You've found a business you want to buy. Now you need someone who can tell you whether it's worth buying, what it's really worth, and how to structure the deal to protect your investment.
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Most people who buy businesses do so without proper financial support. They rely on the seller's information, take a brief look at the accounts, and make a decision under pressure and on emotion. That's how people overpay, miss the problems, and make deals that underperform or fail.
Dealwise Acquisition Advisory puts a qualified accountant and experienced M&A adviser in your corner — from the first time you look at an opportunity through to the day you complete. Someone who reads the numbers properly, asks the uncomfortable questions, and tells you what they actually mean for the deal.
"The numbers tell a story. Most buyers read the headline. The insight — and the risk — is in the detail."
This isn't about being cautious for the sake of it. It's about giving you the clarity to move forward with confidence — or the understanding to walk away at the right time. Either outcome saves you money. Only one of them makes you money.
Steve Rooms is an active acquirer himself. He doesn't advise on acquisitions from the sidelines — he does them. That means every piece of advice comes from someone who has real capital at risk in real deals, not someone who has only ever reviewed them.
Book a free 30-minute discovery call. We'll understand your situation and tell you honestly whether and how we can help.
Book a call →Each element of the Acquisition Advisory service is designed to give you a specific type of clarity — and reduce a specific type of risk.
A thorough read of the business — what it actually earns, how it earns it, and whether those earnings are sustainable.
A clear, defensible view on what the business is actually worth — not what the seller wants for it.
How the deal is structured can be as important as the price. Deferred consideration, earn-outs, and warranties can shift risk significantly.
Going into negotiation without proper financial grounding is a significant disadvantage. We make sure you know your numbers better than anyone in the room.
We manage and lead the financial due diligence process — ensuring the right questions get asked and the right information gets reviewed before you sign.
Completing the deal is the beginning, not the end. We help you plan for Day 1 and beyond — so value doesn't erode in the months after completion.
A straightforward engagement process designed around your deal timeline — not ours.
A 30-minute conversation about your deal — where it is, what you know so far, and where you need support. No charge, no commitment. We'll tell you honestly whether and how we can help, and what that would involve.
Once we understand the deal, we'll prepare a clear written proposal covering exactly what we'll do, the timeline, what we'll need from you, and our fee. No ambiguity. You know precisely what you're getting before committing to anything.
We review the business financials thoroughly — typically three years of accounts, management information, and any other available data. We normalise EBITDA, assess working capital, identify the risks, and build an independent view on value.
You receive a clear valuation report and deal structure recommendation. We'll walk you through what the numbers mean, what we think the business is worth, and how we'd suggest structuring the deal to manage your risk and protect your position.
We support you through negotiation — helping you understand your position and how to use the financial analysis to your advantage. We also coordinate and oversee the financial due diligence process to make sure nothing important gets missed.
We help you plan for life after completion — the first 100 days, the reporting framework, and the immediate value creation priorities. Because the deal completing is the beginning of the real work.
The earlier the better. Ideally, before you've gone very deep with the seller — but certainly before you've agreed heads of terms or committed to anything in writing. That said, we can add value at any stage. Even if you're already in due diligence, it's not too late to get a proper financial review done before you complete.
At a minimum, we'd typically want to see three years of statutory accounts, the most recent management accounts, and any information memorandum or sales pack produced by the seller or their broker. We'll tell you exactly what we need once we've had an initial conversation about the deal.
No — Dealwise is a commercial and financial advisory practice. We work alongside your solicitor and accountant, not instead of them. That said, we can signpost you to appropriate professionals and will flag legal and tax considerations as they arise in our analysis — so you know what questions to be asking your other advisers.
Our sweet spot is UK SME acquisitions — typically businesses with revenues between £500k and £10m and deal values in the £100k to £5m range. That said, we'll consider deals outside this range if they're the right fit. The most important factor isn't the deal size — it's whether we can genuinely add value to your situation.
We work on a fixed-fee basis for most engagements, scoped clearly before we start. The fee depends on the size and complexity of the deal and the scope of work involved. We'll give you a clear fee in our proposal — before any commitment. There are no hidden charges or success fees in our standard advisory engagements.
The advisory work we've done — the analysis, the valuation, the due diligence review — retains its value regardless of whether you complete. You'll understand the business better, you'll understand what to look for on your next deal, and you'll have a clear record of why a particular opportunity didn't make sense. We've seen clients walk away from a deal based on our analysis, and find a much better one six months later.
"Steve's financial analysis of the acquisition was the difference between a good deal and a great one. He found issues in the working capital that would have cost us significantly more than his fee to discover post-completion. That's what real due diligence looks like."
Book a free 30-minute discovery call. We'll understand your deal and tell you exactly how Dealwise can help.
No commitment. No pitch. Just a straight conversation about your deal.
A standalone, deep-dive financial due diligence engagement — quality of earnings, working capital, and red flag reporting.
Learn moreIf you're on the other side of the table — preparing a business for sale rather than buying one.
Learn moreOngoing CFO support post-acquisition — reporting, forecasting, and strategic financial management.
Learn more