Acquisition Masters

Following the success of last week’s event the London date and venue has been set and tickets have gone on sale. We have two incredible guest speakers too. This is the UK’s premier small business M&A event, so if you’re a UK business owner and want growth in 2025 you should attend. Click on the link for details. #acquisitionmasters #ukbusinessbuyers #mergersandacquisitions https://lnkd.in/ed3YwDyH

Calling all Business Investors! Do you know why we are in a unique point in time that makes funding UK business acquisition the most sensible choice now and over the next ten years? Being a business owner, investor and co-founder of Acquisition Masters (a community/network of UK Business Owners seeking and/or interested in growing their Companies by acquisition) I am well aware of the opportunity business acquisition presents right now and how it can provide investors like your organisation incredible returns whilst embracing significant risk mitigation. Interested in understanding more? Then, you have a great opportunity by attending this event on Thursday of this week: https://lnkd.in/eSMTAJRi Hope to see you there! #acquisitionmasters #businessgrowth #mergersandacquisitions

Matt’s coming, are you? #acquisitionmasters #businessgrowth #businessbuying https://lnkd.in/e3AxN3s4

Calling all UK Business Owners & Advisors! Do you know why we are in a unique point in time that makes UK business acquisition the most sensible choice for focusing on business growth now and over the next ten years? Being a Founder of Acquisition Masters (a community/network of UK Business Owners seeking and/or interested in growing their Companies by acquisition), business owner and investor I am well aware of the opportunity business acquisition presents right now. Interested in understanding more? If so, join me and my fellow speakers at the Acquisition Masters Workshop on 21st November in Solihull. #acquisitionmasters #businessgrowth #BusinessBuying #businessowners https://lnkd.in/eSMTAJRi

Anticipated Business Asset Disposal Relief (BADR) Changes: Why Selling Now May Be Wise Current BADR Benefits: 10% CGT on the First £1 Million Until April 2025, business owners who sell their businesses can take advantage of a reduced capital gains tax (CGT) rate of 10% on the first £1 million of lifetime gains through BADR. This setup provides a meaningful tax break, especially beneficial to entrepreneurs and long-time business owners looking to exit. For any gains beyond this £1 million threshold, the current CGT applies at the standard rate, which could increase to approximately 24% for many due to recent rate adjustments. Transition to 14% CGT from April 2025 From April 2025, BADR’s CGT rate on the initial £1 million of lifetime gains is expected to rise from 10% to 14%. While this may seem minor, this 4% increase can have a noticeable impact on the final sale proceeds for business owners. For instance, a £1 million gain would incur an additional £40,000 in tax at the new rate. 18% CGT Rate Starting April 2026 The largest change is slated for April 2026, when the CGT rate on the first £1 million of qualifying lifetime gains under BADR will increase to 18%. This adjustment effectively doubles the rate from the current level, adding a significant tax expense for sellers. Over two years, the progression from 10% to 18% could notably impact after-tax proceeds, which may make it less appealing to delay a sale if an exit is on the horizon. Beyond BADR: Higher Rates on Gains Over £1 Million For gains exceeding the £1 million lifetime BADR limit, taxes will continue to apply at the marginal CGT rate, now around 24% for most. With these heightened rates, strategic planning around a sale’s timing is increasingly essential. The Takeaway for Business Owners Considering a Sale For those contemplating a sale, the upcoming CGT increases make the next 18 months critical for financial planning. Selling before April 2025 allows owners to secure the current 10% CGT on up to £1 million in gains. Waiting could mean missing a lower tax rate and potentially facing an 80% increase on that initial £1 million of lifetime gains by April 2026.

https://lnkd.in/e92siq-2

I have had a number of conversations in recent days following a talk I had given to a group of gym members just last week, and it was suggested by a few respected connections that something similar might be of interest to a far wider audience. And it makes sense. Being a Founder of Acquisition Masters (a community/network of UK Business Owners seeking and/or interested in growing their Companies by acquisition) I am well aware of the unique point in time we are at right now in the UK from a business acquisition perspective. If you are not, you may be interested in understanding more. If so, I am happy to run the talk again for you all to understand the landscape and how it could add rocket fuel to your business aspirations over the coming years. If this is of interest, please indicate as much in the Comments below and I'll arrange something (recording it too). #businessbuying #acquisitionmasters #mergersandacquisitions

Earlier this week I gave a presentation on business building versus buying to an audience from a gym I attended. Thanks to Connor Bishop of Endorph Fitness for inviting me, and I am glad it seemed to be appreciated by a larger than expected audience. There was no expectation from me as to any gain as I love being part of what is an incredibly supportive gym community Endorph Fitness. But it was great to connect with more business owners, a wealth manager and receive feedback from them that it gave them some positive takeaways! #acquisitionmasters #wealthmanagers #endorphfitness #businessowners

M&A Joke of the week! #jokes #acquisitionmasters #london

Conferences - A waste of time or not? So here was the question before I attended three conferences in three days: Is this an effective use of my time given I had to cut my weekend short to travel down, take three full days out of my week (when I already have a crazy workload) and will get back at silly ‘o’ clock later tonight after a four legged transport journey. Oh, and one of the days was for an inaugural event (today). The unfortunate thing was I’d only find out after committing! So will the commitment move my needle or that of any of my network. Immediate answer - No Beyond today - almost certainly. And I have gained further education on financial markets, and attitudes to credit from those who are ultimately responsible for extending it, or deciding on who should get it. It has also given me, and soon to be others, interesting topics that may challenge the norm over business and acquisition financing. I’ve met PEs, Family Offices and Capital providers (including banks). Thanks to the team at Opal Group who looked after me, given I was a complete outsider (as always) 🤣. Conclusion: Away days are good and important. Especially for those of us who don’t get out much due to home-working!! But like most things I only found out by taking the plunge and taking myself out of my comfort zone. #privatecredit #familyoffice #privateequity #acquisitionmasters #acquisitionfinance #specialistlending #businessbuying