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Business Advisory Services London

Online support for London businesses. A headline price tells you little about the assumptions behind a deal.

01Valuations
02Financial due diligence
03Recovery planning

How the service works

Explore specialist support

  • Business valuation services — Understand what drives the value of your business and how sensitive that value is to key assumptions.
  • Buying a business — Test the financial case for an acquisition before deciding how much to commit.
  • Selling a business — Prepare financial information that a buyer can understand, reconcile and challenge.
  • Financial due diligence — Examine the quality of the numbers behind a proposed transaction.
  • Business recovery planning — Identify near-term cash pressure and compare the financial effect of practical recovery options.

A headline price tells you little about the assumptions behind a deal. Two businesses with the same reported profit can have different customer concentration, cash requirements and dependence on the owner. We help London buyers, sellers and directors examine those differences. The first conversation establishes the decision at stake, the information available and the level of analysis that is sensible for the size and stage of the transaction.

Understanding maintainable earnings

Start with reported results and examine items that may not recur under new ownership. An exceptional contract, a one-off expense or a director working below a market salary can all affect the comparison. Each proposed adjustment needs a reason and supporting evidence. Adding back a cost is only defensible if the business can operate without it or the replacement cost has been included elsewhere.

Looking beyond an earnings multiple

A multiple can provide a reference point, but the comparison depends on the quality of the evidence. Growth prospects, recurring income, management depth and the need for reinvestment influence what a buyer may be prepared to pay. We show how a valuation changes when material assumptions change. A range with an explanation of its drivers is often more informative for negotiation than a single figure presented without context.

Financial due diligence before a purchase

The review begins with the questions that could change the decision to proceed. We examine the relationship between management accounts, annual figures and cash movements, then look more closely at areas such as margins, customer balances and debt. Missing information is recorded as an open issue. A useful report distinguishes a verified finding from a question still awaiting evidence, so the buyer knows what remains uncertain.

Tracing revenue quality

Start with the customers whose loss would materially change the business. Check how long they have traded, whether revenue repeats under contract and whether recent growth reflects higher prices, higher volumes or one-off projects. Then compare reported sales with cash collection and credits issued after the period end. Strong headline growth can have very different implications depending on those details. A reviewer should be able to explain the evidence for an assumption about retention and show what happens to earnings if that assumption changes.

Reading the balance sheet before the deal

A balance sheet snapshot may include overdue debtors, stock that has moved slowly or balances with connected parties that will be settled on different terms. Review the age and recoverability of material balances alongside the proposed treatment at completion. The aim is to identify questions for the transaction team early. A buyer who understands how much cash will be tied up after completion can assess the total funding requirement more realistically than one who looks at the headline price alone.

What’s included

  • Valuations
  • Financial due diligence
  • Recovery planning
Business valuations & due diligence
By quotation
Scope and fee agreed before work begins.
  • Agreed deliverables
  • Named contact
  • Review together
Discuss your requirements
All services

What you receive

We work with you online. Each stage produces a record you can check, share with your team and use at the next review.

01RECORDS

Business valuation services

We establish the purpose and valuation date, examine reported earnings and identify adjustments supported by evidence. Customer concentration, dependence on the owner and cash needed for reinvestment all influence the result. We explain the range and the assumptions behind it.

Earnings review
02REVIEW

Buying a business

We review the target’s monthly trading, customer mix, cash conversion, borrowing and working capital. We record the evidence behind important findings and maintain a list of open questions. These findings help a buyer judge whether the assumptions in the offer remain credible.

Acquisition model
03DECISIONS

Selling a business

We organise the trading history, explain unusual results and document the basis for any proposed earnings adjustments. Monthly management accounts, customer schedules and borrowing records should tell a consistent story. Preparing them in advance can reduce repeated requests during a buyer’s review.

Seller information pack

How we work together

1

Agree the brief

Identify the decisions and records that matter.

2

Prepare the work

Gather the figures and review the assumptions.

3

Review together

Discuss the findings and agree next steps.

UKBusiness finance

A valuation question before making an offer

Imagine a buyer reviewing a London agency with three years of rising revenue. The largest customer represents a material share of sales, and the founder manages that relationship personally. A simple earnings multiple leaves two questions unanswered. Would that customer continue after the founder steps back, and what would it cost to replace the founder’s role? A review might examine contract terms, historic renewal patterns, staffing capacity and the margin on that work. The model can then compare a continuity case with a slower handover. Neither scenario predicts the outcome with certainty. Together they help the buyer identify what to investigate before making an offer, how much working capital to allow and which assumptions deserve explicit discussion during negotiations.

Working capital and the cash needed after completion

A business may grow successfully and still require fresh cash soon after purchase. Stock might have to be paid for before delivery, or a few large customers may settle invoices slowly. Reviewing monthly working capital can reveal seasonal patterns that a year-end snapshot misses. We consider the ordinary operating requirement alongside overdue balances and unusual items, so directors can discuss funding needs as well as the purchase price.

Preparing a business for sale

Sellers can make a review more efficient by organising the evidence behind their numbers before questions arrive. Useful material includes monthly accounts, revenue by customer, aged debtors and creditors, borrowing schedules and explanations of exceptional costs. We help identify gaps and reconcile inconsistent figures. The purpose is to give potential buyers a coherent set of information and reduce avoidable delays when they test the business’s claims.

Recovery and cash planning

When liquidity is under pressure, start with the dates and amounts that matter most. Identify available cash, expected receipts, essential payments and assumptions that still require confirmation. Compare the effect of actions such as collecting an overdue balance or rescheduling a planned purchase. We can support the financial analysis and explain the trade-offs directors face. The scope of that work is agreed separately from any legal or formal insolvency advice.

Documenting unresolved findings

Use an issues list that records the question, its potential significance, the evidence requested and who owns the response. A gap in information does not automatically imply a problem, but it should remain visible until resolved. For example, an unusually strong month may have a straightforward explanation in delivery timing. If supporting records are unavailable, the buyer can decide whether to seek more evidence, test a downside case or revisit the assumption in the valuation. Clear categorisation helps keep negotiations focused.

Connecting recovery planning to weekly decisions

An annual profit forecast is too broad when directors need to know whether payroll and essential suppliers can be paid in the next few weeks. Start from reconciled cash and build a dated list of receipts and payments. Identify which items are confirmed and which depend on customer behaviour or management action. Revisit the list as information changes. A forecast that records both the revised figure and the reason for the change is more informative than a series of unexplained versions circulated by email.

Which earnings would carry over after a sale?

Illustrative business question
01Valuations
02Financial due diligence
03Recovery planning

Common questions

Discuss your requirements

A valuation estimates a range of value for a stated purpose using defined assumptions. Financial due diligence tests the information behind a proposed transaction and identifies matters that could change the buyer’s view. The two can inform each other. For example, a valuation may assume a stable margin, while due diligence finds that the last year benefited from an unusually favourable supplier contract. The finding can then be incorporated into the valuation and the buyer’s assessment of future cash needs.

Begin with accounts that can be reconciled across periods and a clear explanation of how revenue is earned. Provide monthly management figures, customer concentration, borrowing and working capital schedules at a level appropriate to the review. Document significant changes such as a new site, an owner stepping back or a shift from one-off work to recurring contracts. These explanations are more useful when supported by evidence that a reviewer can trace rather than a presentation of adjusted earnings alone.

The intended use matters. An owner assessing succession options may need an indicative range and a discussion of the factors they can influence. A formal purpose can require a different methodology, level of evidence or specialist qualifications. We establish the purpose, intended recipient and valuation date before agreeing scope. For internal planning, a sensitivity analysis can show how changes in recurring revenue, dependence on the owner or working capital affect the business over time.