WORLD’S FIRST ETHICAL M&A ADVISORS Two of the UK’s leading M&A advisors have launched the world’s first ethics-driven deal-making consultancy. Whilst many advisors signal their progressive credentials, new consultancy CapEQ was launched in July 2020 with a plan to build their entire operation around the concept. The aim is to achieve B Corps status within …
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Be aware of anyone who doesn’t start by explaining the risks and pitfalls, such as accepting large earn-outs without exploring the inherent risk. We can all get carried away with a high Enterprise value. The devil is in the detail.
Deborah Richards joins Capeq Newly-formed M&A advisor Capeq has signalled its intent to shake up the industry by appointing Deborah Richards as a non-executive director. Already differentiated by its pursuit of B-Corp status*, Capeq believes that Richards’ experience across government, the public sector and FTSE 100 PLCs will add strategic and operational expertise to an …
Engagement by senior management is crucial for integration to be a success. The team needs to be part of the journey if you as a shareholder are expecting to walk away on day one #managment #social #startups
As a company owner being aware of the social, environmental, and ethical effects on the wider world makes you a better business, not worse. In this present market being able to articulate these core beliefs will make you stand out from the crowd. #entrepreneurship #social #management
Whether it’s called people skills, empathy, or self-awareness, emotional intelligence is now firmly established as a critical component of business success. Hard to measure but easy to recognise, a team with high EQ is better equipped for the emotional rollercoaster of a business sale. For most founders and entrepreneurs, selling a business is an intensely …
You have spent years building your business. You have probably risked everything along the way. So when you want to move on, you need someone who can do more than complete the deal. You need someone who understands what’s at stake, can build a trusted and aligned working relationship with all the parties involved, and …
Ask any shareholder who has successfully sold their business, or acquired another, to state the most important aspects of the transaction. Invariably they will mention trust: trust in their advisors and trust in the counter party. Without this high level of trust, it is almost impossible to complete a transaction. Trust is the bedrock of …
Mark Sapsford, co-founder, Capeq The OK Corral looks great on film, but few of us want to encounter it in matters of business. Yet even today, Mergers and Acquisitions can feel like shootouts without rules – or even functioning revolvers. Lawyers offer covering fire, but usually late in the day, when the sun is in …
By adding scale, skills, and assets, your business can reach further, faster, and more cost-efficiently. It can be cheaper and quicker to acquire capabilities ready-made than develop them in house. When buying a business, you’re going to have to identify the opportunity, negotiate the deal, complete a raft of processes, then integrate two organisations into …
YOU’RE THINKING OF SELLING (OR EXITING) YOUR BUSINESS Great. ‘Can I sell my business?’ – and ‘How do I sell my business?’ are two of our favourite questions – because we have the answers. Making company sales work smoothly, effectively, and profitably is the backbone of what we do. We recognise that selling and handing …
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INVESTING FOR GROWTH A healthy business is a growing business, so at some point you are going to look around for funding. For years, the traditional route has been to take on banking debt or seek private equity/venture capital investment. More recently, innovative sources of funding have become available, with the last decade or so …
Some things to think about before embarking on acquiring another business: Set target criteria Finding a target is easy. Finding the right target is hard. A good advisor can save you from making an easy but expensive mistake. Structure the deal It takes skills and experience to structure the right deal at the right price …
Delivering the sale (leaving no stone unturned) So how do we go about shaping your business for sale? There is no single model: we always create a bespoke approach, tailored to your specific needs, which addresses: Timing: we give you market-based fact driven advice on when to approach the market. This combines new research with …
Ask any shareholder who has successfully sold their business, or acquired another, to state the most important aspects of the transaction. Invariably they will mention trust: trust in their advisors and trust in the counterparty. Without this high level of trust, it is almost impossible to complete a transaction. Trust is the bedrock of relationships. …
CapEQ Asides Thoughts on buying and selling businesses, from CapEQ WHAT AM I SELLING? If you’re thinking of selling your business or some of its assets, you might be wondering what you’re putting on the table. Here’s an overview … The vast majority of business sales in the UK are share sales. The purchaser buys …
Recently formed M&A advisor Cap Equity Advisors (“CapEQ”) has signalled its intent to further shake up the industry by appointing Doug Edmunds as a Partner to help with the exceptional growth they are experiencing. Already differentiated by its pursuit of B-Corp status*, CapEQ believes that Edmunds’ experience across technology, business-services, and distribution sectors will add …
The Add-Back is Only as Good as Its Justification we take time to make sure we get the balance right. Especially during these unprecedented times For buyers and lenders to accept these “add-backs” into their valuation and underwriting methodology, add-backs must be reasonable, well-documented, and defensible. We recommend that business owners track the impact that …
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Preparation of finding the right buyer With a multitude of options in between, it’s our experience that there is a “sweet spot” on this spectrum for your unique deal, and making the right decisions upfront will greatly affect your final outcome. Finding that sweet spot requires a careful and objective evaluation of your opportunity as …
When do I sell my company? Like every owner, you will one day exit your business — voluntarily or involuntarily. On that day, you will want to attain certain business and personal objectives: the first (and usually prerequisite to all others) is financial security. Believe it or not, most owners do absolutely nothing to consciously …
Is your business too small to sell? “My business isn’t worth enough to meet my financial needs – when it is I’ll think about leaving.” This is a common and relatively reasonable assumption: why spend time, effort and money to plan to leave your business when you cannot do so today? Why not wait until …
I Will Be Required to Work for a New Owner for Years. If one of an owner’s exit objectives is to leave the business as soon as possible, he or she needs to direct the exit planning advisor to make that a prerequisite of any sale. Some buyers require sellers to stay on after the …
I will be required to work for a new owner for years. Read More »
Key Questions to Determine Scope of a sale Process (Posted 07/01/2021) We offer you some of the key questions that can be used to begin to ascertain how broad or how narrow your sale process should be: Is there a small number of buyers who would reasonably have interest and have the financial wherewithal to …
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CapEQ adds Belgium and Baltics to network Boutique M&A firm CapEQ has continued its rapid expansion in 2020 by appointing two new Directors to the team. A fluent French and German speaker, Stuart Ward will concentrate on international markets and the food and agriculture sector. Having spent 30 years running, growing, and selling companies …
Do You Have a Plan? Almost all businesses have one thing in common- they will all generate maximum value for their owners when their owners sell the business. At that point, the owner generates years of profits in a tax-free, risk-free manner and generates financial freedom for them and their families. Our clients invariably tell …
Who really needs a succession plan? “I don’t need to plan. When I am ready, a buyer will find me.” One of the hard lessons of the Recession of 2008–2011 and in 2020 is that the timing of an exit depends on a vibrant economy with active buyers, a company with strong cash flow, and …
While much has been written about what persuades investors to buy stakes in businesses, a lot of the discussion revolves around the investors’ decision process in relation to assessing seed or start-up investment opportunities. Advice is often targeted at “the pitch”, the qualities of the founder/s, etc. However, in the market for mature and, ahem, …
This Business Is My Life! I Can’t Imagine My Life Without It! We all know business owners whose belly fires have gone cold and whose animating goals have grown stale. Nonetheless, they hang on to their businesses because they cannot imagine life without going to work. We also know owners who remain energized and involved …
This business is my life! I can’t imagine my life without it! Read More »
From cutting global emissions, sparking a baby boom, killing off flu, or government scientists becoming household names – the Covid pandemic has had some unintended consequences. But for most business owners, the consequences are darker: with rapidly changing business models, political uncertainty, and huge financial pressure causing stressful days and sleepless nights. The evidence is …
Always remember that a business is bought on the assumption of its economic benefit to its owner. The more stable the financial future — as well as other factors like technological changes or environmental regulations — can have an effect on a buyer’s emotions. This relates to how long the buyer is willing to risk …
It is surprising how many business owners think they can save on a deal team. While it may seem tempting to save the fees, it has been shown that having a trusted advisor like CapEQ on your transaction more than pays for itself, and generates an average of 20% more transaction value. Additionally, having the …
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17 February 2021 Have you been approached to buy your company? Have you been approached to buy your company? If you have here are some points to be considered. You Have to Take Buyer Paper Some buyers will make it seem like everyone takes Buyer paper as part of the purchase price. We often recommend …
Alan Branagh joins CapEQ CapEQ has announced its expansion into Ireland to offer honest M&A advice to business owners and M&A directors north and south of the border. Alan Branagh has joined the business, bringing more than 35 years’ business and M&A experience to CapEQ, alongside his skills as a C-suite performance coach (most recently …
03 March 2021 UK software and IT M&A update 2021 After the expected 2020 dip in UK technology M&A activity (down 19% on 2019) deal-making returned with a bang in Q4, with more than 200 transactions completed across subsectors from cybersecurity to data management, and SaaS to cloud services. Here, we share insights on who’s …
Cap Equity Advisors Ltd is an appointed representative of VCAP Capital Ltd which is Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under FRN 790419
