Thinking of Selling Your Business? Why the £5m–£50m EV Market Demands a Different Approach
Selling a business is never straightforward, but if your company is valued between £5m and £50m EV, the process demands a very different strategy than the one used by smaller enterprises. Here’s why:
1. Buyers Are Different
When you reach the £5m+ EV mark, your buyer pool shifts. Instead of purely trade buyers, you’re now attracting private equity investors, family offices, and international acquirers. In fact, at EvolutionCBS, 66% of our transactions in the last 3 years involved private equity. These buyers think and behave differently: they want growth stories, scalability, and strong management teams.
- Preparation Defines Value
Selling an SME is often about solid preparation, robust financials and a straightforward transaction. For larger businesses, the stakes are higher. Every aspect of your company—your financial forecasts, growth story, contracts, compliance, and leadership structure—will be stress-tested.
That’s why EvolutionCBS typically invests an average of 1,500 hours on each client project for mid-market deals. Preparation can make the difference between a maximised valuation or transaction faliure.
- Competition Is Everything
Crucially in the £5m–£50m EV range, it’s rarely about finding a buyer. It’s about creating competitive tension. Multiple bidders increase your valuation and can lead to improved deal terms. Our network of 2,800+ financial investors, trade buyers, and advisers means we can generate the right level of competition to maximise your exit.
- The Process Is More Demanding
Selling a larger business is a marathon, not a sprint. Deals in this market typically run 12 to 18 months and involve responding to an average of 650+ due diligence requests. Without experienced guidance, deal fatigue can set in and destroy value. That’s why our Client Directors personally manage every interaction to keep momentum on track.
- Outcomes Are Different
For many owners, selling isn’t about walking away with a cheque—it’s about choosing the right deal structure and maximising value. Larger deals often involve earn outs, partial exits, equity rollovers, or fundraising alongside sale proceeds. The right advisor should help you design an outcome that aligns with your personal and financial goals.
When attempting to sell a business in the £5m–£50m EV range, throw out the “Business as Usual” playbook. The buyer landscape, preparation requirements, and deal dynamics are more complex—yet the rewards can be significantly greater.
EvolutionCBS, is a long-established premium provider of business sale advisory services to UK businesses. For business owners thinking about succession or exit, the right strategy paired with the right advisor, can make all the difference between a good deal—and a life-changing one.
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About EvolutionCBS
As a long-established premium provider of business sale advisory services to UK businesses, EvolutionCBS offers business owners a complimentary and confidential discussion on how their specific objectives could be met and provides them with pragmatic, practical advice on how to begin preparing both themselves and their businesses for future sale or investment.
EvolutionCBS works with owners of UK businesses in any sector, finding buyers from around the world through highly targeted research and supporting clients with dedicated Director-led teams, at every stage of their journey to a successful sale or investment.
If you are an owner or shareholder of a business and would like a no-obligation consultation on the sale of all or part of your business, please email: info@evolutioncbs.co.uk or contact us on Tel: 0118 959 8224.
