Frequently Asked Questions

We aim to cover all technology-based businesses, with the exception of biotech (eg. drug discovery).

We work a lot with software businesses (especially B2B) and IT services, but we also have experience in environmental and scientific instrumentation, online retail and manufacturing technologies to name a few.

Typically, we work on transactions involving the sale or acquisition of businesses within the £1m to £30m turnover range (though the vendor or acquirer can be substantially larger than this).

Deciding to sell your business is probably one of the biggest decisions you are ever going to make, after all you have most likely dedicated a considerable amount of your life to the business, but now it needs to pay back.

The first thing is to get some professional and trusted advice. Your advisor will assess your business and your personal objectives to help you create a plan. They will walk you through the elements to consider including how and where you can build additional value to maximise your return.

Additional Prism comment:
All Prism deals are director-led and we like to get to know you and understand your drivers and end goals as early as possible. We regularly hold virtual 1-to-1 Clinics that provide a perfect opportunity for a confidential and no obligation chat about your specific circumstances and goals. This is a very good starting point that allows you to meet us and discuss your business and your aspirations. These sessions provide us with the essential information that allows us to outline the best next steps for you. To request your 1-to-1, please click here or you can contact Prism Directors Peter Watson or Robert Fiske directly to start the process.

You should first establish whether you need a specialist or a generalist. There are many corporate brokers who are generalists – covering a wide span of business sectors, whilst a more select group are focussed on specialist sectors. This is a decision for you, we recommend considering the nature of your business and if you feel it would benefit from a greater understanding of your specific activities and market.

We also recommend you consider what level of interaction you would like. Some manage large volumes of deals and have more rigid processes that they follow, whilst others are more selective, managing fewer deals and can therefore provide a more tailored and personal approach.

You will be communicating with your advisors on a regular basis, both pre-sale and throughout the process itself, so it is important that you establish a strong working relationship from the very start. It is important that you like them as you will be placing a high level of trust in them to deliver to your expectations.

Additional Prism comment:

At Prism we specialise in selling and acquiring companies throughout the Technology sector – and have done for many years. We understand the value drivers, know the market, and have experience of a wide range of technologies and associated services. We are not a volume player and treat every client’s business as a unique entity, tailoring our approach accordingly to ensure we gain the best outcome to meet their objectives. Our approach is very personal – this is highly valued by our clients.

Buyers are interested in the future. In our experience many business owners wait until they can post some excellent results but seem to place less importance upon the future prospects. Invariably the best time to sell is when you can project a really positive future. There is of course a balance between historic performance and future potential, but do not be blinded by the former – and remember, the latter must be credible, not fanciful!

Don’t ignore the personal side too. Do you have a specific timescale you would like to meet? It is important to ensure that you are still feeling good about your business and have not reached a point where you are either losing interest in it or it is becoming a burden to you. If that is the case, your business performance may suffer. Many owners leave it too late and often start considering a sale only after they have lost the love for their business. Firstly, this will be apparent when you are speaking with potential buyers and secondly, it is far better to sell when carrying on with the business is a realistic option, rather than find yourself dealing with a sale long past the point at which you wanted to be out.

Additional Prism comment:

We put your personal drivers at the core, guiding and advising you on the best ways to achieve your objectives. A fundamental part of this includes getting the timing right.

The old adage remains true… a business is worth what someone will pay for it! Furthermore, it is invariably the case that it will be worth different amounts to different buyers.

There is no precise formula to business valuation but whilst no one can say exactly what a business is worth before going to market, we believe we have a better handle on it than most – particularly in the Tech sector.

Ultimately the market decides, but the key is proper preparation to go to market, ensuring the right actions are taken to maximise value and to help create the right market to maximise interest. By the way, we would strongly advise you to take published multiples with a pinch of salt unless you really know the businesses involved and the specific transaction in detail. Even then, you should always question the degree to which this information is applicable to you and your business.

Additional Prism comment:

Prism has worked specifically in the Tech sector for many years. We constantly monitor many different aspects of it (not least, M&A activity) and are well-placed to advise on market conditions and assess valuation expectations. There are likely to be a number of areas where we can help increase value prior to going to market.

Of course, a good business is worth more than a bad business, so any actions which strengthen the business should provide greater value in the longer-term. In the shorter-term however, some actions may not actually add to the sale value. Deciding which aspects to fix and which to accept, is absolutely key. Your advisor should provide detailed advice.

Additional Prism comment:

As mentioned in the previous question, there are a number of actions that can be taken to increase value. This could be during sale preparation or as the deal progresses. We ensure that every opportunity to build value is explored and discussed in full with clients. We then focus on the activities that are going to give the best return for the amount of effort and commitment needed.

A good guide is to allow a period of 12 months from engaging an advisor to completion. It can of course be shorter or longer depending on market conditions and the actions that are needed to enhance value prior to going to market.

Additional Prism comment:

We encourage business owners to engage with the Prism team at the earliest opportunity to allow us the time to work together to enhance value. Approximately 12 months is typical however we have worked with some clients over a number of years on planned activities to enhance value in order to achieve a desired outcome.

Your involvement will tend to be higher at the start of the process as we work together to collate information in order to fully understand your business and prepare the detailed documentation. It will scale up again during the due diligence phase once an offer has been accepted. Much of the work such as preparing documentation, identifying, qualifying and contacting targets will be performed by your advisors.

Additional Prism comment:

We understand time and other constraints associated with running a business and try to take as much of the burden away from you as possible. It is essential that you do not take your eye off the proverbial ball during the process, so we strive to leave you to focus on running the business and keep you updated with regard to our progress.

If you think education is expensive try ignorance!

Embarking on a business sale process without an advisor is a risky strategy and you are unlikely to maximise the value or chances of getting the deal to completion.

Much of the value that an advisor provides is the experience gained over many transactions, ensuring that you can avoid making key mistakes through ignorance. It is all about knowledge, experience and judgment – and never forget, the devil is in the detail.

An advisor should be much more than just a matchmaker. Do not underestimate the work that goes into a successful sale process. Unless you have extensive prior experience – and the necessary resources – it is unlikely you will be able juggle all aspect including identifying targets, making approaches, managing multiple parties, negotiating detailed terms and much more besides.

Additional Prism comment:

Not only can we apply the necessary resources to handle all the research and manage numerous communication streams, over the many years we have been selling companies, we have learnt the tricks of the trade. We have facilitated numerous types of deals and experienced a wide range of scenarios. Our experience means that we can see things coming before they actually emerge, so we are armed and ready to handle them when needed. This is where experience and judgment are so important.

The Prism team leads proactively, applies pressure to and reacts to demands of potential buyers to ensure deal momentum continues at pace. This takes time and focus which can be hard when you are also trying to run a business.

Seek professional advice at an early stage. Remember, all that glitters is not gold and it is important to properly assess the motivations and suitability of the prospective acquirer. There are times when an approach ‘out of the blue’ is the right way to proceed, but many times value can be left on the table if other options are not explored – or time can simply be wasted.

Additional Prism comment:

We stringently investigate and explore the merits of the buyer and critically assess their offer. We also look at timing – i.e. is it right to entertain a sale right now? We can then decide whether to proceed with one party or open it up to a competitive process.

This very much depends on your importance to the business, the structure of the agreed deal and your personal preferences. Can the business continue to operate well without your input/guidance? If you have a capable second tier management team then it is possible that any post-sale involvement can be limited to a consultancy type arrangement at most.

Additional Prism comment:

During our initial discussions we will talk about your ideal goals and aspirations. This will include your desire to continue working or not. Having this information allows us to structure the deal to best achieve your goals.

We have two principal routes to finding potential buyers, both of which are important. First the Prism team undertakes targeted research to establish a list of buyers that have a strategic fit, money(!) and, ideally, a track record of acquisition. We make use of extensive in-house and external databases to help identify targets, undertake specific marketing campaigns to gain additional interest, and use our knowledge and insight gained from previous similar deal activity.

The second route is via our Corporate Finance network. Many acquirers will have engaged their own corporate advisors and we engage with them, this is an extremely valuable approach that often unearths prospects that simply would not have been found by research alone. Our network expands across the world.

You will need legal advice and may also need some tax advice.

Additional Prism comment:

We work with a variety of other professional advisors and can make appropriate recommendations and introductions as required.

The choice of if, and when, to inform your members of staff depends on a number of factors specific to you and your business. Remember, ultimately staff will translate any information gleaned about a sale into “What’s in it for me?”, and if you are unable to provide sufficient detail for them to assess this, it may only engender worry, impacting motivation and potentially impacting your business.

Ideally, it will be possible (and probably helpful) to inform some of your key management team. However, from experience, there are many things to consider before you do this.

Additional Prism comment:

This is one where there is no universal right or wrong approach. It will depend on a number of factors specific to your situation and your relationships. Before mentioning the sale to any staff, we strongly encourage you to discuss it with us. We will have a good insight into your situation and can advise on the best way to approach the situation for you.

Assessing the potential value of any Technology/IP is obviously a key part of business valuation. In some cases the technology will be wound up into the cashflow elements of the business, in others it may sit as a discrete element. Understanding the technology and its market potential is key, as is the degree of protection available or required.

Additional Prism comment:

We have much experience of this and will work through all aspects with you in detail to determine its value.

This can be the case if you do not carefully consider the structure and mechanism of any earn-out. Structure should ideally only be used where you need to offset risk. This is a key area where your advisors will bring potentially significant value.

Additional Prism comment:

This all forms part of the negotiation stage of the deal, we will do everything we can to reflect your goals and aspirations in the structure of the deal and ultimately secure your desired outcome.