When is the best time to start exit planning for a UK business?

The ideal window is 12 to 36 months before your target exit date. This timeframe allows us to optimize your EBITDA, clean up your balance sheet, and remove founder-dependency, ensuring you don't face 'price chips' during the due diligence process.

How does Consult EFC improve a company's valuation before an exit?

We focus on 'Investor-Grade' readiness. This includes implementing robust SaaS metrics (MRR, ARR, Churn), tightening cash flow management, and ensuring your financial reporting meets Big Four audit standards, which significantly reduces perceived risk for buyers.

What is the difference between a Trade Sale and a Management Buyout (MBO)?

A trade sale involves selling 100% of the business to a strategic buyer (often a competitor), typically yielding the highest price. An MBO involves selling the company to your existing management team, often supported by private equity, allowing for a phased exit and continuity of culture.

Do you provide business valuations for the 2026 market?

Yes. Our valuations are based on current 2026 market multiples and sector-specific benchmarks. We provide a 'proof pack' that justifies your valuation to potential acquirers, covering everything from normalized EBITDA to recurring revenue quality.

How do recent UK tax changes affect my business exit?

Exit timing and structure are heavily influenced by Capital Gains Tax (CGT) and Business Asset Disposal Relief (BADR). We work alongside your tax team to ensure the deal is structured to maximize your net-of-tax proceeds.

ICAEW Chartered Accountant · Exit Planning · London

Exit Planning Adviser:
Prepare Your Business
for Sale the Right Way

Most business sales underperform because the preparation was wrong, not the business. Buyers find gaps in the numbers, unclear value drivers, and risks that surface too late in due diligence.

Consult EFC prepares UK business owners for a sale the way an experienced acquirer would want to see it: clean financials, a credible valuation, a clear commercial story, and a structured process that keeps momentum and protects value.

ICAEW Regulated Big Four Trained Investment Banking Background Partner-Led from Day One

Book a Confidential Call See the workstreams

12 to 36

Months ideal prep window

ICAEW

Regulated and chartered

One adviser

Prep and transaction, no handovers

Kish Patel ACA

ICAEW Chartered Accountant
Exit Planning Adviser, Consult EFC

"The founders who get the best outcomes start preparing two years before they plan to sell. The ones who call us six weeks before going to market always wish they had started sooner."

What we cover

Financial clean-up, normalisation and reporting

Valuation range and value driver analysis

Information memorandum and data room

Buyer outreach, negotiation and completion

Why exits underperform

Deals fail in preparation, not in negotiation

Buyers do not just look at profit. They look for risk. Uncertainty in the numbers, weak evidence behind performance, or issues that surface too late in due diligence all give buyers the grounds to reprice or walk away. We fix these before you go to market.

Numbers that do not stand up

Inconsistent monthly reporting, unexplained adjustments, and unnormalised EBITDA all give a buyer's finance team grounds to question the whole financial story. We tighten reporting, normalise EBITDA properly, and make sure every number is defensible.

Valuation expectations that miss the mark

Founders who enter a sale without a clear, evidence-based valuation either price too high and deter buyers, or accept an offer below what the business is worth. We build the valuation case based on actual performance drivers and comparable market evidence.

Buyers losing confidence mid-process

Slow responses to due diligence queries, gaps in the data room, and inconsistencies between the information memorandum and the management accounts all erode buyer confidence. We prepare diligence materials early so questions are answered quickly and completely.

A process that drifts and loses momentum

Without a structured timetable and an adviser managing communications, transactions slow down. A buyer who is still interested but not hearing from you will start to look at other opportunities. We run a disciplined process that maintains momentum from first approach through to completion.

What we deliver

Exit planning and corporate finance workstreams

Each workstream is led by Kish personally. No junior handoff at any stage.

Exit Readiness Review

Review of financials, reporting, controls, and buyer-focused risk areas. A clear plan to fix gaps before going to market.

Identifies what buyers will find before they find it.

Valuation and Value Drivers

Valuation range, value drivers, risk adjustments, and buyer positioning based on comparable market evidence.

Sets realistic expectations and strengthens your negotiating position.

Information Memorandum

Financial story, performance analysis, KPIs, and supporting schedules built to institutional standards.

Gives buyers a clear reason to engage and progress the conversation.

Buyer Targeting

Target list, outreach approach, buyer qualification, and first-stage discussions managed confidentially throughout.

Increases buyer interest and creates the competitive tension that drives price.

Data Room and Due Diligence

Data room checklist, document pack, Q&A management, and analysis support through the full due diligence process.

Reduces delays, prevents deal fatigue, and protects valuation.

Negotiation and Completion

Offer comparison, term review, negotiation preparation, deal structuring, and completion support through to legal close.

Helps you choose the right offer and reduces execution risk at the final stage.

How we work

How we run the sale process

Four stages from first call to legal completion. Kish runs each one.

Confidential call

Objectives, timeline and buyer types

A 30-minute confidential conversation to understand your objectives, timeline, and what the right route to market looks like for your specific business. No obligation, no pitch.

Preparation

Reporting, valuation and a clear story

Financial clean-up, EBITDA normalisation, valuation work, information memorandum, and data room preparation. Everything a buyer's team will want to see, ready before the first approach.

Go to market

Outreach, buyer conversations and first offers

Confidential outreach to a targeted buyer list, NDAs, management presentations, and a structured indicative offer process designed to maintain competitive tension and deliver multiple qualified bids.

Completion

Due diligence, negotiation and legal close

Preferred buyer confirmed, exclusivity agreed, due diligence managed, SPA negotiated, and legal completion coordinated with your solicitors. We stay present through to cash in account.

Start with a Confidential Call

Free · Confidential · No obligation

Exit readiness checklist

Are you ready to go to market?

These are the areas buyers will assess in the first 48 hours. By Kishen Patel, ICAEW Chartered Accountant.

Free resource

90-Day Exit Readiness Roadmap

Professionalise your finance function and protect your equity before going to market.

Access the roadmap

Financial readiness

Normalised EBITDA

Personal expenses and one-off costs identified and properly documented with supporting evidence.

Reliable monthly reporting

Management accounts prepared consistently and on time for at least the last 24 months.

Supporting schedules

All balance sheet items supported with clear reconciliations and explanations.

Operational readiness

Reduced founder dependency

Operations can run without daily founder involvement. Buyers pay less for businesses that cannot function without the seller.

Documented processes

Key business processes documented and repeatable. Shows an acquirer the business will transition without disruption.

Management visibility

KPIs and performance reviewed and reported regularly. Demonstrates that management understands the business.

Commercial readiness

Customer diversification

No single customer representing more than 20 to 25% of revenue. High concentration is a direct risk adjustment on valuation.

Contract clarity

Customer contracts and terms properly documented, with notice periods and renewal rights clearly understood.

Revenue visibility

Clear understanding of what drives revenue and why it will continue after the sale. Buyers want visibility, not a leap of faith.

Common questions

Selling your business: FAQs

Can you run the full sale process as the corporate finance adviser?

Yes. Consult EFC can prepare the business for sale and run the full corporate finance process, including buyer outreach, offer management, negotiation support, and due diligence through to completion. You work with one adviser across the entire transaction, which means fewer handovers, a consistent financial story, and faster progress.

When should I start preparing to sell?

The ideal preparation window is 12 to 24 months before you intend to sell. This gives you enough time to normalise EBITDA properly, build a consistent financial track record, and address any operational risks before they become buyer objections. If your timeline is shorter, we prioritise the areas buyers will test first and focus on what protects value.

Will you help with valuation and pricing expectations?

Yes. We provide a valuation range and walk through how buyers are likely to price risk, growth, and profitability based on your specific financials and comparable market benchmarks. Understanding this before you go to market means you enter negotiations with realistic expectations and a clear position to defend.

What do buyers typically ask for in due diligence?

Buyers typically want to see consistent monthly reporting and clear revenue recognition, normalised EBITDA with documented adjustments, customer concentration data and contract terms, working capital trends and cash conversion, forecast assumptions with supporting evidence, and tax filings alongside key legal documentation. Good preparation means none of this comes as a surprise during due diligence.

Do you work with businesses across the UK?

Yes. We support clients across the UK. Delivery can be on-site, remote, or a combination of both depending on what your situation requires. The initial conversation is always confidential and always free.