Understand the true value of your business

Research shows a small percentage of UK businesses produce a valuable exit for their owners.

Research also shows one company can be worth three or more times a similar company in the same business sector.

Whether you wish to sell your business today or not, imagine the comfort of understanding its true value and knowing you could sell when you’re ready.

Talk to us to understand how to measure your company against the eight primary drivers of company value OR get yourself a drink and spend a few minutes on this questionnaire to receive a confidential, initial assessment specific to you and your business.

PS: a company’s value is rarely just the product of a calculation based on its historical or
forecast financial performance.

Cantava exists to transform the outlook for business owners

In 2011, John Warrillow wrote ‘Built To Sell’. In it, he described a set of principles for creating a business that would thrive without its owner.

The book’s underlying thesis is that building the value of a company gives the business owner a killer advantage in the game of life. In essence, the owner can choose to sell if they get an outlandish offer or sleep well at night knowing they could sell should the opportunity or need arise.

Looking at a business through the lens of a would-be acquirer, Warrillow suggests the hallmark of a valuable company is one that can run without the owner, which implies if an owner can create a business that’s built to sell, they also have the option to hold on to it without the stress of running it on a day-to-day basis.

The key message is that a business owner should aspire to work on their business and not in it. Taking that step will differentiate their business and maximise its value.

A valuable business is a sought-after asset, making it more likely that the owner will get an unsolicited offer for it. This gives the owner negotiating leverage when deciding to sell.

The Value Builder System™

Following success of his book, in 2014 Warrilow launched a software platform designed to allow certified advisors to use his Built To Sell methodology with clients. The Value Builder System™ is the name of the platform.

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What gets measured, gets done

Access to data is essential to determine actionable insights in almost every facet of life today.

A plethora of tools and technologies are available to facilitate an accurate prescription of actions to be taken in almost every context.

Invariably, the challenge is compliance. It’s relatively easy to produce a to do list, but not always as easy to take all the steps required to tick those actions off the list.

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The eight drivers of company value

There are three steps we take to help a business owner pull the right levers to increase the value of their business. Each lever is linked to one of eight primary drivers of a company's value.
Financial Performance

Your history of producing revenue and profit combined with the professionalism of your record keeping.

Growth Potential

Your likelihood to grow your business in the future and at what rate.

Switzerland Structure

How dependent your business in on any one employee, customer or supplier.

Valuation Seesaw

Whether your business is a cash suck or a cash spigot.

Recurring Revenue

The proportion and quality of automatic, annuity-based revenue you collect each month.

Monopoly Control

How well differentiated your business is from competitors in your industry.

Customer Satisfaction

The likelihood that your customer will re-purchase and also refer you.

Hub & Spoke

How your business would perform if you were unexpectedly unable to work for a period of three month

The Value Builder engagement

The twelve modules prescribed in The Value Builder System™ are typically used in a monthly cadence, although there's flexibility to both alter pace and / or sequencing in line with the plan agreed with a business owner prior to each Value Builder engagement commencing.

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