Knowledge Base

What happens on the initial call with the sellers?

Admin — Thu, 28 May 2026 16:50:52 GMT

The initial meeting with the sellers (and their advisers) is essentially a “get to know you” type meeting and, these days, is likely to be held via a video platform such as Teams or Zoom. Ahead of a call with the sellers, you will likely be asked for an agenda.

What is included in the Heads of Terms?

Admin — Thu, 28 May 2026 16:50:51 GMT

What is included in the Heads of Terms?

What is deferred consideration?

Admin — Thu, 28 May 2026 16:50:51 GMT

Deferred consideration is the amount of consideration which is not paid over at the completion date of a transaction. It is by definition, deferred until a future date. Deferred payments are guaranteed to be paid out and are not therefore usually contingent upon any metrics being achieved (compared to an earnout provision which is fully contingent upon a set of KPIs or metrics being achieved in order to trigger the earnout payment provisions). Deferred consideration allows the purchaser to defer some of the acquisition cost. Sellers therefore have a vested interest in the business in the future in terms of their deferred consideration being paid out to them.

What are the different types of funding?

Admin — Thu, 28 May 2026 16:50:50 GMT

What are the different types of funding ?

What do I need to look for in the ideal target business?

Admin — Thu, 28 May 2026 16:50:50 GMT

There are a number of factors which, if present, make a good case for a private buyer to be able to effect the purchase of an SME business. Some of these include:

What to look out for in the Information Memorandum (IM)?

Admin — Thu, 28 May 2026 16:50:49 GMT

The IM is the key sales document for any business for sale. It should contain the answers to many of the questions you will have regarding that business once you’ve reviewed the teaser document for it.

Why should you buy a business?

hello@stephenainsworth.com (user) — Thu, 28 May 2026 16:50:49 GMT

There are many reasons why you should try and buy a business. Some of these will resonate and some will be more personal to you than others:

How do I structure a deal?

Admin — Thu, 28 May 2026 16:50:48 GMT

How do I structure a deal?

How do I find a private company for sale?

Admin — Thu, 28 May 2026 16:50:47 GMT

There are many routes to finding a private company for sale. These can include online directories, Linkedin, researchers, business sale brokers/agents, accountants, solicitors, corporate financiers acting for buyers/sellers, friends/family network, etc etc.

What do I look for in a private business?

Admin — Thu, 28 May 2026 16:50:47 GMT

A scoring system for private companies.

Valius have devised a scoring system which can be used to pre-select any business which is being considered for purchase. Starting from zero, observe the 11 point system below and add or subtract according to the instructions for each question: