I spoke yesterday with a UK lender managing a £500m loan book, primarily focused on asset backed lending — invoice finance, plant & machinery, and real estate. They fund a lot of management buy-ins (MBIs), and it was interesting to hear their perspective on where the real risks lie. Of course, the numbers matter cashflow, debt servicing capacity, and collateral but what truly concerns them is continuity of management. Lenders want to know: who’s actually running the business post completion? Are the existing managers staying on, or are they leaving? If they’re leaving, what’s the plan? Who knows the customers, the operations, the culture? It’s not just about whether the business can pay the interest it’s whether it can perform consistently once the ownership changes hands. When speaking to lenders, it’s vital to demonstrate a credible management transition plan. That might mean retaining key managers on earnouts or consultancy agreements, introducing an experienced chair or mentor to support the incoming team, or showing how systems and reporting are being strengthened. The more you can prove stability and continuity that the wheels will keep turning smoothly after completion the more confidence lenders will have to back your deal.

Hi guys. I know what works for me. What works for you?

Nothing happens if you do nothing. Today, I have managed to generate another forty letters to PSCs of thirty individual companies. Tonight while sitting with my wife I am generating another thirty company letters. Trying to fit things in to reach your goals is tough around other daily commitments. But if you want something enough and the goal is big enough you can be declined and dedicated. Dedication and commitment to the goal / dream is what it takes. Clear ones head. Take small steps each day and you will get there.

When I first got into this whole “buy, build, sell” space, I had no clue what I was doing. I was running my business, putting out fires every day, and honestly… I thought scaling was just about working harder. But the truth? I was just running in circles. Revenue was solid, but profit was thin and I couldn’t step away for even a day without something breaking. Then I got around a few people who actually do this buying, fixing, and flipping companies like it’s normal. That’s when things started to make sense. They helped me see what real scalability looks like systems, delegation, acquisition strategy… the stuff nobody talks about on YouTube. Fast forward a few months, and I ended up structuring my first small exit. Now I’m in talks for my next acquisition, aiming for something doing $3–5M a year. It’s wild how much changes once you’re around the right people who’ve already done what you’re trying to do. If anyone’s been thinking about buying or selling a business but doesn’t know where to start drop a “how’d you do that?” below and I’ll share what actually helped me make the jump 👇

Get emailed an IM from a broker that’s an electrical contracting business. I open the email because I have a construction group that would benefit from having such a business as a bolt on (currently sub contracts £6M of works to an electrical contractor so owning one would make a lot of sense). I scroll to the financials and it says EBITDA is £322k. I sign an NDA and request the statutory accounts and management accounts. Last year it lost £95k and this year to July losses are 75k so it’s probably going to be even more loss making in the whole year. I look at the balance sheet and it has a negative working capital position and see it has no cash and uses invoice finance . I enquire with the broker where is the £322k ? They explain that this is adjusted EBITDA - I ask for the add backs which includes 273k in Director salaries. I ask the broker who is going to run the business if the directors are leaving ? They say we would have to recruit someone. This is because there isn’t anyone in place to run it. I suggest therefore the directors will have to stay on to run the business until a replacement is found. “Will they work for free during this period?” … No is the reply … No I didn’t think so. One director is the MD and Operations the other is responsible for sales and bringing business in. “Any idea what the going rate is for an MD and a BD Director?” … broker isn’t sure - I know that combined with benefits this is going to equate to around 250k. Gross Margins have also declined from 31% to 24% and operating costs have gone up. I also note the broker added back their fees to the EBITDA which have been expensed to the business. Why is the business paying for the sellers to employ a broker to sell their business ? Maybe this is why I’ve only ever bought 3 of the 107 businesses I’ve done deals on were a broker was involved - overpaid for poor businesses. Not all are bad but it’s easier to source a direct to seller acquisition using filters to find only those consistently profitable and long established . In our webinar I ran on Tuesday I cover off exactly how to fill a pipeline with lots of opportunities. In the past year I’ve generated 700+ opportunities to look at.