Business Grooming

A consultancy service to optimise your business prior to selling.

Implement practical steps to maximise value and saleability

Unleash the full potential of your business

Hornblower offers a consultancy service to knock your business into shape before putting it on the market and thereby maximise the value you achieve from the sale. We provide advice and help with implementing practical steps to improve the saleability and increase the value of your business.

During the Initial Appraisal we will assess the level of preparation required prior to going to market. Preparation is key to selling your business successfully. Indeed, it is advisable to start planning your exit from your business months or even years in advance.

Here are just some of the factors to consider in preparing your business for sale:

Management – Consider how a new owner without as much experience as you will run your business. Recruit and train a suitable successor, put a management structure in place, or consider providing on-going consultancy.

Dependency – Ensure that your revenue or expenditure is not over-dependent on one or two clients or suppliers. Develop a sales or purchase plan to reduce dependency.

Marketing and Identity – Make sure your marketing material is up-to-date and your business has a clear identity. Is it clear what you do?

Transparent Finances – Maximise profitability, ensure all revenue is recorded, reduce non-core expenditure, remove private assets.

Clarity of Information – Ensure all management information is available, up-to-date and clearly presented. This may require improvements to your business systems or the way information is recorded.

Accreditations – Ensure your business has suitable accreditions and company policies, e.g. ISO quality certification, health and safety policy, personnel and training policy. Preferred Supplier status with your key customers is also a valuable asset.

Professional Image – First impressions are key. A tidy office and a smart brochure will indicate that your business is organised and run efficiently.