THE EXIT FOUNDRY
You built something remarkable.
Now let’s make sure you get paid for it.
Business exit planning in the UK is often left too late – costing owners time, money and opportunity.
Most UK business owners sell for far less than their business is worth – or never sell at all. The Exit Foundry prepares you to exit at the right time, for the right price, to the right buyer.
BADR Tax Alert
The Capital Gains Tax rate on qualifying business sales rises to 18% in April 2026. On a £1M gain, that could mean £40,000 more tax. Planning early could make a substantial difference.
Source: GOV.UK – Business Asset Disposal Relief
The UK Exit Reality Check
%
of owners who try to sell fail to complete a deal
%
regret how they exited within 12 months
%
use a specialist exit advisor before going to market
extra tax per £1M gain if you sell after April 2026
The Problem
You know how to run your business.
But do you know how to sell it?
You’ve spent years, maybe your entire career, building this business. You know every customer, every process, every number. You live and breathe it.
But here’s what nobody tells you: running a business well and selling a business well are completely different skills.
The buyers who’ll approach you have seen hundreds of deals. They know exactly which questions to ask to drive your price down. They know where the skeletons hide. And unless you’ve sat on their side of the table, you won’t see it coming.
That’s before we even talk about timing. About tax. About finding the right buyer, not just any buyer. About making sure the business doesn’t fall apart when you step back, taking the value with it.
The business owners who exit well don’t just get lucky. They prepare, usually 2 to 3 years in advance, with someone who’s done this before.
“I thought I knew what my business was worth. The first offer I got was less than half what I expected. It took me two more years, and the right advisor, to finally get what I deserved.” Business owner, manufacturing, Midlands
WHO WE HELP
Built for the business owner who's ready for what comes next
We work with UK SME owners who’ve built real, valuable businesses – and want to exit
with the financial reward and personal freedom they’ve earned.
The Retirement Planner
Ready to hand over the reins
You’ve given the best years of your life to this business. Now you want to retire with real financial security – not a rushed sale that leaves money on the table.
The Serial Entrepreneur
Sell this one. Build the next.
You’ve already got the next idea. You just need to crystallise the value in this business first. Having someone who knows the buy-side changes everything.
The Tired Owner
Burned out, but not done yet
You’re exhausted. The business still has real value – but you need out, and you know you can’t afford a distressed sale. Preparation transforms how buyers see you.
Turnover between £500K – £5M
Planning to exit within 1-5 years
Professional services, trades, manufacturing, B2B services
How it Works
From where you are now to the exit you deserve
We work alongside you through five distinct phases – most clients begin 18-24 months before their target exit date. The earlier you start, the more value we create together.
1
2
3
4
5
Foundation
Valuation assessment. Exit readiness scorecard. Gap analysis. Your personal roadmap built around your goals and tax position.
Value Build
We identify and fix the specific things buyers use to discount your price – owner dependency, financial clarity, customer concentration, operational systems.
Story
Your growth narrative, information memorandum, and buyer profile – built to attract the right acquirers and justify your asking price.
Market
Targeted, confidential buyer outreach. We create genuine competitive tension – the single most powerful lever for maximising your final price.
Close
Negotiation support, heads of terms, due diligence preparation, deal structuring – right through to completion day.
1. Foundation
Valuation assessment. Exit readiness scorecard. Gap analysis. Your personal roadmap built around your goals and tax position.
2. Value Build
We identify and fix the specific things buyers use to discount your price – owner dependency, financial clarity, customer concentration, operational systems.
3. Story
Your growth narrative, information memorandum, and buyer profile – built to attract the right acquirers and justify your asking price.
4. Market
Targeted, confidential buyer outreach. We create genuine competitive tension – the single most powerful lever for maximising your final price.
5. Close
Negotiation support, heads of terms, due diligence preparation, deal structuring – right through to completion day.
“In our experience, business owners who prepare properly for 18–24 months before going to market consistently achieve valuations that are 30–50% higher than owners who sell reactively.”
Three Ways to Work With Us
The right level of support for where you are right now
Offer 1 – START HERE
No success fee on this offer
Full-day discovery session (on-site or virtual)
Market-based valuation assessment
Exit Readiness Scorecard across 8 dimensions
Written Gap Analysis - what buyers will flag
Personalised 12-month Exit Roadmap
BADR and tax timing review
Fee is fully credited against Offer 2 or 3 within 90 days
Offer 2 – MOST POPULAR
12–18 month programme through to completion
Everything in the Exit Audit
2 advisory sessions per month (90 minutes each)
Direct advisor access via WhatsApp & email
Full value improvement programme
Information memorandum preparation
Targeted buyer outreach and qualification
Negotiation coaching and deal structuring
Access to our solicitor & accountant network
Offer 3 – PREMIUM & LISTED
From
Board-level involvement · maximum 3 clients
Everything in the Exit Accelerator
NED or Interim Director involvement
Active turnaround methodology applied
Full deal management, start to finish
Proprietary buyer network access
Offer 1 – START HERE
No success fee on this offer
Full-day discovery session (on-site or virtual)
Market-based valuation assessment
Exit Readiness Scorecard across 8 dimensions
Written Gap Analysis - what buyers will flag
Personalised 12-month Exit Roadmap
BADR and tax timing review
Fee is fully credited against Offer 2 or 3 within 90 days
Offer 2 – MOST POPULAR
12–18 month programme through to completion
Everything in the Exit Audit
2 advisory sessions per month (90 minutes each)
Direct advisor access via WhatsApp & email
Full value improvement programme
Information memorandum preparation
Targeted buyer outreach and qualification
Negotiation coaching and deal structuring
Access to our solicitor & accountant network
Offer 3 – PREMIUM & LISTED
From
Board-level involvement · maximum 3 clients
Everything in the Exit Accelerator
NED or Interim Director involvement
Active turnaround methodology applied
Full deal management, start to finish
Proprietary buyer network access
The Exit Audit fee is fully credited against the Accelerator or Transformation Retainer if you proceed within 90 days. Your first investment is effectively free.
Why US?
We've been on your side of the table - and theirs
Acquisitions Completed
Dozens
Turnarounds delivered
%
Use a specialist exit advisor before going to market
40k+
Extra tax per £1m gain if you sell after April 2026
Acquisitions Completed
Dozens
Turnarounds delivered
%
Use a specialist exit advisor before going to market
40k+
Extra tax per £1m gain if you sell after April 2026
Most exit advisors have read about deals. We’ve done them – over fifty of them, across industries, deal sizes, and economic cycles. We’ve been the buyer who knew exactly which questions to ask to lower the price. We’ve been the turnaround specialist who came in when a business was struggling and built it back to a value worth selling. And we’ve been the advisor who helped founders extract hundreds of thousands more than they thought possible from their exit. That full-spectrum experience is what we now bring exclusively to sellers – to you.
We know the buyer's playbook
Having sat on the buy-side for 50+ deals, we know exactly what acquirers look for –
and what they use to justify lowering your price.
We specialise in value improvement
We don’t just advise. We identify the specific levers that move your valuation – and we work with you to pull them before you go to market.
We manage the whole process
From your first valuation to your final completion, we’re with you at every step – so you never face a negotiation alone.
We're deeply invested in your outcome
Our success fee means we only win when you win. Our incentives are aligned with yours in the most direct way possible.
The Tax Window
Until April 2025
2025-26 NOW
From April 2026
%
£100,000 tax on £1M gain
%
£140,000 tax on £1M gain
%
£180,000 tax on £1M gain
Until April 2025
%
£100,000 tax on £1M gain
2025-26 NOW
%
£140,000 tax on £1M gain
From April 2026
%
£180,000 tax on £1M gain
On a £2M sale, completing after April 2026 instead of before it costs you £80,000 in additional tax. That’s legislated. It’s not a rumour. The clock is running.
Source: GOV.UK – Business Asset Disposal Relief
