Exit Readiness (UK)
From £1.5m valuation to a £6m exit in 12 months
Broker-referred owner removed key-person risk, systemised operations, lifted revenue, and eliminated a 24-month consultancy requirement—unlocking a 4× higher sale price.
The Challenge
Initial valuation of ~£1.5m was contingent on the owner remaining for 24 months post-sale due to high key-person risk and undocumented processes.
The Solution
Built a senior leadership layer, systemised core operations using the LPAD framework, created diligence-ready financial reporting, and strengthened customer contracts.
Key Results
- Achieved a £6m sale price, a 300% increase on the initial valuation.
- Eliminated the 24-month post-sale consultancy requirement for the founder.
- Increased revenue during the 12-month engagement period.
- Transformed the business into a demonstrably “buy-and-run” asset.
The Challenge
A broker-referred business owner was exploring a sale but faced a low valuation of approximately £1.5m, which was heavily contingent on them remaining for a 24-month consultancy period. The business was critically dependent on the founder for sales, operations, and decision-making. With undocumented processes, no leadership bench, and inconsistent management information, the company posed a significant risk to potential buyers.
Our Solution
We implemented a focused exit-readiness plan. The first step was to build a senior leadership team, including an Operations Lead and a Financial Controller, with clear role scorecards to distribute responsibility. We then documented and de-bottlenecked all core processes using our Learn, Perfect, Automate, Delegate (LPAD) framework. A monthly management information pack was created to provide board-style, diligence-ready data. Commercially, we focused on renewing and extending key customer contracts while widening referral channels to create repeatable revenue. Finally, we assembled a clean data room with SOPs, an org chart, contracts, KPIs, and a transition runbook to make the business as transparent and transferable as possible for a buyer.
The Results
The strategic initiatives led to a rapid and dramatic transformation. Within 12 months, the business was sold for £6m—a 300% increase from its initial valuation. The owner’s post-sale consultancy requirement was reduced from 24 months to a minimal handover period, giving them a clean exit. The new management team, documented SOPs, and clear performance metrics made the business a highly attractive “buy-and-run” opportunity, rather than a risky “buy-and-rebuild” project.
"Before mentoring, every road led back to me—buyers knew it. In twelve months we built the team, the systems, and clean numbers. I sold for £6m without being tied in for two years, and the business can thrive without me."
— Founder, Anonymised UK Business