Sale Readiness Checklist

A working checklist to get an owner-managed business ready for sale, management buy-out or transfer to an Employee Ownership Trust. Buyers price risk: every gap they find in due diligence becomes a price reduction, a retention, a warranty or a reason to walk away. Working through this list 12–36 months before a sale lets you fix problems on your own terms.

• When you first start thinking about selling or stepping back
• Before you appoint a corporate finance adviser or approach buyers
• As a quarterly progress tracker in the run-up to a sale

• Rate each item Red (not started / problem), Amber (in progress) or Green (done and evidenced)
• Give every Red and Amber item an owner and a target date
• Transfer the most important actions to the action plan at the end
• Review with your accountant and solicitor before going to market