
Business sales are complicated and time-consuming, so (if possible) one of the best ways to go about them is to plan well in advance. Of course, life as a business owner doesn’t always work out this way and unexpected bumps often appear in the road. But taking as much time as possible to prepare your business for a sale can be the best way to achieve the deal you want.
A quick sale may be tempting, but taking your time carefully c... Continue Reading
Green issues and sustainability have perhaps never been more important to consumers as they are now. Which of course means that it’s important for your business to demonstrate its green credentials in order to gain the respect, trust and commerce of today’s more environmentally aware customers.
By extension, green concerns are also now more important to other businesses and you will perhaps equally need to demonstrate your susta... Continue Reading
When you find the perfect business to buy it's easy to want to jump straight in and make an offer. However, it's important to remember that you may not be the only person who is interested in taking it off the market. No matter whether you're battling with a confirmed rival or simply attempting to pre-emptively bat away any possible competition, you should make every effort to make yourself attractive to the current owner if you wa... Continue Reading
This month, thousands of retailers across the UK will be able to reopen their doors to customers again. Although the UK’s roadmap out of lockdown looks increasingly shaky given the rise of the Indian variant of COVID-19, hospitality businesses are set to follow them and return to full capacity next month.
After so long not trading, or trading under the various restrictions imposed during the pandemic, business owners will undoubte... Continue Reading
If you’ve decided to buy a business and have identified a target, or list of targets, the next step is to start thinking about how you’re going to approach the owner over the possibility of a deal. This can be a daunting process, especially if the business you have in mind isn’t formally “for sale”. However, there are several trusted, effective ways of approaching a potential acquisition in a professional, respectful manner.
Continue Reading
Problems with onboarding new employees are thought to cost the UK’s SMEs millions each year. Significant numbers of workers either don’t start a job or leave within six months due to poor onboarding practices. This costs businesses both in recruitment costs and in terms of their brand value as an employer
Clearly, merely focusing on getting employees through the door while paying little or no heed to ensuring they are welcomed, p... Continue Reading
As the owner of a small or medium-sized business, there might come a time when your business’ growth means that you outgrow your current quarters. Maybe you’re in a home office and looking to move somewhere more professional or you’re thinking of swapping your small office for something bigger.
Whatever your situation, and whether this is your first, second, or even third change of office, planning the move and getting it righ... Continue Reading
A vital element of selling your business will be determining a valuation, which you can then use to guide your sale price. Due to the valuation’s central role in your sales process, it’s something you will need to be certain you get right.
Undervalue your business and you run the risk of attracting a fee that doesn’t reflect your company’s true worth. Overvalue and you may find that potential buyers are unwilling to meet you... Continue Reading
The Spring Budget arrived last week, setting out a plan for the UK’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the crisis still very much ongoing for the time being and significant restrictions in place for the next few months, business owners at the UK’s SMEs will have been keen to hear what kind of aid the government will provide for what are, hopefully, the final few weeks of lockdown.
Financial support con... Continue Reading
For just £30 your business for sale will feature at the top of and in the sidebar on business for sale pages, making your business stand out from the crowd