Questions Business Owners Ask Before a Deal

This page answers the most common questions UK SME founders ask when they are considering selling a stake in their business. Topics covered include how a partial sale differs from a full sale, what minority and majority stake sales involve in practice, how business valuations work in the lower mid-market, what EBITDA multiples mean and how they are applied, how long the process takes from first conversation to completion, what confidentiality protections are put in place, whether you can stay involved after selling a majority stake, what rollover equity means and how it works, and who typically buys stakes in UK SMEs. The answers are written in plain English for business owners, not for corporate finance professionals. If you have a question that is not covered here, you can arrange a confidential conversation with a senior adviser at no cost.

Mergers.co.uk is a sell-side advisory firm acting exclusively for UK business owners. We specialise in partial business sales, strategic trade partnerships and staged exits for SMEs with turnover between £2m and £25m.