Services - Business Exit Planning

BuiltoExitTM – Business Exit Strategy to maximise value, exclusively for SME’s

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Your Business Exit Strategy starts here

BuiltoExitTM – Planning & delivering exit strategies for businesses.

Clear plan. Confident exit

Selling your business is one of the biggest decisions you will ever make and yet, most business owners leave Exit Planning too late, too loose, or worse, do not plan at all. By leaving your exit to chance, you are potentially missing out on thousands in value. 


A survey by Capital on Tap suggests 79% of UK SME’s have no exit strategy with 75% of those who do exit, regretting the sale due to a lack of preparation. 


At Hilton Smythe, we work with you throughout. We help you plan and deliver your exit.


Our exit strategies for businesses is delivered through our Exit Planning & Delivery Service, part of the BuiltoExitTM Programme, combining commercial advice with hands on implementation to help you prepare, position and progress to the best possible deal. At Hilton Smythe, we're not just interested in the sale of your Business transactionally, we're here to help you well before that takes place.

Business Exit Strategy from Hilton Smythe

Gareth Smyth

CEO Hilton Smythe 

Quote

“We don’t just help you exit. We help you exit well.”

David Hanley, Founder of Competence Matters

“Having Hilton Smythe in my corner made a stressful process so much more manageable and far more successful than I could have achieved on my own.” 

Our services. Three phases

Our exit planning & delivery process includes:

Business Exit Strategy

Exit review

Your exit plan and build

Exit plan build

Delivering your Exit Plan

Delivery & progress

Phase 1

Exit review


We start with a structured assessment of your current state, valuation potential and exit readiness. 


Key areas covered:

• Business model, USP and growth story.

• Financial performance and forecast quality.

• Risks, blockers and buyer red flags.

• Market position and deal benchmarking.

You’ll receive a full written report with clear, actionable recommendations. This sets the foundation for everything that follows.

Exit Review Report
Start Your Exit Review

Phase 2

Exit plan build


Using our Exit Review findings, we co-create a delivery roadmap:

Impact priority logo

Key projects prioritised by value impact.

Roles and Responsibilities icon

Roles and responsibilities clarified.

Time Line Mapped Icon

Time-line mapped to personal and market goals.

Advisor Input Icon

Advisor input (legal, tax, HR) sequenced.

This becomes your Exit Blueprint, showing you not just where you’re going, but how we’ll get there.

Phase 3

Delivery & progress


Then we roll up our sleeves and help you implement the plan:

• Lead value boosting actions (e.g. pricing, working capital, reporting clean-up etc).

• Prepare buyer facing assets and documents.

• Set up your deal data room.

• Coach or manage key team changes (succession, incentives, recruitment).

• Run monthly or quarterly reviews to stay on track.


You stay focused on the business. We help shape it into the one your ideal buyer will want to pay a premium for.

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Gail Hounslea – Ladderstore

“Hilton Smythe carried out a full 360-degree Exit Review health check on our business and provided valuable insights into what we would need in place for a potential future sale.”

Who it’s for

The BuiltoExitTM Planning & Delivery Service is right for you if:

  • You’re thinking about selling in the next 6-24 months.
  • You want to increase exit value and decrease risk.
  • You need help doing, not just deciding.
  • You do not have a clear exit plan.
  • Or, you’ve never had any structured exit advice before.

Gail Hounslea – Ladderstore

“This has been incredibly useful for the business and gives us a solid framework to work through as we plan ahead…” 

How it works

Kick off to Close: End-to-End Support

Initial Discovery Call
Exit Review
Plan Build
Delivery
Progress Review
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Flexible delivery. Clear impact

Choose the level of delivery support that fits your time, team and ambition:

Guided Path

Light touch implementation support


• Quarterly progress calls.

• Exit Review + Planning.

 

Ideal for those with strong internal teams.

Partnered Delivery

Structured monthly delivery and tracking

 

• Project support.

• Buyer Readiness Prep.

 

Best for those who want pace, momentum and accountability.

Embedded Lead

We act as your fractional Exit Manager*

 

• Deep delivery oversight.

• Full coordination with advisors and internal team.

 

Designed for complex businesses or time poor founders.


*Acting as your fractional Exit Manager, we coordinate advisors, track delivery, and make sure nothing falls through the cracks.

 

Let’s Build the Business Your Buyer Wants

If you’re serious about your business exit, planning is not enough. 


Execution matters


The BuiltoExitTM Programme helps you move from decision to delivery, with expert support at every stage. Start with the Exit Review. Stay with us through delivery. Finish with a deal you’re proud of. See our article on The Risks of Not Having a Business Exit Strategy.


One client saw a 22% uplift to value in just 6 months.



BuiltoExitTM – The Strategic Exit Journey, Powered by Hilton Smythe. Business exit planning you can rely on. 

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