The process
How we buy a business.
Three steps, one team and no surprises. You will know who is buying, how much of the business, on what terms and what your role will be, before anything is signed.
No NDA at this stage. No accounts required. No obligation.
Three steps
How long does it take to sell your business to Verdani?
Most Verdani deals complete in 8 to 14 weeks from the first conversation. There is no tender process and no investment committee, so the people you meet on the first call are the people who decide.
A confidential conversation
No NDA at this stage, no pressure, no financial information needed. We get to understand your business, what you want out of the next few years, and whether there is a natural fit.
Valuation and heads of terms
We ask for three years of accounts and produce an honest valuation. We propose the deal structure, the ownership split and your role after completion, before anything is signed.
Completion
Experienced M&A solicitors and our own in-house deal team move it through. You deal with the same people from the first call to the final signature.Most deals complete in 8 to 14 weeks.
What you will need
- Nothing on paper
- Time for a proper conversation
- A rough idea of what you want next
What you will get
- A straight view on whether there is a fit
- An outline of how a deal could work for you
- No obligation either way
How long
One conversation. You decide whether to go further.
What you will need
- Three years of accounts
- Your order book and key contracts
- A view of your own role going forward
What you will get
- An honest valuation assessment
- The buying entity, the stake and the structure
- Your role after completion, in writing
How long
Weeks, not months. There is no committee to wait for.
What you will need
- Your accountant and solicitor
- Answers to due diligence questions
- Time to review the legal documents
What you will get
- A deal that completes on the terms agreed
- The same people from first call to signature
- A clear plan for the months after
How long
Most deals complete in 8 to 14 weeks from first conversation.
Step one, in detail
What happens in the first conversation?
An informal, confidential call with Lee or Scott. No NDA, no accounts and no obligation. We want to understand the business and what you want from the next few years.
You will speak to the people who make the decision, not an analyst taking notes for someone else. We will ask how the business started, who runs it day to day, where the work comes from and what the team looks like. Then the bigger questions. Do you want to step back, stay on, or go? What matters most to you about what happens next?
You can ask us anything. How we have structured past deals, what we would expect of you, what happens to your people. If there is no fit, we will say so plainly and you will have lost nothing but a little time.
Step two, in detail
How do valuation and heads of terms work?
We review three years of accounts, value the business on sustainable EBITDA, and set out the whole deal in heads of terms before anything is signed.
Valuation is grounded in what the business reliably earns. We look at the quality and repeatability of your contracts, the strength of the order book and how much of the business depends on you personally. You get an honest assessment with our reasoning, rather than a headline number designed to win the deal.
Heads of terms then set out, in plain language:
- Which entity is buying: Verdani Capital Two Limited or Verdani Services Limited, both established trading companies within the Verdani Group.
- The ownership split, anywhere from 40% to 100% of the business.
- How and when you are paid.
- Your role after completion, and for how long, if you want one.
Curious before you talk to anyone? Get a feel for what your business is worth first.
Step three, in detail
What happens during due diligence and completion?
Experienced M&A solicitors and our in-house deal team take the deal through due diligence and legals. You deal with the same people from the first call to the final signature.
Due diligence checks that the business is what the accounts say it is. We keep requests focused and proportionate, and we tell you early if something needs a closer look, so nothing appears for the first time on the last day. Our team has been through this 32 times, which keeps the process moving without wearing you out.
Typical time from first conversation to completion.
The ethical partnership model
What does Verdani put in writing?
The promises that matter to you: the brand keeps its name, the team keeps their jobs, your role is defined and the structure is clear. All of it goes into heads of terms.
Plenty of owners have heard warm words on a first call that never made it into the paperwork. We commit in writing because that is the only commitment worth having. In 99% of cases the name stays over the door and the team stays in post.
Brand and name retained
The business keeps trading as itself. Its reputation is part of what we are buying.
Team retained
No redundancy programme on day one. Your people are the business.
Your role, defined
Stay on, step back gradually over an agreed period, or leave. You set the terms.
The structure, in plain sight
The buying entity, the stake, the payment terms and the reasoning behind them.
Deal structures
Which deal structures does Verdani use?
Four, and the choice is yours. Most owners prefer a partnership acquisition, where they sell part of the business and keep meaningful equity.
We buy 40% to 80%. You take cash out now, keep equity, and stay involved on terms you set.
We take a majority stake, and part of the price is linked to future performance you help deliver.
We buy 100% and you stay for an agreed handover period, so customers and staff feel the change gently.
We buy 100% and you step away. The team and the name carry on.
Straight dealing
What we do not do.
No tender process
You are not one of fifty businesses on a spreadsheet. We talk to you directly.
No committees
The people you meet make the decision. Nobody you have never met can overrule them.
No chip at completion
If due diligence raises something, we tell you early. We do not wait until the last week to renegotiate.
No five-year flip
We are long-term owners. We buy businesses to run them, not to sell them on.
Want to know more about the people behind this? Read why owners choose Verdani Capital, or see how a partnership sale of your business works.
Straight answers
Questions about the process.
What is an ethical partnership acquisition?
An ethical partnership acquisition is a deal where the buyer takes a majority or full stake, the founder keeps equity or a defined role if they want one, and the brand, team and culture are retained by design. Verdani commits to this in writing at heads of terms, so the promises made on the first call are the terms that complete.
How long does it take to sell my business to Verdani Capital?
Most Verdani deals complete in 8 to 14 weeks from first conversation. There is no tender process and no investment committee to win over. The people you meet on the first call are the people who decide.
Do I have to sell 100% of my business and walk away?
No. Verdani buys anywhere from 40% to 100% of a business. The preferred structure is an ethical partnership acquisition where you take cash out now, keep meaningful equity and stay involved on terms you set, including stepping back gradually over an agreed period. A full sale is available if that is what you want.
How does Verdani Capital value my business?
On sustainable earnings, not a headline multiple. After a first conversation Verdani reviews three years of accounts and gives an honest valuation assessment, then proposes a clear structure before anything is signed. Valuation is grounded in sustainable EBITDA, the quality and repeatability of your contracts, and how much of the business depends on you personally.
Does Verdani Capital buy underperforming businesses?
Yes, in the sectors where the group already operates. Verdani has turnaround experience and an operating business in HVAC, mechanical and electrical, Renewable Energy, solar and battery storage, and Construction to put behind a company that has lost its way, so an underperforming business in those sectors is worth a conversation. Outside those sectors, Verdani only buys profitable businesses.
More answers on the selling your business FAQ.
Selling in a specific sector?
We buy across the trades we operate in ourselves. Start with the guide for your sector:
More than capital
The operational resources behind every business we buy.
Verdani is an operating group, so a business that joins us gets people, systems and finance behind it from day one: operators who have scaled businesses in these trades, a group services company that provides management support and resource, in-house IT and cyber security, and finance leadership that builds the reporting a growing business needs.
Sales leadership, cross-selling across the group, framework and tender support, and bolt-on acquisitions funded and run by us.
Scott has led teams of 500+ and scaled a contractor from £20m to £80m. Job costing, scheduling, fleet, procurement and margin discipline, improved from experience rather than from a consultant’s deck.
Operational technology, IT and cyber security through Verdani Solutions, and the finance systems and monthly reporting we put in so decisions are made on real numbers.
Verdani Services Limited provides management and resource across the portfolio: HR, compliance, accreditations, insurance and back-office, so your team can concentrate on the work.
None of it is imposed. We agree with you what the business needs, and the team keeps running the business. Meet the people who do this on the team page.
Start here
Have one honest conversation. Decide from there.
Tell us about your business. We will give you a straight view on whether there is a fit, and what a partnership with Verdani could look like for you.
- No NDA at this stage and no obligation
- Completely confidential. Nothing goes further
- You will speak to Lee or Scott, not an analyst
- We reply within one working day
Prefer to talk? Call 020 3475 5475
or email info@verdanicapital.co.uk
or message us on WhatsApp