Business Exit Planning And Advice From Experienced CFOs.

Planning an exit but don’t know where to start or who to turn to for help? We provide access to Fractional CFOs and FDs experienced in preparing businesses in your industry sector for exit. Whether you’re in the early stages or close to making it happen, we can provide an experienced CFO to help you navigate this complex process successfully.

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When is the Right Time to Plan My Business Exit?

It’s never too early to begin planning your exit. To secure a premium valuation and ensure a smooth, successful transaction, we recommend dedicating at least 6 to 12 months to thorough preparation before initiating the exit process. Ideally, exit planning should start as your business begins to scale. Early planning gives you control, ensuring your business is in the best possible shape, enhancing its appeal to buyers, and increasing the likelihood of a successful transaction.

What Does the Service Look Like?

We will provide an experienced Fractional CFO with the practical know-how to prepare companies within your industry sector for the exit. Although every business is unique, our CFOs will follow a proven process to prepare your business for sale:

Step 1 – Discovery Phase

We start the process with a comprehensive analysis to understand your exit objectives and identify key value drivers and areas needing attention.

Step 2 – The Business Valuation

We evaluate your business from a buyer’s perspective and give you a baseline valuation.

Step 3 – Action Plan Development

This plan will highlight potential risks and weaknesses (in other words, areas where an acquirer could discount the valuation) and offer actionable recommendations to address them.

Step 4 – Exit Tax Planning

Assessing the personal and business tax implications of an exit will help us develop a tax-efficient strategy.

Step 5 – Strategic Planning Phase:

In this phase, your chosen CFO will help you align your company’s long-term goals with exit objectives to enhance its appeal to potential buyers . We work with you to define a clear vision, optimise operations, and position the business for maximum value.

Step 6 – Financial Forecasts and Modelling

Creating financial forecasts and 3-5 year models to showcase the company’s future growth potential and profitability, giving buyers confidence in the long-term value of the business.

Step 7 – Sell-side Process Management

When you are ready to go to market, we offer full support throughout the sales process.

How We Tailor CFO Solutions to Your Business Needs.

Understand Your Business Needs

We carefully listening to your specific requirements and gaining a deep understanding of your business challenges and goals.

Develop a Custom Strategy

We craft a tailored plan that outlines how iFD’s expertise can best support your financial needs and drive your business forward.

Connect You with the Right CFO

We match you with a highly qualified CFO whose experience and skills align with your unique needs, ensuring a seamless and effective partnership.

Are you Ready to Hire a Fractional CFO?

Get the financial expertise your business needs to navigate the complex process of business exit planning successfully.

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Why You Should Choose iFD For Your Fractional CFO.

We Have You Covered

Our UK-wide network of CFOs ensures we can meet your financial needs wherever you are located. Our CFOs bring extensive experience across multiple industry sectors, including technology, construction, biotech, e-commerce and energy. Additionally, we have specialist expertise in exit planning, fundraising, budgeting and forecasting and management reporting. We connect businesses with top-tier financial talent, helping start-ups and SMEs thrive and grow in a competitive market.

Behind every iFD CFO is a team of specialists

As part of the Dains group of companies, a PE-backed business advisory firm, behind every iFD CFO is a team of accounting and HR professionals as well as a team of 600+ other finance professionals. This means iFD clients can access a wide range of additional expertise from accounting, HR, tax planning and advice, fundraising, exit planning, corporate finance and everything in between. Unlike agencies, we are a consultancy dedicated to tailoring our services to meet your specific business challenges, delivering personalised and strategic financial solutions.

We Are trusted By Our Clients.

Robin, MinaTherapeutics

“Isosceles has been a vital partner since 2019. Their support includes a Fractional FD with extensive biotech sector experience and regulatory knowledge, a team of fractional accounting professionals, access to an HR consultant, a dedicated payroll team, whilst liaising with specialist tax advisors skilled in producing complex R&D tax credit claims. Their flexible services and highly experienced teams have been invaluable to our success.”

Mario: CEO, The Flavour Trailer

“Working with our fractional CFO has completely transformed our approach to financial management. The detailed cash flow forecasts and strategic financial models they’ve developed have given us a clear roadmap for growth. This newfound ability to plan effectively has not only improved our decision-making but has also directly contributed to doubling our revenue. It’s been a game changer for The Flavour Trailer.”

Frequently Asked Questions.

How do I know if my business is ready for sale?

A business is ready for sale when it has a strong balance sheet, efficient operations, a track record of financial success, has a motivated and effective leadership team, and demonstrates clear value to potential buyers. We assess your business’s strengths and weaknesses to gauge readiness and create a strategy to improve areas that need development before going to market.

How long does the exit planning process take?

To achieve a premium valuation and a successful transaction, we advise our clients to dedicate at least 6-12 months to thoroughly prepare before initiating an exit process.

How do I value my business?

There are many points in the lifecycle of a business when it is necessary to know how an acquirer or investor could value your business. At the start of your journey; to know what is possible. When an unsolicited offer comes out of the blue; to validate that it is fair. When embarking on a fundraise. Or as part of exit preparations. There are numerous ways to value a business, but the most common are: a multiple of profits, asset valuation and discounted cash flow.

How do I improve my valuation?

There are numerous strategies to enhance your business valuation, including seeking expert guidance, increasing profitability, driving sales growth, reducing costs, investing in continuous improvement, developing a clear strategic plan, implementing repeatable processes, empowering your team, and differentiating your business from competitors.

How can a Fractional CFO help with my business exit planning?

A fractional CFO provides strategic financial guidance throughout the exit planning process, from valuation and financial modelling to tax optimisation and due diligence preparation. They offer the expertise of a full-time CFO but with the flexibility to scale as your business needs evolve during the exit process.

What are the common mistakes when planning an exit?

Some frequent mistakes include failure to obtain expert advice, inadequate exit preparation, ignoring tax implications, overvaluing the business, lacking an exceptional management team to run the business, incomplete legal documentation and failing to understand key value drivers. These issues can lower the business’s value or derail the sale process altogether. Our advisors help you avoid these pitfalls by taking a proactive, structured approach.

Like what you’ve heard?

Get in touch to find out more about how we can help your business.