A New, Professional M&A Advisory Service for Smaller SMEs:

Having just finished my gap year (actually it was a restrictive period after leaving the franchise I was with for 5 years but ‘gap year’ makes me sound younger), I am now back and open for M&A Advisory business.

A business asset is as important as a pension and I think selling businesses should be a regulated profession. However, it’s unlikely this will happen in my working lifetime so, the best I can do is offer SMEs an M&A Advisory run by business people, for business people.

Smaller SME business owners with sales of between say £1m and £5m, are often over-valued and under-serviced but here is what Strategic Business Exits Ltd and its associates will offer smaller SME-business owners from today:

• A small M&A Advisory which will provide a professional service similar to that which larger businesses might expect from a Corporate Finance firm
• A personal and bespoke service delivered by seasoned business people. We have been through 6 business exits and 8 acquisitions of our own, so can fully empathise with business owners in what can be an exciting but fraught process
• Our clients won’t be handed down to back-office staff because we don’t have any – what you see is what you get
• 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 (if appropriate and combined with the above)
• Quality, not glossy, marketing collateral with content aimed at what buyers need to see in order to quickly evaluate an opportunity
• Checks on buyers, including access to funding
• Exit planning advisory – concentrating on the twin pillars of value & preparation
• Acquisitions advisory, helping clients grow through acquisition
• Network of buyers, funding providers, wealth advisors, corporate lawyers, influencers and other professional associates
• We make our living by completing business sales but can only handle a limited number. If we don’t think we can sell a business, we won’t take it on. Maximising up-front retainer fees is not the aim
• Retainer fees will be spread over 6 to 12 monthly payments and credited back from success fees at sale
• 12-month agreement but with a 6-month break clause so, if it’s not working for either party, we can simply part company

I’m pleased to say SBE will be bringing at least 5 sell-side mandates to market over the next few weeks, with more in the pipeline.

If you’d like to discuss any of the services above, or would like to be added to our buyers, funders, or associates lists, please email me: john@strategic-business-exits.com

Last but not least, many thanks to our network of associates for your help and support. We look forward to working with you to help as many SME business owners as we can over the next few years.