The Exit Toolkit · Sheet 2 of 20
Signals your business is becoming sellable
Worth building even if you never sell
Owner independence
The business can win work, deliver it and run day to day without you as the central driver. Buyers pay more for a business that does not walk out of the door with you.
Repeatable revenue
Income follows a predictable pattern: contracts, retainers, renewals. Not one-off wins built on personal relationships.
Profits high or rising
Turnover and profitability are strong, or at least on a clear upward trend over the last three years. Selling from weakness puts you in a poor negotiating position.
A diversified customer base
No single client or supplier represents a material risk. Customer concentration is one of the first things a buyer's advisors will test.
Clean records and professional reporting
Accurate accounts, signed contracts, employee contracts and a staff handbook, registers up to date, data protection in order.
Inbound interest
Buyers, competitors or investors approach you without a sale process underway. That tells you the market already sees value.
Bottom line
A sellable business is simply a well-run business. Start building these signals two years before you plan to sell, and the sale process becomes faster, calmer and more valuable.
General information only, not legal advice. Steven Mather Solicitor is a trading name of Kesters Nook Limited; legal work is carried out through Nexa Law Limited, authorised and regulated by the SRA (number 633024).