What our M&A advisory covers
Our founder Greg Blackaby is an accountant turned entrepreneur who has bought and built several Brisbane accounting firms himself. That matters. Most advisers have read about acquisitions. We have sat on both sides of the table with our own money on the line.
The service runs end to end. If you are buying, we help you work out what a business is worth, check that the numbers are real, structure the purchase and plan the first year of ownership. If you are selling, we get the business ready, set a defensible price, manage buyer questions and structure the exit so you keep more of what you have built.
Clients range from founders doing a first acquisition to groups adding their fifth entity. Industries we see often include construction and trades, franchising, real estate agencies, allied health, transport and NDIS providers.
- Business valuation and price benchmarking
- Financial and tax due diligence
- Deal structuring: asset versus share sale, earn-outs, vendor finance
- Negotiation support and buyer or vendor Q&A
- Succession and exit planning
- Post-deal integration, structuring and reporting
Buying a business with an adviser in your corner
A good acquisition is bought on evidence, not enthusiasm. We start with the information memorandum and the numbers behind it, then test what the seller claims against bank statements, BAS lodgements, payroll and customer data.
We also help you choose which entity buys, how to fund it and how the purchase price is allocated, because those choices shape your tax position and risk for years. Our buying a business page walks through the process step by step.
Selling a business for the right price
Buyers pay a premium for businesses that are easy to understand and easy to take over. Clean books, documented systems, a management team that does not depend on the owner and a structure that lets the buyer purchase only what they want.
Our exit work usually starts a year or more before a sale. We tidy the financials, remove personal expenses, fix the structure, prepare the data room and run the numbers on different deal shapes. See our selling a business page for the full picture.
Business valuation and due diligence
Valuation answers what the business is worth and why. Due diligence answers whether the numbers supporting that value are true. You rarely want one without the other.
We value businesses using methods that suit the size and type of business, from capitalised future maintainable earnings for established SMEs to asset-based approaches where that fits better. Our due diligence work focuses on revenue quality, normalised profit, working capital, tax compliance and the risks that live between the lines of a profit and loss statement.
Both are quoted as fixed fees once we understand the deal, and both are delivered as written reports you can share with lenders, lawyers and partners.
Deal structuring and negotiation support
The headline price is only part of a deal. Whether you buy assets or shares, how much is paid up front, what sits in an earn-out, how working capital is adjusted at settlement and who carries the tax history can swing the real outcome by a long way.
We model each structure under the ATO's current rules, explain the trade-offs and then support the negotiation. That can mean briefing you before meetings, sitting in on calls or answering the other side's accountant directly. You stay in control. We make sure you are never arguing numbers you cannot back.
Succession planning for founders and family businesses
Not every exit is a sale to a stranger. Many of our clients want to hand over to family, a management team or a partner, over years rather than overnight. Succession planning sets the timing, the structure, the valuation method and the funding so the handover works for everyone.
Whichever path you take, the earlier the plan starts, the more options you have. Our succession planning page covers the common approaches.
Questions we get asked
Do I need an accountant to buy or sell a business?
Legally no, but practically yes. Your lawyer handles the contract. Your accountant handles whether the price is right, whether the numbers are real, how the deal is taxed and which entity should sign. Getting that advice before terms are agreed is far cheaper than fixing a bad structure afterwards.
What is the difference between an asset sale and a share sale?
In an asset sale the buyer purchases specific assets such as equipment, goodwill and contracts from the selling entity. In a share sale the buyer purchases the company itself, including its history and liabilities. Each has different tax, duty and risk consequences for both sides, so the choice is usually negotiated.
How long does buying or selling a business take?
From first conversation to settlement, three to nine months is common for an SME deal. Preparation before going to market can add a year or more if the business needs tidying. Due diligence and financing are the usual slow points, so we plan for them early.
Can you help with a merger between two businesses?
Yes. Mergers raise the same valuation and due diligence questions as a sale, plus the harder question of how two ownership groups share one business. We model the combined entity, agree on relative values and design a structure that reflects what each side brings.
Do you work with buyers outside Brisbane?
We do. Our offices are in Victoria Point and Jimboomba, but we support clients across Queensland and Australia by video. Deals often involve parties in different cities, and most of the work happens in data rooms and spreadsheets rather than across a desk.
