How It Works
How the Free Business Valuation Process Works
A confidential, no-obligation indicative UK SME business valuation in four steps. Direct with Tony Vaughan. No broker referrals, no follow-up pressure.
Most UK SME owners think about the value of their business at least once a year and act on it once a decade. The gap between thinking and acting is where almost all of the value swings happen. Owners who plan into the gap consistently outperform owners who close the gap with a phone call to a broker. The free indicative valuation exists to make the thinking phase useful, structured and honest, with no commitment to do anything afterwards.
Step 1. Two-minute enquiry
The starting point is a short enquiry form. Name, company, sector, rough revenue band and what you'd like to explore. Sale, EOT, MBO, succession, shareholder event or general planning. Two minutes is plenty. The form goes directly to Tony Vaughan and you'll usually have a reply within one working day. There is no automated drip sequence, no follow-up from a sales development representative, and no addition to any marketing list.
Step 2: 20 to 30 minute discovery call
The discovery call is genuinely a conversation, not a pitch. We cover what the business does, how it has performed over the last three years, where revenue comes from, what the management structure looks like, what's driving you to think about valuation now, and what you'd ideally want to happen over the next 12 to 36 months. The call is held by Tony Vaughan personally. There is no junior on the line, no scripted qualification process, and no obligation to do anything afterwards.
By the end of the call we will have agreed which financial information would be useful to share, who needs to be on any NDA, and roughly when the indicative valuation will land in your inbox. Most owners find the call itself genuinely useful even before any numbers are produced.
Step 3. Document review under NDA
For an indicative valuation we typically work from two to three years of statutory accounts, your most recent management accounts and a current-year forecast. Where the situation warrants it we'll also ask for a customer revenue breakdown and a simple cap table. Everything is shared under mutual NDA, and all working files are held on UK-based encrypted infrastructure. We will not request information we don't actually need, and we will not retain anything beyond the duration of the engagement.
Document review takes one to two weeks. During that time we normalise the earnings, identify the sub-sector comparables, score the value drivers and drags, and build the indicative range from the bottom up.
Step 4. Written indicative range with reasoning
The deliverable is a short written document, typically three to five pages, that sets out the indicative valuation range, the methodology behind it, the comparable transaction evidence we relied on, and a one-page commentary on the main drivers and drags that explain where in the range your business sits. We then schedule a 30-minute follow-up call to talk through the document, answer questions and discuss what (if anything) you want to do next.
What happens next is up to you
Most owners take the indicative valuation, file it, and revisit it 12 to 24 months later as their thinking develops. A smaller number commission a fixed-fee formal report to support an imminent transaction, an HMRC submission or a shareholder event. A smaller number again engage us for ongoing value-driver work in the run-up to a planned exit. None of these is the default expectation. The free indicative valuation is genuinely free, with no embedded sales process.
Free valuation process FAQ
The questions UK SME owners ask most often before booking a free indicative valuation.
Is the free valuation really free?
Yes. The indicative valuation, the discovery call and the written summary are all delivered without charge and without obligation. A fixed-fee formal report is only ever proposed if you ask for one or if your situation requires HMRC, court or trustee-grade evidence.
Why offer a free valuation? What's the catch?
There isn't one. A small number of owners who receive an indicative valuation later commission a fixed-fee formal report or a value-driver engagement, and that is enough to cover the cost of providing the free service to everyone else. We do not sell software, we do not take commission, and we never share your information with brokers.
How accurate is an indicative valuation?
An indicative valuation is built on the same methodology we use for formal reports. Normalised earnings, sub-sector multiples, comparable transaction evidence, but it is shorter, less heavily evidenced and not signed. For most UK SMEs it lands within 10% to 15% of what a full formal report would conclude. That is more than enough accuracy for planning purposes; not enough for HMRC, courts or trustees.
How long does the process take end to end?
Two to three weeks from initial enquiry to written indicative range. The discovery call is usually scheduled within five working days of enquiry, the document review takes one to two weeks, and the written summary follows within a few days.
What information do you need from me?
Two to three years of statutory accounts, your most recent management accounts, a current-year forecast if available, and a short summary of your business. We can work from less, but accuracy improves with each additional data point. Everything is shared under mutual NDA.
Will my details be shared with anyone else?
No. Every engagement is covered by NDA, all communication is direct with Tony Vaughan, and we do not share, sell or pass on enquirer information to any third party, including M&A brokers, buyers, lenders or marketing lists. Confidentiality is the default, not an upgrade.
What do I get at the end?
A written indicative valuation range, a short summary of the methodology and the comparable evidence behind it, and a one-page commentary on the main drivers and drags that explain where in the range your business sits. If you want to go further, we'll quote you for a formal report or a value-driver engagement on the same call.
What if I'm not ready to do anything yet?
That's the most common case and it's exactly what the free valuation is for. Most UK SME owners who eventually sell, EOT or MBO their business commission an indicative valuation 18 to 36 months before doing anything about it. The number frames the planning. There is no follow-up pressure.
Start with a free, confidential indicative valuation
Direct with Tony Vaughan. Two-week turnaround. No obligation, ever.