I’ve been through the sale of an MSP from the seller’s side, including two processes that fell through before the one that completed, and I’ve supported clients through acquisitions of their own, so I’ve seen deals from both sides. I’ll help you get yours ready for buyers, so you walk into due diligence with the evidence in order, the value drivers strong and far fewer surprises.
Buyers price in risk. Every gap they find becomes a question, a delay or a reason to chip the price. Preparing properly puts you back in control.
Recurring revenue, contract terms, margins and customer spread are what buyers pay for. We make sure yours are clear, evidenced and as strong as they can be.
Know the questions before they are asked, and have the answers and documents ready. Fewer rounds of queries, less stress, less time.
Surprises found late in a deal are rarely good for the seller. Fixing issues first protects the number you agreed.
Buyers worry when everything depends on the owner. We strengthen your team, processes and reporting so the business stands on its own.
A sale is a distraction. A clear plan and a single point of guidance stop it swallowing your time while the business still needs running.
Whether you plan to sell in a few years or someone knocks on the door tomorrow, you will be able to respond from a position of strength.
I founded Mirus and grew it to over 100 people and £12 million in revenue before exiting in 2019. That sale didn’t happen first time: we went through two sale processes that fell through before the third one completed. Each one taught us what buyers probe, where deals stall and what a seller should have fixed beforehand, and we used those lessons to get the final deal done.
So I know what buyers ask for, how due diligence feels from the inside, and where sellers lose time and value, because I have been through it three times myself.
Since then I’ve supported a number of my clients through acquisitions they’ve made, so I’ve also seen MSP deals from the buyer’s side: what they look for, what worries them and what makes them walk away or push the price down. That’s exactly the view you need when you’re preparing to sell.
Alongside that, I’ve mentored UK MSP owners on growth, recurring revenue and operations. Exit readiness brings those together: building value and getting the evidence in order at the same time.
We review your MSP the way a buyer will, area by area, and work out what needs strengthening before anyone else looks.
How much of your revenue is recurring, how healthy are margins, and do your management accounts tell a clear story?
Are contracts signed, current and transferable? Is revenue spread across customers, or concentrated in a few?
Who runs the business day to day, how dependent is it on you, and are roles, contracts and key people secure?
How mature is your service desk, which KPIs do you track, and can you show consistent performance?
How well do you protect your own business and your clients, and how well documented are your tools and platforms?
Where does new business come from, how predictable is the pipeline, and what is growth built on?
How are your services built, packaged and priced, and are the margins right? We also review the products you resell as an acquirer would: which suppliers, on what terms, and whether they would fit, or complicate, a buyer’s own stack.
Are company records, policies, supplier agreements and data protection in order? I work alongside your accountant and solicitor so they know exactly what is needed.
An NDA and questionnaire, then a deep review of your MSP against what buyers look for. You get a clear report of strengths, gaps and priorities.
We work through the priorities together, with regular sessions to guide your team, build value and gather the evidence buyers will want.
A final check before you go to market, with your accountant and solicitor briefed on exactly what is needed, so due diligence starts on the front foot.
The review covers the NDA, questionnaire and a full review of your MSP against what buyers look for, with a written report of strengths, gaps and priorities presented back to you.
Closing the gaps afterwards can run on one of my monthly options, or be quoted to suit your timescale.
The MSP Mentor is Paul Tomlinson — a UK-based mentor for MSP owners, author, and former founder of Mirus.