Business Exits | MBOs | Acquisitions | Business Valuations | Exit Planning
Over the past 45 years, we have successfully established and operated our own businesses and been through many exits and acquisitions of our own. This means we are uniquely qualified to guide you through your own business exit or acquisition.
Welcome to Strategic Business Exits
M&A Advisory
If you’re considering selling your business, either in the short term or in the foreseeable future, we can provide personal and expert M&A Advisory services from valuation, preparation for sale and marketing through to sale completion.
A business may be as important as a pension but business sales are not regulated. Any business sale, therefore, should be placed in trusted and safe hands, where the interests of the client are paramount.
As entrepreneurs ourselves and having been through many business exits (see our individual profiles below), along with 2 MBOs and 6 other acquisitions of our own, we are uniquely qualified to advise business owners on how to maximise and realise the full value of their exit.
Importantly, valuations are fully-researched, professionally prepared and realistic.
Meet Our Team
Chris Wilde
Associate
For almost 10 years, Chris was Director of Corporate Development at Restore plc, a £300m AIM-listed company.
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Chris led the M&A team in the Company’s ambitious ‘buy and build’ strategy. Before that he ran the UK acquisitions operation for Cintas Corporation, a $4bn facilities services business.
Chris’s specialist markets include Document Management, Digital Transformation, Software Services, Hardware Distribution, ITAD & IT Recycling. Since 2001, Chris has been instrumental in managing around 100 acquisitions in these markets, with deal values ranging from £200,000 to £80m+, totalling in excess of £300m deployed. The 100 deal completions include more than 20 of Chris’s own transactions.
In addition, in 2010, Chris sold his own digital imaging, data capture and document storage business, Preview Services, in a multi-million-pound deal.
Chris brings a huge amount of heavyweight M&A experience to Strategic Business Exits, along with a presence in the south.
Robert W M Dean
Associate
Robert has had a long career in the timber trade and was part of a management buy-out team in 1996.
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In 1998, together with a colleague, he started Panelco Ltd, which they operated and grew up to £25m turnover with 105 employees. Panelco was sold in 2007 to a Private Equity company specialising in timber trade investments. Panelco expanded organically and through acquisition of other trading businesses.
After remaining at Panelco Ltd for almost 5 years post-acquisition, Robert started Boardtek Ltd, with two other Shareholders. After 3 very successful years, Robert decided to leave and sell his shares to the remaining Shareholders.
Robert is Director and Shareholder of a Commercial Property Investment business.
He is qualified to AAT Professional Level, with an additional ACCA Business Valuations qualification.
Since 2016, Robert has worked in M&A and for much of that time alongside John Knight, specialising in sell side advisory.
Carl Jarvis
Associate
Originally a qualified Mechanical & Production Engineer, since 1999 Carl has been a Senior Marketing Advisor specialising in private consulting to SME businesses owners, across the West Midlands.
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As the author of the Amazon #1 bestseller ‘Marketing for Manufacturers’ he uses his business knowledge, expertise and understanding to bring a refreshing perspective to business owners’ key decision-making.
He has experience in Strategic Marketing, Digital Marketing & Strategic Business Development, especially in manufacturing, as well as Property Industry Franchising.
For Strategic Business Exits, Carl brings his strategic marketing, research and market intelligence skills to bear including proactive buyer search and acquisition targets research, on behalf of clients
John Knight
Managing Director
John has over 45 years’ experience as an entrepreneur and has built and sold 6 of his own very diverse businesses, as well as being involved in 4 acquisitions, including an MBO.
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His business background includes advertising, marketing, intellectual property, branding & licensing. In addition, John, along with a business partner, acquired 2 steel engineering businesses which were subsequently sold to management in 2023.
John established Strategic Business Exits in 2016 to offer professional and trusted advice for SME business owners looking to exit.
This, and the fact he has worked in M&A for the past 8 years, (much of that time with SBE Associate, Robert Dean), handling the sale of dozens of businesses, means John, along with his Associates, is uniquely qualified to help other SME business owners either sell their business, or grow through acquisition.
Summary of our approach and service commitment for clients:
- A personal and bespoke service delivered by seasoned entrepreneurs – collectively, we’ve been through over 30 business exits and acquisitions of our own, so can fully empathise with business owners
- A deep knowledge or thoroughly researched position on the specific business sectors in which we act
- Professionally-produced, fully-researched and realistic valuations
- We don’t publish a price, we invite offers
- Researched and targeted off-market buyer search
- Targeted marketing in specialist M&A portals (if appropriate and combined with the above)
- Concise (not glossy) sale collateral with content aimed at what buyers need to see in order to quickly evaluate an opportunity
- Checks on buyers, including access to funding
- Network of buyers, funding providers, wealth advisors, corporate lawyers, influencers and other professional associates
If you’d like a confidential conversation about any of the above, please email one of our team.
Our Services
As seasoned entrepreneurs ourselves and having been through several business exits and acquisitions of our own, we are uniquely qualified to guide you through your own business exit or acquisition:
Business Exits
We guide you through the entire process from initial valuation through the proactive buyer search, marketing and dealing with all enquirers; drafting Heads of Terms to the appointment of an M&A lawyer, overseeing the SPA and deal completion. One of the four of us will be your project lead.
Management Buy-Outs (MBOs)
One of your potential buyers could be your own management. We can guide you from initial discussions and valuation, through negotiations and fundraising to deal completion. Alternatively, you could consider selling to your entire workforce through an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT). Either way, we can advise you through the process.
Acquisitions
Should you decide to grow your business through acquisition, we can help, whether the target is already known to you, or if you need us to find suitable targets.
Business Valuations
Our business valuations are realistic, professionally-prepared and fully researched by our Associate, Robert Dean, who has an ACCA qualification in Business Valuations. Accounts analysis of either 3 or 5 years is carried out to establish EBIT, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA figures for the business, followed by research into deals completed in the relevant sector, which can often give us a steer on likely multiples and potential buyers.
It’s worth noting that all of our deal completions have been within the valuation bands indicated in our client valuation reports.
We also carry out valuations for situations other than business exits, such as shareholder disputes, probate, partial share sales, divorce, etc.
Exit Planning
Most businesses aren’t prepared for sale at the point the owner wishes to exit. It is advisable to plan your exit, where feasible, in order to maximise the value and mitigate any potential issues when it comes to due diligence. Strategic Business Exits can develop a bespoke plan for you and your business, in conjunction with your other advisors.
Case Studies
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Horsleys of Stafford
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Project ITAD
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D.S. Willetts (Stainless)
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Baxcrest
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eDen Garden Rooms
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Joseph Lymer & Son
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M&S Joinery
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Billinghams
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J Turner & Associates
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If you’d like a confidential conversation about any of the above, please email one of our expert team to find out more about how Strategic Business Exits can assist you.
John Knight
Chris Wilde
Robert W M Dean
