Are you an owner of a small to medium size business and looking to exit?

We will make your business buyer ready for higher returns

Proven Exit Framework to Deliver Best Returns

even finding a perfect buyer for you

THE EXIT FRAMEWORK

BuyerLens Business Audit

What would a buyer really see?

We analyse your company exactly how a buyer — investor, strategic buyer, or PE firm — would. We identify valuation blockers, missed opportunities, red flags and untapped value before they show up in due diligence.

You’ll uncover:

  • Where your business depends too much on you

  • What makes your company look risky, even if it isn’t

  • Where value is being lost in your team, offer, or ops

  • What IP, data, or processes you should be

Strategic Exit Multiplier

Why would a buyer Pay more?

Once we identify the gaps, we design a strategy to increase your valuation. This is about creating a strategy that will be your blueprint to build structure, margin, and performance that buyers would pay premium for.

You’ll build:

  • An exit strategy aligned to your ideal buyer profile

  • An offering structure that supports margin growth

  • Recurring or predictable revenue where possible

  • Clear roles, succession plans, and performance dashboards

Deal Ready Accelerator

What Next?

Now you will implement your strategic exit plan through structured execution, real-time progress tracking, empowered team leadership, and high-touch expert support — all tailored for your business aiming to maximise its value and exit smoothly.

You will Execute

  • Custom Execution Plan

  • KPI Design & Exit-Focused Scorecard

  • Exit Governance Framework and monitoring

  • Strategic Advisory Access

What we do

Helping Businesses Achieve Their Goals

The Exit Architect is a structured program to help you build a business that runs, grows, and sells without you.

Through our proven 3-phase method, we help founder-led businesses:

  • Full Business Audit from Buyer's Perspective

  • Strategic Plan to Multiply Valuation

  • Make the Business Exit Ready

Even if you don’t exit, you’ll come out with a business that’s easier to run — and worth far more.

About us

At UniqueDirection, we specialise in helping small business owners design the final chapter of their entrepreneurial journey.

Most small to medium businesses are stuck in the middle:

  • They’ve built something successful — but unsellable.

  • Their business depends on them.

  • Their profits aren’t predictable.

  • And when buyers come knocking, the numbers don’t justify the stress.

The Exit ArchitecT isn’t just about selling — it’s about building a better business before you sell.

READY TO GIVE US A TRY?

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sellmybusinessa3

How to Value a Small Business for Sale (The Way Serious Buyers Do)

July 16, 20253 min read

How to Value a Small Business for Sale (The Way Serious Buyers Do)

If you’re preparing to sell your company, you’ve probably asked: “How do buyers come up with a valuation?”

Most founders assume it’s just a multiple of profit. But in reality, valuation is less about numbers… and more about narrative.


The DIY Method: Start With the Basics

Here’s how you can get a rough valuation on your own:

  1. Calculate Normalised EBITDA
    Adjust for one-off expenses, owner salary, or personal benefits.

  2. Apply an Industry Multiple
    Use market data, broker sites, or industry reports to identify typical multiples for your sector. For small businesses, this often ranges from 2x–5x EBITDA.

  3. Factor in Deal Type
    Asset sale? Share sale? Earn-out? Structure affects value — and risk.

This approach will give you a ballpark range. But it won’t tell you the whole story.


The Deeper Truth: Buyers Value What Reduces Risk

A professional buyer doesn’t stop at your financials. They go deeper — because they’re not just buying a business. They’re buying:

  • Predictable cash flow

  • Transferable operations

  • Scalable potential

  • A brand that holds weight without the founder at the centre

So if your business still relies heavily on you — or lacks process visibility — that 4x multiple you hoped for might quietly become 2.5x.


Common Blind Spots That Lower Valuation

Here’s what many founders miss in their DIY valuations:

  • Key Person Risk — “You’re the business” is not a compliment to buyers.

  • Weak Documentation — No SOPs? No dashboards? That’s a red flag.

  • Customer Concentration — 40% of revenue tied to one client? Risky.

  • Low Margin Complexity — Too many low-profit services? Hard to scale.

These are exactly the factors private equity firms and savvy buyers zoom in on.


How Unique Direction Helps:

USP Highlight — BuyerLens Business Audit

At Unique Direction, we don’t just plug numbers into a formula. We reverse-engineer your business valuation through a buyer’s lens.

Our BuyerLens Audit dissects your business the way an investor would during due diligence — surfacing operational risk, identifying transferable value, and giving you a clear RAG report across 8 buyer-aligned drivers.

This means:

  • You know your current valuation — and why it is what it is

  • You know exactly what needs to change to raise it

  • You control the exit narrative before anyone else does


Why Founders Value Our Approach

Most valuation services just give you a number. We give you insight. That’s what positions you for a premium sale — and it’s why founders use our audit long before they ever go to market.


DIY vs Strategic: Which Path Moves the Needle?

A DIY approach gets you started. But it can’t uncover the risks that kill deals or spot the levers that drive value.

Unique Direction gives you both: the clarity and the control.

Because in the end, valuation isn’t just a number. It’s a story buyers are either willing to believe in — or walk away from.


CTA:

→ Book a free discovery call and get a valuation report built around what serious buyers actually look for.

More Reads:

1.Should I use a business broker to sell my business?

2.Steps to sell a business successfully

3.What mistakes to avoid when selling a small business

how to value a small businesssmall business valuation methodsbusiness valuation for salesell a small companywhat affects business valuebusiness buyer perspectiveSME exit planning
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