CORPORATE FINANCE · BUSINESS SALES
Sell your business through a structured, confidential process.
Elitelia supports shareholders of established private companies considering a partial or full business sale.
We help owners prepare the company, identify relevant strategic and financial buyers, coordinate confidential outreach and support the process alongside legal, tax and accounting advisers.
BEFORE GOING TO MARKET
Selling a business starts before contacting buyers.
For many owners, a company sale is one of the most significant financial decisions they will make. It involves much more than finding someone willing to buy.
Shareholder objectives, structure, positioning, information requirements and confidentiality should be considered before the company is taken to market.
TRANSACTION STRUCTURE
Full sale or partial sale?
A transaction does not necessarily require shareholders to sell 100% of the company.
Realise the value created and transfer ownership completely.
A full sale may suit shareholders who want to retire, pursue another project or exit their investment. Buyers may include strategic companies, private equity, family offices or other financial investors.
Take liquidity while retaining a stake in the next phase.
A new investor may also provide growth capital, acquisition funding, sector expertise or international expansion capabilities.
SELL-SIDE SUPPORT
What we can support.
A controlled process from preparation and buyer identification to proposal comparison and transaction coordination.
Sale Preparation
Organise relevant financial, commercial and corporate information and identify issues before buyers are approached.
Buyer Search
Develop a targeted universe of strategic buyers, financial investors and relevant counterparties.
Confidential Outreach
Approach selected buyers through a controlled process that protects identity and sensitive information.
Buyer Interaction
Coordinate initial enquiries, information requests and conversations with interested parties.
Offer Comparison
Compare price, deferred consideration, earn-outs, retained equity, conditions, timing and certainty.
Transaction Coordination
Work alongside legal, tax, accounting and other advisers through the agreed transaction stages.
THE BUYER UNIVERSE
Who could buy your company?
The objective is not to contact the largest possible number of buyers. It is to identify counterparties with a credible strategic or financial reason to consider the company.
Strategic Buyers
Companies in the same or adjacent sectors seeking customers, capabilities, technology, geography or market share.
Private Equity
Investors acquiring majority or minority positions in established companies with credible growth potential.
Family Offices & Private Investors
Long-term capital interested in strong management, recurring cash flow or growth.
Search Funds & Entrepreneurial Buyers
Acquisition entrepreneurs relevant to certain transaction sizes and company profiles.
International Buyers
Cross-border acquirers that may value access, capabilities or strategic positioning differently.
A CONTROLLED PROCESS
How we approach a business sale.
Seven stages designed to protect confidentiality, improve positioning and support execution.
Understand shareholder objectives
Clarify valuation expectations, percentage to sell, timing, continued involvement and confidentiality.
Prepare the business
Organise information and present the company clearly to potential buyers.
Build the buyer universe
Identify buyers whose strategy, sector, geography and transaction profile are relevant.
Approach confidentially
Control outreach and share detailed information only at the appropriate stage.
Manage interest & proposals
Coordinate discussions and compare valuation, structure, timing and certainty.
Support negotiation & diligence
Work alongside qualified legal, tax and accounting advisers.
Coordinate toward completion
Support agreed commercial and coordination work through the relevant stages.
BUYER DUE DILIGENCE
What will buyers examine?
A buyer examines much more than revenue and EBITDA. Identifying issues before buyers do allows shareholders and advisers to determine how they should be addressed or explained.
Financial Performance
- Revenue growth
- EBITDA & profitability
- Cash conversion
- Working capital
- Capital expenditure
- Existing debt
Revenue Quality
- Recurring revenue
- Customer concentration
- Retention
- Pricing power
- Revenue visibility
Business Dependence
- Owner dependence
- Management depth
- Key employees
- Supplier concentration
- Commercial relationships
Growth & Risk
- Organic growth
- New products
- Geographic expansion
- Accounting quality
- Legal & tax matters
- Contracts & IP
PROTECTING THE BUSINESS
Confidentiality matters.
A poorly managed process can create unnecessary risk with employees, customers, suppliers, competitors and other stakeholders.
Elitelia aims to limit disclosure of sensitive information to appropriate counterparties and stages.
- Controlled initial outreach
- Anonymous or limited company descriptions
- Non-disclosure agreements where appropriate
- Staged release of information
- Restricted access to sensitive documents
- Coordinated buyer communications
No process can eliminate confidentiality risk completely, but it should be managed deliberately from the beginning.
WHO WE WORK WITH
Owners considering a genuine ownership transaction.
Our work is intended primarily for shareholders of established operating companies.
- Established operating history
- Meaningful revenue
- Reliable financial information
- Identifiable profitability or a credible model
- Clear shareholder decision-making
- Owners prepared to evaluate a transaction
WHEN WE MAY NOT BE THE RIGHT FIT
A mandate requires genuine transaction readiness.
We are generally not the right fit for shareholders seeking only an informal indication of value with no intention to explore a transaction, or businesses unable to provide reliable information.
Eligibility is assessed individually during an initial confidential review.
CLEAR RESPONSIBILITIES
Elitelia’s role.
Preparation, buyer identification, confidential introductions and process coordination.
Elitelia does not guarantee that a buyer will be identified, an offer made, a particular valuation achieved or a transaction completed. Formal legal, tax, accounting, audit and other restricted services are provided by qualified professionals. Compensation may include advisory, project, introduction, referral or success-based fees, disclosed where applicable.A COORDINATED APPROACH
Before and after the sale.
A company sale can affect holding structure, tax treatment, distributions, reinvestment, residency and succession. These issues should ideally be considered before the transaction structure is finalised.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Selling a business, clearly explained.
Practical answers for owners considering a full or partial company sale.
How do I sell my business?
How do I find buyers for my company?
Should I approach buyers myself?
Is selling to a competitor the only option?
Can I sell only part of my company?
How much is my business worth?
What information will a buyer need?
How do you keep a company sale confidential?
How long does it take to sell a business?
Does Elitelia buy businesses directly?
How is Elitelia paid?
CONFIDENTIAL INITIAL REVIEW
Considering selling all or part of your company?
Tell us about the business, its financial profile, the shareholders’ objectives and the transaction you are considering. We will review the initial information confidentially and confirm whether it appears suitable for an Elitelia mandate.