Corporate finance services

Corporate Finance

As one of the UK’s most active providers of business deal advisory services, we are here to advise you on buying, selling or obtaining funding for your business.

Corporate finance services

Azets' corporate finance experts specialise in M&A advisory, capital raising, and transaction services for all types of businesses. With local expertise and national strength across diverse sectors, we provide independent, trusted advice.

Our advisors’ extensive contact network across the UK and Ireland provides us with strong relationships within the traditional banking, private equity, alternative finance, and legal sectors and our high deal volume provides us with deep sector knowledge across a wide range of industries.

Through our corporate finance advisory team, we offer a proactive, partner-led, dedicated service to all clients. We ensure that our lead advisory and transaction service solutions are tailored to meet your needs. By engaging with all parties involved in the transaction, we’ll take full project ownership to ensure your deal reaches a successful conclusion.

Hands-on advice from leading experts

We are one of the most active providers of buy and sell advisory services in the UK, meaning you’ll have support from a highly experienced and widely-recognised team.

Extensive connections

We have strong relationships with other deal advisors in banks and private equity houses providing you with access and introductions to a vast network of specialists to support your deal ambitions.

Completely independent

We are not a broker or selling agent and we work entirely for you. We advise our clients from inception to completion, including due diligence and legal negotiations always putting your best interests first.

Specialist support for every move

Whether buying, selling a business or raising funds to take your business plans to the next stage…we can support you every step of the way.

Our corporate finance services include:

Selling your business

Our corporate finance team will work with you in order to understand your goals and objectives and will advise you on the best strategy to achieve them. Whether you are hoping to stay active in the business, are looking for a trade sale, wish to sell to a financial institution or are considering a management buy-in, our team have the experience and skills to deliver a highly successful outcome.

We manage the entire sale process, from preparation and distribution of an information memorandum, to negotiating and agreeing the commercial terms of each deal.

Our specialists support with:

Exit planning
Valuation of your business
Identifying potential buyers
Advice on a suitable marketing plan
Selection of the preferred buyer
Providing advice on tax aspects of the sale
Vendor due diligence
Negotiating all commercial terms of an offer
Overall project management including liaising with other professional advisors

Business Acquisitions

From the moment you get in touch, our corporate finance team work closely with you to understand your aims, explore your options and secure the right deal. Our personal approach means we keep you up to date with all developments and support you at every step of the process, sometimes long after the deal is done.

In addition to assisting owner-managed, private equity-backed and public companies with their acquisition strategies, we have substantial experience in advising management teams considering company acquisitions (Management Buyouts), as well as ambitious individuals interested in pursuing MBIs (Management Buy-Ins) and indeed BIMBOs (Buy-In-Management-Buy-Outs).

Our merger and acquisition experts will:

Develop your acquisition strategy
Identify potential targets
Approach and negotiate with targets
Undertake valuation of target businesses
Negotiate and agree the deal
Advise on tax structuring
Assist with raising external finance
Provide overall project management, including liaising with other professional advisors

Raising Finance

Our corporate finance team are experts in helping you assess finance options, understand the risks and secure the right funding solution for your situation. We help clients of all sizes and specialisms across a broad range of situations, from MBOs and MBIs to expansion plans and acquisitions.

Thanks to our network of funders - including venture capital providers, banks, crowd funders, asset-based lenders and grant providers such as local development agencies – we’re confident that we can identify and help deliver the most suitable funding solution for your needs.

We also understand that raising finance is often just the first step. We regularly continue to work with our clients beyond the raising of finance to conduct due diligence and provide ongoing strategic advice.

Our services include:

Valuation of your business
Identifying and negotiating with potential funders
Preparation of an information pack / business plan
Assistance on financial modelling
Providing advice on tax aspects of the transaction
Overall project management including liaising with other professional advisors

Private Equity

With more funds available but fewer high-quality, mid-market assets on offer, many equity houses are realigning their sights from pure buyout deals to growth-focused investment opportunities. Competition for high-quality assets with strong management teams is leading to higher valuations at the point of investment, as well as better terms for those running the business. This surplus of growth-focused capital has created one of the most vendor-friendly fundraising atmospheres we have ever seen in the UK.

Our specialist private equity team can guide you through the fundraising process, offering expert advice and support every step of the way. With strong relationships with all of the most active investors in the private equity mid-market, not only can we help identify the most suitable investors, but we can also help you forge the best possible deal and navigate the process in the most effective and efficient way.

We most often work with management teams and businesses looking to raise between £1m and £25m, and support clients in a wide range of sectors.

Financial Due Diligence

Our Transaction Services Team provide clear, concise due diligence reports for a wide variety of transactions across multiple sectors. Experienced in working to a tight timetable, we will agree the scope of the review at the outset and communicate with you every step of the way. We take great care to deliver reports that reflect your needs but at the same time remain objective. If we uncover critical issues, we bring these to your attention immediately, and work with you to evaluate the implications and assess how best to proceed.

Private Equity

When it comes to financial due diligence for private equity clients making UK investments, our track record speaks for itself.

For lower and mid-market private equity clients, we offer a leaner version of our standard service which focuses on a few key risk areas. Whatever the scope of work, we offer the same exceptional rigour and clear guidance, providing direct access to the senior team for every project.

Building Strategy and Valuation Creation

Many business owners aren’t aware that the best time to start succession planning is usually 2-3 years in advance of an exit. This allows time to get the business ready, and plan how to maximise shareholder value. At Azets, we have considerable experience working with shareholders and their management teams to develop and implement strategic plans that will get their business ready for a change in ownership.

By partnering with us, you will ensure the business is ready to meet your aspirations ahead of any anticipated sale or exit. We will assist you in exploring the various options based on your personal objectives, risk appetite and timeframe.

Our goal is to help you increase shareholder value, by focusing on the key drivers that will not only maximise the value of the business but also ensure your exit is executed in an efficient and timely manner.

Azets will help you achieve this by undertaking:

Analysis of the business (commercial & financial)
Market position review
Current trajectory analysis
Thorough evaluation of your long term objectives and aspirations

The strategic review will give you a business plan covering:

Strategy development
Growth planning
Succession planning
Profit improvement planning
Guide valuation and bridging the gap
Time plan

Following the strategic review we will continue working with you to ensure the plan is delivered during the transition period.

Extensive network of contacts

Our advisors provide a straightforward, personal approach that will support your business and personal ambitions. Our extensive network of contacts in the UK and internationally and experience of high value, deal volume across many sectors provides you with experience you can rely on.

Corporate finance services