FAQs – How to Sell your Business in the UK
If you are considering selling your company, the right adviser will make the process smoother, maximise your sale price, and help you achieve the outcome you want. The Corporate Finance Network (The CFN) brings together independent firms across the UK that specialise in selling owner-managed businesses.
Our advisers guide you through every step of the sale process — from preparing your business for market, through to completion of the deal.
Why choose The CFN?
- UK specialists – our member firms work exclusively with SMEs and owner-managed businesses across the UK.
- Proven track record – over 700 transactions completed in multiple sectors.
- Local expertise, national reach – regional firms supported by The CFN network’s knowledge and resources.
- Independent advice – we represent your interests, not the buyer’s.
The steps to selling your business
- Valuation – assess what your business is worth using recognised valuation methods.
- Preparation – tidy up financials, contracts, and operations to improve buyer confidence.
- Finding buyers – identify and approach potential acquirers discreetly.
- Negotiation – structure the deal to maximise value and minimise risk.
- Due diligence – support you through the buyer’s review process.
- Legal contracts – introduce you to suitable corporate lawyers and review the early drafts of the documentation and supporting you through the process
- Completion – finalise contracts and ensure a smooth handover.
- Post-completion – manage any completion accounts or handovers
FAQs
Which adviser can help me sell my UK business?
Member firms of The CFN are independent corporate finance advisers specialising in SME sell-side transactions. We help you prepare, value, and sell your business, managing the whole process from start to finish. Our firms are based locally but have access to all the same resources and databases which the largest firms have.
How do I sell my UK company?
The process begins with preparing you and the company for sale. The longer you allow for this, the better, years ideally. This gives you a better chance of a higher valuation and a smoother sale.
Our advisers then identify the right buyers, negotiate on your behalf, and guide you through due diligence until completion.
What’s my business worth?
Value depends on profits, growth potential, sector, and market demand. Our advisers can provide a professional valuation and a Sellability Score report, or we can just ‘Test the Market’ to see what the appetite is.
Get started
Selling your business is one of the most important financial decisions you will make. Speak to your local CFN member firm today to find out how we can help you achieve the best outcome.
Contact us
FAQs – Business Valuation
What’s My Business Worth?
Understanding the true value of your company is the first step before making any major decision – whether you’re selling, raising finance, or planning succession.
The Corporate Finance Network (The CFN) helps UK business owners of all sizes assess their company’s value, using proven methods and real-world deal experience. Our advisers give you a clear, independent view of what your business is really worth in the current market.
Remember, a business can be worth different things to different potential buyers, investors or individuals. There is no one single value, but we can usually provide a range of values.
Why valuation matters
- Set realistic expectations – avoid under- or over-valuing your company or being shocked with the outcome. Don’t listen to your mate in the pub or assume you’re the same as the business which was recently sold in your sector.
- Prepare for sale – identify strengths and weaknesses that affect price and work with our advisers to identify the action points to make the deal smoother & more successful.
- Negotiate with confidence – know your numbers when talking to buyers or investors.
- Plan ahead – use valuation insights for tax, succession, and long-term strategy.
How we value your business
Our advisers use recognised approaches, adapted for SMEs and owner-managed companies:
- Earnings multiples – applying relevant industry multiples to profit figures.
- Turnover multiples – these are used more often in some sectors, especially those with strong recurring income, such as SaaS or subscription businesses
- Asset-based valuation – calculating net assets and balance sheet strength.
- Comparable transactions – referencing recent sales of similar businesses.
- Discounted cash flow (DCF) – valuing future expected cash flows can be used, especially for start-ups or pre-revenue businesses, but do rely on good quality financial projections & assumptions which can be evidenced
We also assess non-financial factors that influence value, such as intangible assets, customer base, contracts, management strength, growth potential and liquidity.
The Sellability Score
The CFN offers the Sellability Score – a tailored assessment that benchmarks your business against thousands of others. It identifies where value can be increased before you go to market, giving you the chance to improve outcomes.
FAQs
What’s my business worth?
Every company is different. Value depends on profitability, sector trends, growth potential, and risk profile. Our advisers provide independent valuations that reflect market reality.
When should I get a valuation?
Ideally well before you plan to sell. Early valuations highlight improvements you can make to increase sale value. Sometimes we won’t use a valuation if you are ready to go to market to sell – letting the market value your business is far more accurate than any theoretical, paper valuation exercise.
Do I need a valuation if I’m not selling?
Yes — valuations are useful for raising finance, tax planning, shareholder changes, and succession planning. Plus there are often required for disputes, company reorganisations or employee incentives.
Next steps
A professional valuation gives you clarity and confidence. Speak to your local CFN adviser today to arrange a valuation.
Contact us here.
If you are considering selling your company, the right adviser will make the process smoother, maximise your sale price, and help you achieve the outcome you want. The Corporate Finance Network (The CFN) brings together independent firms across the UK that specialise in selling owner-managed businesses.
Our advisers guide you through every step of the sale process — from preparing your business for market, through to completion of the deal.
Why choose The CFN?
- UK specialists – our member firms work exclusively with SMEs and owner-managed businesses across the UK.
- Proven track record – over 700 transactions completed in multiple sectors.
- Local expertise, national reach – regional firms supported by The CFN network’s knowledge and resources.
- Independent advice – we represent your interests, not the buyer’s.
The steps to selling your business
- Valuation – assess what your business is worth using recognised valuation methods.
- Preparation – tidy up financials, contracts, and operations to improve buyer confidence.
- Finding buyers – identify and approach potential acquirers discreetly.
- Negotiation – structure the deal to maximise value and minimise risk.
- Due diligence – support you through the buyer’s review process.
- Legal contracts – introduce you to suitable corporate lawyers and review the early drafts of the documentation and supporting you through the process
- Completion – finalise contracts and ensure a smooth handover.
- Post-completion – manage any completion accounts or handovers
FAQs
Which adviser can help me sell my UK business?
Member firms of The CFN are independent corporate finance advisers specialising in SME sell-side transactions. We help you prepare, value, and sell your business, managing the whole process from start to finish. Our firms are based locally but have access to all the same resources and databases which the largest firms have.
How do I sell my UK company?
The process begins with preparing you and the company for sale. The longer you allow for this, the better, years ideally. This gives you a better chance of a higher valuation and a smoother sale.
Our advisers then identify the right buyers, negotiate on your behalf, and guide you through due diligence until completion.
What’s my business worth?
Value depends on profits, growth potential, sector, and market demand. Our advisers can provide a professional valuation and a Sellability Score report, or we can just ‘Test the Market’ to see what the appetite is.
Get started
Selling your business is one of the most important financial decisions you will make. Speak to your local CFN member firm today to find out how we can help you achieve the best outcome.
Contact us
FAQs – Which Adviser Can Help Me Buy a UK Business?
Acquiring another company can be the fastest way to grow, diversify, or strengthen your existing business. But buying a business is complex — from finding the right opportunity to negotiating terms and securing funding.
The Corporate Finance Network (The CFN) connects you with experienced advisers across the UK who specialise in supporting SME business acquisitions. Whether you’re a first-time buyer or an experienced investor, our member firms guide you through every stage of the process.
Why work with CFN advisers?
- National reach, local knowledge – access advisers across the UK with sector expertise.
- Proven experience – support on hundreds of SME acquisitions and investments.
- Independent advice – we represent your interests, not the seller’s.
- End-to-end support – from brainstorming to refine your ideal acquisition strategy, to identifying & approaching targets to post-completion and integration.
The acquisition process
- Strategy – define why you’re buying, your budget, and your target profile. Focus on the deal where 1 + 1 will = 3.
- Deal sourcing – identify potential acquisition targets and approach them discreetly .
- Valuation – consider what company may be valued at for you, with your plans & suggest different deal structures which help to mitigate your risk but provide the outcome the vendor requires.
- Negotiation – handle communications, allowing you to continue running your own business, to arrive at an outline deal and heads of terms which you can both agree on.
- Funding – explore financing options and secure the right structure.
- Due diligence – review financial, legal, and operational issues, plus plan for your integration.
- Legals – introduce you to appropriate corporate lawyers who can prepare the legal documentation & advise on any further issues, hand-holding through the process.
- Completion & integration – finalise the purchase and plan the transition.
FAQs
Which adviser can help me buy a UK business?
The member firms of The CFN provide independent corporate finance advice to buyers. They help you source, evaluate, and acquire businesses with confidence.
How do I find businesses to buy?
Our advisers use their networks, databases, and market research to identify opportunities that match your criteria.
Can you help with funding?
Yes. CFN advisers work with banks, private investors, and specialist lenders to arrange acquisition finance. They also have access to Capitalise.com, the funding platform with over 130 debt lenders and numerous lending products.
Take the next step
If you’re considering buying a UK business, talk to The CFN. Our advisers can help you find the right opportunity and guide you safely through the acquisition process.
Contact us.
Why should you use a member firm of The Corporate Finance Network?
- Not just highly qualified accountants – our member firms are all proactive business advisors, trained to help you with your commercial challenges, not just your tax and audit
- Specialists in advising upon smaller transactions – as regional and independent accountancy firms, they will provide a high quality of advice, but without the cost and impersonal nature which is often associated with a larger firm
- Not just highly qualified accountants – our member firms are all proactive business advisors, trained to help you with your commercial challenges, not just your tax and audit
- Specialists in advising upon smaller transactions – as regional and independent accountancy firms, they will provide a high quality of advice, but without the cost and impersonal nature which is often associated with a larger firm
- For highly specialised corporate finance, tax, legal or marketing issues, our firms have access to some of the best technical support available from our Executive Team
- Our member firms commit to regular training and are up to date with the most recent market information, attending a minimum of three corporate finance conferences per year
- As a national network, if you have a particular commercial issue, there is more than likely going to be someone within our member firms who has experienced this before
Do you believe your existing accountant or advisor…:
- Can provide you with all the commercial advice you require?
- Actively helps you to grow a more profitable and enjoyable business?
- Assists you to develop your business in a way that means more purchasers want to buy it?
If you would like to consider the alternatives please just contact us and we will put you in touch with our nearest member firm to you. We think you’ll be impressed.
