Sequel Partners – who are we?
SELLING YOUR BUSINESS
Why sell?
Clients typically approach us when they are thinking about retirement, or seeking to capitalise on their success to focus on other ventures.
We provide a full range of advisory services and transaction support for vendors, management teams and investors.
The sale of your business may well be the realisation of a lifetime’s work.
The proceeds may also represent a very significant portion of your wealth and retirement funds.So it’s vital to get it right!
What makes a business attractive to the right buyer?
It’s vital to position your company in the right way if you are going to maximise both price and strategic fit.
The exit planning process needs to be well structured, and ideally we like to work with clients at least 18 months before taking the company to market.
You need to see exit planning as a strategic process – one which needs careful planning. It’s not a quick review ahead of a dash to the finishing line!
You need to demonstrate:
A successful track record with increasing sales and profits
A robust business model which can thrive in the ‘post-Covid’ world
A fully integrated management team that runs the business and is not dependent on you for day to day leadership
That non-business assets can be excluded, problem issues and risks have been resolved, and that you are ‘ready for market’
Tax and Wealth Planning
You need to review your pension plans and undertake a pre-sale capital gains tax review – so that you optimise your funds and take full advantage of the 10% CGT rate on the first £1m whilst this is still around…
It is an ideal time to review IHT planning and bring your will up to date.
Are you really ready to sell?
You need to be ready for the next chapter in your life.
This means that at a practical and emotional level, you are ready to walk away. Often we find business owners who struggle to come to terms with this as the sale approaches.
Make sure you’ve talked this through with family and close friends. Have your retirmenet plans ready, so when Completion Day arrives, you are uncorking the champagne - without too many tears!