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For Business Owners

Selling Your Business

Most owners sell a business once. There is no reason to already know how the process works, what it costs, or how to keep it quiet while it happens.

This page answers the questions we are asked most often, before anyone signs anything.

What actually happens, step by step

01

First conversation

An informal discussion about your business, your reasons for considering a sale, and what a good outcome looks like for you. No documents, no commitment.

1–2 meetings
02

Indicative valuation

We review your financial statements and give you a realistic range, along with the specific factors pushing the number up or down. Some owners stop here, having learned what they needed to know.

2–4 weeks
03

Preparation

Tidying up what a buyer will scrutinise: financial records, contracts, licences, land and asset titles, related-party transactions. This stage does more for the final price than the negotiation does.

1–3 months
04

Approaching buyers

Your business is presented anonymously first — sector, region and scale only. Your name is released solely to parties you have approved, and only after they have signed a non-disclosure agreement.

2–4 months
05

Offers and due diligence

Serious buyers submit an offer, then examine the business in detail. We manage the information flow so your team is not overwhelmed and nothing is disclosed prematurely.

2–3 months
06

Signing and completion

Contract negotiation, conditions precedent, payment structure and handover. Part of the price is often deferred or tied to performance — how that is structured matters as much as the headline number.

1–2 months

Common questions

How long does it take from start to finish?
Typically nine to eighteen months for a business that is reasonably well organised. Deals move faster when financial records are clean and slower when ownership, land titles or related-party arrangements need untangling first. Anyone promising three months is either not doing the work or not telling you about it.
How is my business valued?
Usually a multiple of sustainable earnings (EBITDA), cross-checked against recent comparable transactions and, for asset-heavy businesses, the underlying asset value. What moves the multiple is concentration risk, whether the business runs without you, the quality of the accounts, and how much of the profit is genuinely repeatable.
Will my staff, customers or competitors find out?
Not from us. Buyers see an anonymised profile first — no company name, no addresses, no client list. Your identity is released only to parties you approve individually, after they have signed a non-disclosure agreement. Documents are shared through a controlled data room where every access is logged, not by email attachment.
How are your fees structured?
A modest monthly retainer covering the preparation work, plus a success fee payable on completion. The retainer keeps the work moving; the success fee means our interests and yours point the same direction. Fees are agreed in writing before anything begins, and there are no charges for the first conversation or the indicative valuation.
What if I am not sure I want to sell?
That is a normal place to start. Many owners want to know what the business is worth and what a sale would involve before deciding anything. An indicative valuation carries no obligation, and some of the most useful engagements end with the owner deciding to keep the business and fix what the valuation exposed.
Do I have to sell the whole company?
No. Selling a majority stake while retaining a share, bringing in an investor to fund growth, or selling specific assets such as land and plant are all common. The right structure depends on whether you want to exit completely, step back gradually, or simply raise capital.
What should I prepare before we talk?
Nothing, for the first conversation. To give you an indicative valuation we would need three years of financial statements and a short description of what the business does. If those are not readily available, that itself is useful to know early.

Signs you are closer to ready than you think

Audited or reliably prepared accounts for the last three years
Revenue that does not depend on one or two customers
The business keeps running when you take a month off
Land, buildings and equipment properly titled to the company
Personal and company expenses kept separate
Key licences and permits current and transferable

Missing several of these does not mean you cannot sell. It means the preparation stage is where the value is, and that it is worth starting earlier rather than later.

Start with a conversation

No cost, no obligation, and nothing leaves the room. If a sale is not the right answer for you, we will say so.

Arrange a confidential discussion

Timelines and fee structures described here are typical rather than guaranteed and vary with the size and complexity of the business. Nothing on this page is legal, tax or financial advice, or an offer to buy or sell securities.