At times when the complex requirements of public reforms and regulations in the financial sphere increase, banks, savings, credit unions and other financial institutions look for ways to obtain direct, ethical and professional business consultation.

In the majority of cases the decision to sell a business is determined by a specific future event within a definable time horizon. In the case of owner managed businesses this is most frequently the decision to retire and realise value from the business, either by passing the company on to the next generation, or through a sale via an MBO or to a third party buyer.

In the case of private-equity backed businesses the sale decision is often determined by the desired investment holding period with an exit strategy being a key consideration as soon as the business is taken into the private equity firm’s portfolio.

 

How Grant Thornton can help

With both owner managed businesses and private equity-backed sales, the anticipated transaction may be two to three years in the future, allowing time to determine how best to maximize the value of the business on sale.

 

Many consider this too early to engage with a Corporate Finance adviser but in fact this is the ideal time to appoint us. Ideally, we will be involved in the sale process up to two years before the anticipated transaction. We engage with you in a collaborative process to fully understand your business and the opportunities and risks that it is facing, to help get it into the best possible shape for a sale. In addition to corporate finance expertise we offer clients the benefits of our in-depth sector specialist knowledge and access to a full range of transactional services.

We give robust advice right from the outset. We will use our insight and experience to demonstrate what the market value for your business is, then identify key potential acquirers, who for strategic reasons will be both willing and able to pay a strategic value for the business. The best potential buyers may be overseas and the strength and reach of Grant Thornton’s international network means that we can quickly access key decision-makers wherever they are located.

Our rigorous deal processes and negotiation skills ensure we communicate the business opportunity to buyers and capture the value premium. We pride ourselves on being with the client every step of the way, offering insight up to and after completion of the sale.