Are you really ready to sell your business

Are you really ready to sell your business?  From our experience, the answer is often a resounding “no.”

Most advisers understand that achieving the best price requires presenting the business in the best possible light. As we often say, your business needs real “kerb appeal” For potential acquirers, first impressions genuinely count.

Even if a sale isn’t currently on your radar, it still makes sense to ensure your business is on an even keel.

I speak to many IFAs who had no intention of selling, but where circumstances changed, sometimes unexpectedly and a sale had to be progressed quickly. In these situations, preparation (or lack of it) can have a significant impact on both the outcome and the value achieved.

This is why we are seeing increasing demand for what we call a “Pre-Sale MOT.”

It’s a practical, independent review of your business designed to:

• highlight areas that may attract scrutiny during due diligence
• identify improvements that could enhance value
• ensure your business is structured in a way that appeals to buyers

Importantly, this isn’t just for those planning an immediate exit. Many IFAs use this service simply to understand where they stand and to make incremental improvements over time, putting themselves in a far stronger position when the time to sell does arrive.

Due to growing demand, we have recently taken on an additional consultant to support this side of the business. Like all of us at Harrison Spence, he brings real-world experience as an IFA, including senior-level involvement in the buying and selling of advice firms within a national network.