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SME Corporate Finance Appraisals

London SME Valuations
Built for the
Decisions That Matter Most

Q: Can you value a business for a shareholder dispute?

Yes. Shareholder disputes, including minority buyouts, unfair prejudice petitions, and deadlocked partnerships, require an independent expert valuation. We work alongside London solicitors to produce methodology-driven reports built to withstand legal challenge and cross-examination in Court.

Q: How long does an EMI valuation take and what does HMRC do with it?

An EMI valuation typically takes 5 to 10 business days once we have your financial information. We prepare the AMV (Actual Market Value) and UMV (Unrestricted Market Value) and submit directly to HMRC SAV. HMRC usually agrees the valuation within 2 to 4 weeks.

Selling to a strategic buyer. Running a management buyout. Using a SSAS pension to buy commercial property. Settling a shareholder dispute. Setting up EMI options for your team. Each of these decisions turns on one number, your Enterprise and Equity Value, and that number needs to hold up to scrutiny.

Consult EFC provides ICAEW-grade, partner-led business valuations for London SMEs, using the same methodology Big Four corporate finance teams apply to M&A due diligence. Fixed fees, no junior analysts. Based in Covent Garden, working with founders and finance directors across the City, Canary Wharf, Shoreditch, Mayfair, and every London borough.

Years Experience

Trained & Qualified

Day Turnaround

ICAEW Chartered Accountant HMRC SAV Compliant Covent Garden, London

Kishen Patel, BFP ACA

ICAEW Chartered Accountant · London

Get your London valuation started

No obligation. Personally reviewed within one business day.

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What do you need a valuation for?

Confidential · Fixed fees · 1 business day response

DCF · EBITDA Multiples · Comparable Transactions HMRC SAV Compliant Partner-Led · No Junior Analysts Fixed Fees · Confidential

When London SME Owners
Need a Defensible Number

Every valuation we produce is built around a specific transaction or trigger event. These are the situations London business owners most often come to us for.

M&A Exit Planning

Most London SME owners only think about valuation once a buyer appears, and by then it’s too late to close the gaps in Equity value. We work with founders 12 to 36 months ahead of a sale, identifying what buyers will challenge, what drives your multiple, and what to fix before heads of terms are signed.

SSAS Pension Business Valuations

A Small Self-Administered Scheme can lend money to your business or buy commercial property, but the price has to be independently justified at fair open market value. HMRC scrutinises connected-party SSAS transactions closely. Our ICAEW-backed valuation gives trustees the documented evidence the Pension Regulator and HMRC require.

Management Buyout (MBO) & MBI

When a management team buys the business from the founder, or an external team buys in, both sides need an independent valuation they can trust. An MBO without a credible, documented number tends to create disputes that unwind deals. We produce neutral valuations that give management teams, exiting owners, and lenders a fair starting point.

Shareholder Disputes & Unfair Prejudice

Disputes between co-founders almost always come down to what the business is worth. Whether you’re buying out a minority shareholder, responding to an unfair prejudice petition, or facing a boardroom deadlock, you need a valuation that can withstand legal challenge. Our reports are built to the standard London solicitors and the Courts expect.

EMI Option Schemes & HMRC Clearance

Enterprise Management Incentives are one of the most effective ways to retain key staff without a cash outlay, but HMRC requires an agreed valuation before options can be granted. We prepare the AMV and UMV reports to HMRC’s SAV standard, submit on your behalf, and handle any follow-up queries.

VC Fundraising & Investment Rounds

London’s Seed to Series B market is competitive, and investors expect founders to arrive with a defensible, methodology-backed valuation rather than a number from a revenue multiple calculator. Our reports help prevent unnecessary dilution and give investors a credible pre-money figure to work from.

Why ICAEW Credentials
Change the Outcome

For a SSAS transaction, the Pensions Regulator and HMRC both require clear evidence of open market value. For an MBO, the lender providing acquisition finance will run its own due diligence against your number. For a shareholder dispute, your solicitor needs a report that holds up under cross-examination. In each case, an ICAEW Chartered Accountant’s sign-off is the credential that settles the argument.

Kishen trained at Deloitte and has spent 12+ years preparing valuations across Investment Banking and corporate advisory. Every report is partner-led, with the methodology fully documented to the standard that HMRC, the Courts, investors, and acquirers recognise.

SSAS valuations accepted by HMRC and scheme trustees without challenge

MBO reports used by management teams, founders, and acquisition lenders

EMI valuations submitted directly to HMRC SAV for fast clearance

Shareholder dispute reports prepared for London solicitors

Kishen Patel

Founder, Consult EFC · BFP ACA

ICAEW Chartered Accountant. Big Four trained at Deloitte. 12+ years across Investment Banking, Big Four audit, and UK SME corporate advisory. Kishen leads every engagement personally, from first call to signed report.

From Enquiry to Defensible Report

Three steps. 7–10 days. A number that holds up in any boardroom.

Tell Us What You Need

Exit, MBO, SSAS, EMI, or a dispute, describe your situation. Kishen reviews every submission personally and responds within one business day.

ICAEW-Grade Analysis

DCF modelling, normalised EBITDA, and comparable transactions, calibrated to your sector and your specific situation.

Your Signed Report

Delivered within 7–10 days, signed by an ICAEW Chartered Accountant, ready for HMRC, your lender, investors, solicitors, or the other side.

“We were preparing for an exit and needed a valuation we could rely on. Consult EFC delivered a thorough, well-evidenced report that helped us close several value gaps before going to market.”

David M.

SME Founder · London

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a SSAS pension valuation and why do I need one?

A Small Self-Administered Scheme (SSAS) allows a pension fund to lend money to a sponsoring employer or buy commercial property from a connected party. HMRC requires that any such transaction happens at open market value, evidenced by an independent, qualified valuation. Without it, the transaction can be treated as an unauthorised payment and trigger tax penalties. Our ICAEW-backed reports give HMRC and pension scheme administrators the evidence they need.

We’re planning an MBO – what valuation do we actually need?

An MBO needs a neutral, credible valuation that both the exiting owner and the management team can accept as a fair starting point. It also needs to satisfy any lender providing acquisition finance, since banks and private debt providers will run their own due diligence against the number. We produce exit-standard valuations using DCF analysis, normalised EBITDA multiples, and comparable transactions, with every assumption documented so it can be tested and defended.

How early should I get a valuation if I’m thinking about exiting?

Ideally 18 to 36 months before you want to complete a sale. That gives you time to act on what the valuation reveals, whether that’s addressing customer concentration, building a management team that reduces owner dependency, cleaning up the statutory accounts, or locking in recurring revenue contracts. We offer exit preparation valuations specifically to identify these gaps and give you a route to closing them before you go to market.

Can you value a business for a shareholder dispute?

Yes. Shareholder disputes, whether a minority buyout, an unfair prejudice petition, or a deadlocked partnership, usually require an independent expert valuation. We work alongside London solicitors and produce reports built to the standard expected in formal legal proceedings. The methodology and assumptions are fully documented, and the report is built to withstand cross-examination should the matter reach Court.

How long does an EMI valuation take and what does HMRC do with it?

An EMI valuation usually takes 5 to 10 business days once we have your financial information. We prepare the AMV (Actual Market Value) and UMV (Unrestricted Market Value) and submit directly to HMRC’s Shares and Assets Valuation team on your behalf. HMRC typically agrees the valuation within 2 to 4 weeks, and that figure is then used to set the strike price for options granted under the scheme. Our reports are accepted by HMRC SAV without challenge.

Whatever the situation –
the number has to be right.

No obligation. Fixed fees. ICAEW Chartered Accountant. Response within one business day.

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