Date: 28 April 2026 Time: 08.30-11.00


Venue: Dunkenhalgh Hotel and Spa


Join decision-makers implementing AI and automation, and those considering their next steps.


Hear from business leaders and specialist practitioners on what is working, what is challenging, and how organisations are adopting new technologies while managing risk.


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Brought to you by: Perran Cooke Continued from Page 25


RM: We see a lot of clients feeling pressure that creates a false sense of urgency. That can come from external factors like Budgets, tax changes or political announcements, which suddenly make people feel they need to do a deal by a certain date. Often that pressure isn’t aligned with whether the business is actually ready.


What does ‘being ready’ for a deal really mean in practice?


MB: Deal readiness is a process, not a moment. Even with a clear plan and good advisers, there are always surprises.


When you go through a transaction you can have a process and a 100-day plan, you can do your due diligence, and you still find pressure points you didn’t expect.


Being ready is about doing the groundwork early on systems, leadership and structure so you’re not scrambling when an opportunity arrives.


PC: From an adviser’s point of view, preparation is usually six to 18 months, if not longer. You’re building readiness brick by brick, not reacting at the last minute which is where issues arise and valuations are not met.


It’s agreeing what you want to achieve, getting the story and the numbers aligned, and putting in place what a buyer, investor or lender is going to expect to see. That is where putting in a strong finance function and leader is critical to achieve what being ready will look like.


CC: The businesses that stay in control are the ones that start early. It’s not just financial readiness - it’s operational, contractual, and about the management team.


In association with:


RM: One of the first things I ask clients is whether there’s anything they’re worried about, even if they don’t think it’s an issue. Employment matters, historic restructures, share capital and property arrangements can all cause problems later if they’re not addressed early.


Being ready is about understanding the risks and dealing with what you can before a


Paul Fox


transaction starts, rather than reacting when something comes up mid-process.


Beyond valuation, what helps deals progress – and what causes them to stall?


PF: Valuation matters, but it’s rarely the deciding factor. Trust matters more. If the people at the heart of the deal aren’t aligned, you will feel it later.


You can push a deal through, but if you don’t get integration right, that’s where you’ll have problems. The transaction isn’t the finishing line, it’s the starting point.


Trust matters more than people realise in negotiations. We’ve had situations where something wasn’t disclosed, not because someone was being dishonest, but because they genuinely didn’t see the value of that information in the same way we did. You can choose to get angry about that, or recognise it as a different perspective. If you let that destroy


Carole Fraser


one neat step. Our deal was very quick – eight weeks offer acceptance to completion, the long journey for us is integration.


Communication and trust keep people moving together and prevent small issues becoming emotional ones which can slow everything down. Everyone has to understand what the deal means beyond the numbers.


Deals don’t just affect the business, they can filter through the whole family, but the wonderful thing is being there to celebrate the successes, or support through challenges, together.


What does due diligence really feel like?


MB: Due diligence is where reality lands. Even if you think you’ve prepared well, scrutiny will surface issues that need sorting.


People underestimate the intensity. You can feel like you’re being pulled in ten directions,


Communication and trust keep people moving


together and prevent small issues becoming emotional ones which can slow everything down. Understand what the deal means beyond the numbers


trust, you can derail a deal that still has a strong foundation.


NC: Growth after a deal is rarely clean. We’ve had to reinvest, adjust plans and accept that progress isn’t linear.


You need to keep the management team confident and clear, because deals add pressure. If you don’t have that clarity, it’s easy for momentum to stall.


Managing expectations internally is critical. If people don’t understand why the deal has been done, uncertainty creeps in very quickly.


CF: Unless you’re walking away, deals are long journeys which extend beyond completion. The relationship side is massive because you’re moving from point A to point Z over time, not in


and if you haven’t done groundwork early, it becomes reactive.


ES: Due diligence often reveals things businesses didn’t think mattered, like historic agreements, shareholder positions, contract gaps – things that haven’t caused a problem day-to-day but become critical in a transaction.


The legal side is about staying calm and staying structured. If something surfaces late, it doesn’t automatically kill a deal but it does change the work you have to do to keep control.


A common catch-out is thinking ‘we’ve got great customers so we’re fine’. Buyers and funders still want certainty around contracts, risk, and who owns what.


CC: For smaller businesses, the pressure


Mathew Bridge


Chris Carter


Nick Comer


26


DOING THE DEAL


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