Scaling for Sale
Matthew brings direct experience of preparing businesses for sale, having sat on both sides of the table as an entrepreneur and board advisor. He knows that exit value is built years before a transaction, not negotiated in the final months. And he has a thorough understanding of the due diligence processes demanded by the acquirer, the mechanisms by which risk is discounted into valuation, and the key drivers that differentiate premium from average multiples.
At board level, he:
• Identifies the gaps between current operations and what acquirers will scrutinise in due diligence
• Challenges leadership to build a business that runs without its founder, not one dependent on them
• Tests whether financial reporting, contracts and governance will withstand buyer scrutiny
• Ensures growth narrative is backed by evidence, not just ambition
• Brings discipline to the trade-off between short-term performance and long-term saleability
• Identifies which value drivers most influence multiple, and where effort should concentrate first
He is particularly effective when a business has ambitious timelines for a planned exit, or where leadership wants to understand what “sale ready” actually requires.