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Business Risk Services
Our Business Risk Services team deliver practical and pragmatic solutions that support clients in growing and protecting the inherent value of their businesses.
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Corporate Finance and Deal Advisory
We offer a dedicated team of experienced individuals with a focus on successfully executing transactions for corporates and financial institutions. We offer an integrated approach, with our corporate finance specialists working seamlessly with tax and other specialists to ensure that every angle is covered.
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Economic Advisory
Our all-island Economics Advisory team combines expertise in economics and business with a wealth of experience across the public and private sectors.
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Forensic Accounting
We have a different way of doing business by delivering real insight through a combination of technical rigour, commercial experience and intuitive judgment. We take pride in delivering responsive and tailored solutions to all our clients, capitalising on the wealth of experience housed within our Belfast and wider Forensics team
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People and Change Consulting
The Grant Thornton People & Change Consulting practice works with clients on these issues as well as on all aspects of how they attract, retain, engage develop, deploy and lead their people.
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Restructuring
We work with a wide variety of clients and stakeholders such as high street banks, private equity funds, directors, government agencies and creditors to implement solutions which provide the best possible outcomes.
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Technology Consulting
Motivating and assisting our clients to pursue, maintain and secure the benefits of digital solutions is at the core of our Digital Transformation teams' agenda and goals. We work with business leaders to deliver efficient digital strategies and operating models that provide new or enhanced capabilities.
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Corporate and International Tax
Northern Ireland businesses face further challenges as they operate in the only part of the UK that has a land border with a country offering a lower tax rate.
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Employer Solutions
Our team specialises in remuneration and incentive planning and works closely with employers, shareholders and employees to ensure that business strategies are aligned and goals achieved in the most tax efficient, cost-effective manner.
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Entrepreneur and Private Client Taxes
Our team of experienced advisors are on hand to guide you through any decision or transaction ranging from the establishment of new business ventures, to realising value on exit, to succession planning and providing for loved ones.
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Global Mobility Services
Grant Thornton Ireland offer a different approach to managing global mobility. We have brought together specialists from our tax, global payroll, people and change and financial accounting teams across Ireland and Northern Ireland, while drawing on the knowledge and insights of our global network of over 143 offices of mobility professionals to provide you with a holistic approach to managing global mobility.
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Outsourced Payroll
Our outsourced service provides valued service to over 150 separate PAYE schemes. These ranging from 1 to 1000 employees, working for micro, SME and global employers. The service is supported by the integrated network of tax and global mobility teams and the wider Grant Thornton network delivering a seamless service. Experienced staff deliver a personal service built around your business needs.
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Tax Disputes and Investigations
Our Tax Disputes and Investigation team is made up of tax experts and former HMRC investigators who have years of experience in dealing with a variety of tax investigations. Our expertise and insight can guide you through all interactions, keeping your cost at a minimum while allowing you to continue with the day to day running of your business.
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VAT and Indirect Taxes
At Grant Thornton (NI) LLP, our team helps Northern Ireland businesses manage their UK and global indirect tax risks which, as transactional taxes, can quickly become big liabilities.
Selling your business
30 Jan 2018The decision to sell your business will often be driven by a number of commercial and personal reasons. However, regardless of the reason for selling your business, there are three key questions you will need to consider from the start of the process.
Firstly, do you know and understand the value of your business? Secondly, are you clear on your preferred structure of any potential deal? And lastly, do you know who the potential purchasers of your business are?
To maximise the value of your business it is important to plan and prepare your business well in advance of a proposed sale. As part of the preparation you should focus on identifying and, where necessary, improving the key aspects of your business that any potential purchaser will consider. You should seek to demonstrate that your business generates a stable and maintainable level of profitability and highlight the businesses’ growth potential. It should be noted that this pre-sale preparation should not be restricted to the financial side of the business.
Potential purchasers will also want to understand the quality of your key management team and your key customer and supplier contracts amongst other things. A corporate finance advisory team will be able to provide relevant market data of recent deals to support the valuation of your business.
The structure of any sale should also be considered prior to commencing a sales process. The sale may be structured as a share sale or as a sale of the business assets. Tax is usually a strong driver in determining the sale structure, with many targeting a shares sale, with currently an effective 10% rate of tax on any gain. Selling the shares means you will not have responsibility for dealing with company liabilities post deal. Selling the business assets (including key contracts) could be attractive if you are only selling part of your business or if the potential purchaser wishes to disregard certain business assets or liabilities. It is important at this stage to take financial, tax and legal advice to ascertain the most suitable structure for you.
Potential purchasers will buy businesses for many different reasons, but typically the purchasers can be divided into two groups – trade purchasers (those operating within the same or a similar sector) and financial purchasers (typically seeking a profit growing business, regardless of sector). A trade purchaser will look at how your business fits within their own company and their own plans. It could be a known competitor or someone within the wider sector you operate in that wants to enter your market or access product capability. A financial purchaser could be a private equity or an individual investor seeking a growing business. Again a corporate finance advisory team will be able to provide detailed market research and insights relating to activity within your business sector, including details of any potential purchasers recently active in the market.
Selling your business can be a daunting process, however, with careful planning and by engaging professional advisers, such as Grant Thornton, early in the process will assist you in reaching a successful outcome. For most there is only one opportunity to maximise the value of the business.