Expert Advisors

Why you need an expert Business Adviser for your Mid-Market Business.

“Business owners have a very dangerous inbuilt habit: we believe we can sort out everything ourselves, we think we can DIY problems.”

Watch the video and then visit Succession Plus to learn more.

The Full Text

Why you need an expert Business Adviser for your Mid-Market Business

“Most problems aren’t Rocket Science, but when they are rocket science, you should ask a rocket scientist.” That’s the advice of retired astronaut Scott Kelly.

Business owners have a very dangerous inbuilt habit: we believe we can sort out everything ourselves, we think we can DIY problems.

We often hear of business owners managing their social media and AdWords campaigns, looking after their accounting, bookkeeping and tax and I even know of one business owner who downloaded a template for a sale of a business contract and edit the document to use himself. That’s DIY at its finest…and most dangerous.

This might be fine for small start-ups who need to bootstrap and preserve cash…well not really. But, it’s definitely not at good at all for a mid-market business. For us, a mid-market business is typically between £3 million and £50 million in revenue.

Importantly, this can affect sales valuation and due diligence: buyers of mid-market businesses are looking for a professionally run and managed operation with systems, policy and procedures documents, business continuity planning (particularly relevant right now during the COVID-19 pandemic), compliance and risk management systems and the appropriate legal, taxation and HR compliance documents.

All of these things will be checked during the due diligence process.

Jack Welch, described as “perhaps the most celebrated American boss of recent decades”, said, “I was never the smartest guy in the room. From the first person I hired, I was never the smartest guy in the room. And that’s a big deal. And if you’re going to be a leader – if you’re a leader and you’re the smartest guy in the world – in the room, you’ve got real problems.”

Wise words.

Surrounding yourself with good advisers should not be costly or expensive. If that’s the case, then you have the wrong advisers. A good adviser should make you, save you or earn you 3- 4 times what they cost (and some much more).

You would never do your root canal or operate on your tonsils … so why would DIY your business?

One of the biggest strengths of our business at Succession Plus is that we surround ourselves, and our clients, with highly talented, experienced and well-qualified advisers.

So, if you need help finding the right advisers get in touch and let us know. We’ll be happy to arrange an introduction.

Kevin Harrington

I’m a UK-based B2B marketing consultant, specialising in strategic advice for SME business owners. I bring extensive hands-on expertise to every client engagement. Senior leadership roles across technology, media, payments, and publishing have shaped my practical approach. Highlights include serving as Chief Marketing Officer at The Panoply plc (now TPXimpact), Chief Commercial Officer at Tungsten Network, and Global Marketing Director at BBC Worldwide. Over the years, I’ve guided numerous SMEs through transformation and value creation. Helping businesses evolve and thrive is a genuine passion. Practical marketing insights and succession planning strategies are at the heart of what I do, as I believe growing a business’s asset value should be a rewarding and positive journey for every entrepreneur.

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