ICAEW Chartered Accountant · UK M&A Advisory · London
Sell Your Business in the UK — M&A Advisory Built for SME Founders
If you're thinking "how do I sell my business in the UK", you're in the right place. Most founders sell once. Buyers do it every quarter. We close that experience gap so you negotiate from strength.
Consult EFC is a London-based, ICAEW-regulated UK M&A advisor for SMEs in the £2M–£30M enterprise value range. Big Four trained, investment banking background, partner-led from independent valuation through to legal completion.
"Buyers do this every day. Most founders do it once. Our job is to close that experience gap so you walk into every negotiation with the same preparation and financial clarity as the other side of the table."
Independent business valuation before any buyer is approached
Targeted buyer identification — strategic and PE
Full due diligence management — Kish leads every stage
Deal structuring to maximise net proceeds to founders
The reality of selling a UK SME
Four ways founders lose value when selling a business in the UK
If you're researching how to sell a business in the UK, these are the four places we see SME founders lose six- and seven-figure sums — and exactly what a properly run M&A process does to prevent them.
01
Valuation chipping in due diligence
Experienced acquirers use due diligence to reduce the headline price. Normalisation adjustments, working capital pegs and deferred consideration structures are all standard tools used against founders selling for the first time. A properly prepared independent UK business valuation and clean financial pack make this much harder.
02
Talking to only one buyer at a time
Founders who approach buyers directly end up in exclusive conversations with a single acquirer — which immediately destroys negotiating position. A properly run UK sell-side M&A process creates competitive tension between multiple qualified strategic and PE buyers. That tension is what moves the headline price.
03
Financial information that does not hold up
A buyer's finance team will dissect your management accounts, challenge every EBITDA adjustment and industry multiple and probe revenue quality. If your pack is not built to institutional standards, it raises questions about the business itself, not just the numbers.
04
Deal structures that look better than they are
Earn-outs, deferred consideration and loan notes all shift the real economic outcome of a UK business sale. Understanding what a headline number means in actual cash terms — and how that interacts with EMI options and HMRC share valuation — requires genuine deal experience.
UK M&A advisory service scope
Everything covered, from independent valuation to legal completion
Kish is present at every stage. No handoff to junior staff at any point in your UK business sale.
UK business valuation & market positioning
Before approaching any buyer, we establish your business's defensible value using EBITDA multiples, revenue multiples and DCF — the same methodologies applied by top-tier global acquirers. See our UK business valuation guide.
EBITDA normalisation
Comparable transaction benchmarking
Buyer identification & confidential approach
We identify the universe of qualified UK and international buyers — strategic acquirers and private equity — creating the competitive tension that drives the final sale price for your company.
No-names confidential teaser
Structured outreach & NDA process
Due diligence & SPA negotiation
Due diligence is where valuations get chipped. We manage the process end-to-end, pre-empt buyer concerns, and negotiate heads of terms and the SPA to protect your headline price and net proceeds.
Secure data room build
Earn-out & deferred consideration modelling
The UK SME sale process
How to sell a business in the UK — the M&A process explained
A typical UK SME sale takes six to twelve months from engagement to legal completion. Here is exactly how we structure that time.
1
Months 1 to 2
Preparation & positioning
Independent valuation, EBITDA normalisation, financial information pack, confidential information memorandum (CIM), and data room. Your business is presented in its strongest light before a single buyer is approached.
2
Months 2 to 4
Market approach & indicative offers
Confidential outreach to a targeted longlist of qualified strategic and PE buyers. NDAs, management presentations and a structured indicative offer process designed to generate multiple bids and hold competitive tension.
3
Months 4 to 12
Due diligence, SPA negotiation & completion
Preferred buyer selected, exclusivity agreed, due diligence managed end-to-end, heads of terms and the share purchase agreement (SPA) negotiated, and legal completion coordinated with your solicitors. We stay present through to cash in account.
We are selective about the engagements we take on. Sell-side M&A only works when there is a genuine, well-prepared exit opportunity to build a process around — typically £2M–£30M enterprise value.
01
UK SME owners, £1M–£20M+ turnover
Owner-managed UK businesses with a clear commercial proposition and recurring or scalable revenue, considering a full or partial sale in the next one to three years.
02
UK SaaS & technology founders
High-growth software and technology businesses from Seed through Series B, where exit options include strategic trade sale, secondary transaction or PE-backed acquisition. Often paired with a Fractional CFO in the 12 months pre-exit.
03
Professional services & consultancies
Agency, accountancy, recruitment, legal and consultancy businesses where value sits in client relationships and people — requiring a specific approach to buyer identification, earn-out structuring and management retention.
FAQs — selling a business in the UK
Frequently asked questions about selling your UK business
How do I sell my business in the UK?
Selling a UK business is a 6–12 month process: independent valuation and financial preparation, confidential outreach to a targeted buyer list, due diligence, negotiation of heads of terms and a share purchase agreement, and legal completion. Most SME founders use an M&A advisor to run the process, maintain competitive tension between buyers and defend valuation through due diligence.
How much is my UK business worth?
UK SMEs are typically valued on an EBITDA multiple basis — the multiple driven by sector, growth rate, recurring revenue quality, customer concentration and scale. Tech and SaaS businesses often trade on revenue multiples. An independent UK business valuation models all three approaches before any buyer is approached.
What does an M&A advisor actually do for an SME sale?
A sell-side M&A advisor runs the entire sale: independent valuation, preparation of the financial pack and information memorandum, confidential identification and approach of qualified buyers, management of due diligence, deal structuring and negotiation of heads of terms and the SPA through to legal completion. The advisor's job is to create competitive tension and defend valuation under due diligence pressure.
How much does an M&A advisor cost in the UK?
UK M&A advisor fees on SME deals are usually structured as an engagement retainer plus a success fee calculated as a percentage of enterprise value at completion. The success-fee weighting means the advisor's incentives are aligned with achieving the highest realistic sale price. Full fee structures are agreed transparently at engagement.
Is a UK business broker the same as an M&A advisor?
No. A business broker typically lists smaller businesses on online marketplaces with limited buyer screening and minimal financial preparation. An M&A advisor runs a managed, confidential, competitive process built around an independent valuation, a targeted buyer longlist and full due diligence support. For UK SMEs above £2M enterprise value, an M&A advisor consistently delivers higher net proceeds than a broker.
When should I start the process of selling my business?
Earlier than most founders expect. The best UK exits are built over 12 to 36 months — not announced six weeks before you want to complete. Starting early gives time to clean the financial history, normalise EBITDA, resolve structural issues such as shareholder agreements and customer concentration, and approach the market from a position of strength rather than urgency.
How long does it take to sell a UK SME?
A well-prepared UK SME sale typically takes 6 to 12 months from formal engagement to legal completion. Timelines extend when financial information needs rebuilding, due diligence uncovers issues, or buyer financing requires committee approvals. Realistic timelines are set at the start of any engagement.
What are typical EBITDA multiples for UK SMEs?
UK SME EBITDA multiples typically range from 3x–8x for traditional services and industrials, 5x–12x for high-quality professional services and B2B platforms, and 8x–20x+ for high-growth SaaS measured on revenue. Sector, growth rate, customer concentration, recurring revenue and management depth drive where in the range a specific business sits. See our EBITDA multiples by industry UK report 2026.
Can I sell part of my business rather than 100%?
Yes. UK SME founders increasingly choose partial exits: a private equity minority or majority investment that releases personal liquidity while retaining equity for a second growth phase, a secondary share sale to existing investors, or a staged management buy-out. Each structure has different tax, governance and timeline implications, and should be modelled against a 100% trade sale before commitment.
Will my staff and clients find out I am selling?
Not while the process is correctly managed. Buyer outreach happens under NDA using a no-names teaser, and the company identity is only revealed after a qualified buyer has signed confidentiality and progressed to the information memorandum stage. Discretion through to exchange is fundamental to protecting staff, customers and competitive position.
How is Consult EFC different from a larger UK M&A boutique?
Larger mid-market M&A boutiques typically focus on transactions above £50M enterprise value and pass smaller engagements to junior teams. Consult EFC is built specifically for the £2M–£30M EV range, with Kish Patel ACA leading every engagement personally. SME founders get partner-level attention from valuation through completion, not a team of analysts.
Do you work with UK SaaS and technology businesses?
Yes. We act for high-growth UK SaaS and tech founders from Seed through Series B, where exit options include strategic trade sale, secondary transaction or PE-backed acquisition. Tech sale processes require revenue-multiple valuation methodologies, ARR cohort analysis and a buyer universe that extends to international strategic acquirers and growth equity.
ICAEW Chartered Accountant · UK M&A Advisory · London
Thinking about selling your UK business? Start with a confidential conversation.
Book a free 30-minute call with Kish. We will talk through your timeline, your valuation expectations and what a realistic UK sale process looks like for your business. No pressure, no pitch — an honest conversation with an ICAEW-regulated M&A advisor who has done this before.
