When shares move between family members, the value on the day of transfer is the number that matters. It affects tax, fairness, and the company records that sit behind the deal. If that figure is guessed, rounded up, or agreed over Sunday lunch with no paper trail, problems tend to show up later. HMRC may…
You can agree a headline valuation for your business and still end up with a smaller cheque on completion. That gap is often net debt, and in a sale it can move the price pound for pound. If you’re selling a UK SME, this matters because buyers usually pay on a cash-free, debt-free basis, then…
Key Takeaways A partner buyout is rarely just a price discussion. You are also dealing with trust, pride, workload, and the future of a company you have both helped build. That is why these talks can turn sharp so quickly. The answer, though, is often yes, you can buy out a partner without damaging the…
One person can carry far more of a business than the balance sheet shows. They hold the client relationships, know the systems, make the calls, and keep the place moving. That is where key person risk starts to matter. If a buyer thinks the business will wobble when that person steps back, leaves, or falls…
Profit is only half the story. A business can look healthy in the latest accounts and still lose value because risks are hiding in plain sight. That matters when you want to sell, raise money, talk to shareholders, or handle HMRC work such as EMI option schemes and share transfers. It also matters if you…
Two businesses can show the exact same net profit on their statutory accounts and still carry very different valuations. The reason? It often comes down to whether a buyer is valuing the business using SDE or EBITDA. For a UK SME, choosing the right metric depends on how the business is run, who is likely…
The best SME valuation method depends on the business model, financial performance, assets, growth prospects, debt, and purpose of the valuation. UK SMEs commonly use asset valuation, DCF, comparable analysis, revenue multiples, or earnings multiples. There isn’t one best way to value every SME. A property-backed builder, a lean consultancy, and a growing software business…
Intellectual property is not valued by its legal label alone. The real question is what it does for the business, how much money it can make, what it helps protect, and how much stronger it makes the company when you sit down to sell, raise funds, license, or deal with HMRC. For UK SMEs, the…
Completion accounts are the bit of a deal that can change the final price after completion, even when buyer and seller thought they had agreed the number already. In plain English, they are used to compare the business’s actual cash, debt, and working capital at closing with the figures assumed in the deal, then adjust…
A business is worth more when it makes money, grows with purpose, and does not wobble the moment the owner steps away. Turnover matters, but it is only part of the picture, two businesses can have similar sales and very different values once profit, risk, systems, and customer concentration are put under the microscope. For…