Selling your business

A clearer route to realising value

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Most of the work that we do is advising clients who are looking to sell their business. Approximately three quarters of the deals that we work on are sell side mandates. So working either with large corporates, looking to sell a subsidiary or working with owner managed businesses that are looking to sell their business. Often these are retirement sales or transactions that they believe will lead to the growth of their company.

Selling a business is a very complicated process, but the most important thing is that it is a very emotional process as well. Often owner managers of businesses don't understand the stress that it will create. Over the course of that six to 12 months. At Heligan, we ensure that we are at the heart of any transaction and build that really close relationship with any of our clients. That involves talking to them on a daily basis, acting as a sounding board whenever they have concerns or have thoughts around a deal, and really helping manage them through that long process.

The corporate finance advisor Heligan sits at the core of any corporate transaction. We manage all the other stakeholders, whether they're the owners of the business, the prospective buyers, other legal advisors, tax advisors, or any other advisors that are involved in the transaction. We are, the project manager that leads everything from day one all the way through to a successful conclusion.

When it is time to consider selling your business, either wholly or partially, the importance of choosing an adviser who combines experience with proven expertise cannot be overstated.

Selling a business is one of the most significant decisions you will make as an owner. The outcome depends on more than finding a buyer: it is shaped by how well you understand your options, prepare the business and present its value to the market.

Heligan’s Corporate Finance team works with shareholders before, during and beyond a sale. We combine transaction experience, sector insight and buyer intelligence to help you plan for the outcome you want and navigate the decisions required to reach it.

At Heligan Group, we act as both strategic advisers and trusted confidants, ensuring your best interests remain the priority throughout the transaction process. Our approach is built on discretion, precision, and value maximisation, guiding you through tailored exit strategies, including: 

  • Trade sales 
  • Private equity transactions 
  • Management buy-outs 
  • Employee ownership trusts 

 

Every transaction is unique. With comprehensive market knowledge and a proven track record, we deliver certainty and peace of mind, ensuring the best possible outcome for your next chapter. We see the process as following 6 key stages. To help you envisage the journey we explain the stages below.

Discuss a potential sale

The work that shapes a sale begins before you go to market

You may know that you want to sell without knowing when, to whom or on what terms. An early conversation can help you establish what the business might be worth today, what could increase its appeal and which issues a prospective buyer may question.

We begin with your commercial and personal ambitions. From there, we assess the business through the eyes of potential buyers and develop a plan to strengthen its position. Starting early creates more time to act on the findings; the right timescale will depend on your circumstances.

What kind of sale is right for you?

A full sale to a trade buyer may be the right outcome, but it is not the only possibility. Depending on your objectives and the business’s circumstances, options may include a partial sale, private equity investment, a management buyout or an employee ownership route.

We help you understand how the available routes differ in value, control, timing and your future involvement, so you can assess them against what matters most to you.

Contact

From your ambition to what comes next

There is no single route to a successful sale. Our five-stage approach gives you a framework for making informed decisions before the business enters the market, throughout the transaction and after completion.

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Understand your ambition
and your starting position

 

What would a successful outcome mean for you? What would a successful sale need to achieve for you, your fellow shareholders and the business? We establish your objectives and timescale, then assess current value and readiness. That includes looking beyond historic financial performance to understand commercial strengths, growth prospects and factors that buyers may regard as risks.

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Build value and reduce uncertainty

 

Once the priorities are clear, we help you develop a focused plan for the areas most likely to influence resilience and buyer confidence. These might include the quality and visibility of earnings, reliance on key customers or individuals, management capacity or the evidence supporting future growth.

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Prepare the business and its story for buyers

 

Before approaching the market, we help prepare for scrutiny, substantiate the investment case and identify buyers with a strong reason to be interested. Sector knowledge and buyer intelligence inform how the opportunity is presented, to whom and at what point.

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Manage the process and weigh the offers

 

We coordinate buyer engagement, offers, negotiation and due diligence through to completion. Price matters, but so do deal structure, certainty, timing and the implications for the people and business involved. We help you assess the full terms of an offer against your original objectives.

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Plan for life after the deal

 

Completion may mark the end of the sale process, but it can be the beginning of a new set of decisions. Depending on the transaction, these may concern a retained interest, your role in the business, future plans or the management of proceeds. We help you consider these questions and bring in relevant expertise where appropriate.

Discuss your plans with us

What will a buyer see in your business?

A valuation is a starting point. The strength of an offer can also depend on how a buyer judges the business’s future earnings, risks and strategic importance.

What could hold value back?

A buyer may examine reliance on key people, customers or contracts; the quality of financial information; the strength of the management team; and any regulatory or operational issues that could affect the transaction.

What could move value forward?

A buyer may place particular value on a capability that is difficult to replicate, a strong position in a specialist market, dependable customer relationships or a credible platform for growth.

Heligan brings together Corporate Finance advice, sector knowledge and market intelligence to investigate both sides of that picture.

Questions to consider before selling your business

  • When should I start preparing to sell?

    Preparation is most useful when there is still time to address issues that could affect buyer confidence or value. You do not need to have decided to sell before seeking an initial assessment of your options.

  • How much is my business worth?

    Value depends on financial performance, future prospects, sector conditions, risk and the strategic value a particular buyer may see. A useful assessment looks at the business as it stands today and what could change its position before a sale.

  • Do I have to sell the whole business?

    Not necessarily. The right structure depends on your objectives, the business and the opportunities available. We can help you compare a full exit with options that allow you to retain an interest or remain involved.

  • How long does a sale take?

    The active transaction and the preparation leading up to it are different periods. The timing depends on the business, the work needed before launch, buyer interest and the complexity of the deal. We would establish a realistic plan around your circumstances.

Other Corporate Finance services

Buying a business

We support management teams, investors and corporates through acquisition strategy, opportunity assessment and transaction execution.

Raising finance

Whether funding growth, investment or strategic change, we advise on debt and equity solutions aligned with your objectives.

Strategic advice

Providing insight and guidance when important decisions require a broader understanding of value, opportunity and risk.

Considering what a sale could mean for you?

Whether you have a timescale in mind or are exploring the possibility for the first time, we can help you understand your starting position and the decisions ahead.

This firm is regulated by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales for a range of investment business activities. This firm is not authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 but we are able in certain circumstances to offer a limited range of investment services to clients because we are members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. We can provide these investment services if they are an incidental part of the professional services we have been engaged to provide.

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