Sales Advisory
Ready to leave your business venture? Our director-led approach to sales advisory, helps maximise and protects shareholder value by managing the entire transaction lifecycle – from exit planning, valuation and sell-side due diligence through to marketing, buyer research, deal structuring and negotiation.
Our M&A Process
At Hilton Smythe, we specialise in selling companies with turnovers between £1m-£20m. Through our proven approach, we help you navigate the entire sales journey, ensuring a seamless and lucrative transaction.
- Identifying the best sales route: From trade buyers and private equity firms through to employee ownership trusts and MBOs, we guide you through the full spectrum of options, tailoring the approach to your unique goals and timeline. We’ll assess your company’s readiness, valuation, and timing, ensuring you’re positioned for a seamless and lucrative transaction.
- Conducting a thorough valuation report: We prepare an indicative valuation report, using a variety of different metrics, as well as comparable transaction data.
- Preparing marketing documentation: We prepare the marketing documentation for your business, from the Teaser and confidential advertisements through to the in-depth Information Memorandum, ensuring that prospective buyers understand your unique value proposition.
- Identifying suitable buyers: We leverage our extensive network and industry knowledge to target compatible buyers, managing the approach and the messaging to generate the greatest levels of interest in your business.
- Managing the selling process and negotiating terms: We handle enquiries, control information access with NDAs, coordinate site visits, create competitive tension where appropriate, and negotiate letters of intent and favourable deal terms. We also oversee the entire due diligence process and data rooms, advising on contractual negotiations and managing the legal process through to closing.
Why instruct the services of a business broker when selling your business?
With decades of collective experience in business sales, we understand both SMEs and the process, helping you avoid the common pitfalls that can arise when selling a business – from overvaluing/undervaluing, and insufficient preparation, through to poor record-keeping and taking an open-book approach.
Too often, business owners:
- Misrepresent the true value of their business, failing to accurately apply standard valuation methods, misunderstanding balance sheet items such as cash, stock, and corporation tax, and failing to take into account comparable transactions in the market.
- Are unable to articulate their business’ value proposition, neglecting to highlight key value drivers such as IP, product/service differentiation, recurring revenue, high barriers to entry, sales/product pipelines, industry experience and exposure, a strong management team, and customer diversity.
- Are unable to create competitive tension. A single offer may not reflect your business’ true potential. We employ targeted marketing and negotiation strategies to create a competitive environment, driving up the final sale price.
Hilton Smythe can assist you with:
Preparation: We work with you to ensure your business is ready for due diligence, ensuring that your financial records are in keeping with accepted accounting practices.
Valuation: We prepare an accurate and honest valuation, using accepted valuation metrics and relevant transaction data.
Business positioning: We help you identify and refine your key differentiators, crafting a compelling narrative that showcases your unique value proposition to potential buyers.
Market expertise: We have a good understanding of your industry and comparable transactions, ensuring you receive a market-driven offer.
Confidentiality: We work on a confidential basis, avoiding the pitfalls of an “open-book” approach that can expose sensitive information prematurely.
Looking to get the ball rolling on your business sale? Contact Hilton Smythe today!
Looking for a tax-efficient business exit strategy that also empowers your employees? Looking to pass on the reins to your management team? Hilton Smythe are here to act as your advisors and guide you through what can be a delicate process.
Thinking about a business exit? Hilton Smythe’s exit planning service helps you assess your exit readiness, build your company’s competitive strengths and design an exit strategy that will maximise your sale multiples.
Need clear, unbiased insights into your company’s true value? Our expert valuations team combines proven valuation methods and deep market knowledge to deliver accurate assessments for purposes including exit planning, business sales, management buyouts, tax optimization and expert evidence such as for divorce cases or shareholder disputes.