Corporate Finance Services | Shorts Accountants

CorporateFinance

We are coming up 30 years working with Shorts. We’ve always valued your advice. I don’t think we’ve ever lost out as a result of Shorts’ advice.
Chris and Stephen Ball, Directors at Cost Advice Energy Specialists

Leading a business through change can be very challenge and finding the best route to the future you want requires true expertise.

Whether you’re buying, selling, or raising finance for a business, our award-winning Corporate Finance team are with you all the way, bringing strategy, insight, and conviction to get you the results you really want.

A step by step guide to Corporate Finance

Selling your business is one of the most important transactions you could undertake, which is why it’s crucial that you chose the right advisers to assist and support you throughout the process.

Our team of specialists have successfully sold hundreds of businesses and are vastly experienced. So if you’ve decided to sell, or you want to explore your options to see what’s possible, then we look forward to hearing from you.

Sell your business

Shorts can provide you with the proactive support you will need to make a successful business acquisition.

As an award-winning Corporate Finance team, we are focussed on providing a high quality, personable service applying the knowledge we have built up from many years of advising on business acquisitions.

We have an impressive track record of finding the right acquisition for our clients, delivering value and the optimal deal structure.

Buy a business

Raising funds could help you develop longer-term opportunities for your business (e.g. buying a new factory, entering new markets or acquiring a competitor). It can also be a sensible option for making a shareholder exit possible, facilitating a management buy-out or simply improving the quality of service/cost of your existing funding.

Our team of specialists have successfully raised funds for hundreds of businesses, in all economic situations. So if you’ve decided you need to raise finance, or you want to explore your options to see what’s possible, then we look forward to hearing from you.

Raise Funds

When you are buying or selling a business, advanced planning is essential to get the best possible tax position. This can be a much longer process than initially perceived and tax saving opportunities may be lost when planning is overlooked or done too late.

That’s why it’s crucial that you chose the right advisers to assist and support you throughout the process.

In addition, our Private Client team is the market leader in the region, focussed on providing bespoke wealth management advice. This enables us to provide a truly integrated offering by, for example, advising you on investing your sale proceeds or how to pass on wealth tax efficiently to the next generation.

Get in touch

We have extensive experience in providing tailored and commercially focussed Due Diligence reports to banks, venture capitalists, public sector bodies and acquisitive companies.

Our partners have undertaken Due Diligence assignments on many complex businesses, delivering quality reports within tight deadlines.

We offer a fully integrated service incorporating tax Due Diligence as a seamless element of the assignment, with tax partners and staff that have the experience to give comprehensive comfort, whilst focussing on the issues that matter.

We will work with you in partnership, providing reassurance to both you and your funders. We add value by focussing on the real commercial issues and investigating in depth any areas of potential concern. Regular communication and a commitment to delivering a comprehensive report within the agreed timetable, ensures we will help you get the deal done.

Get in touch

An Employee Ownership Trust (or EOT) enables a company to become owned by its employees. It is a trust, set up by existing company owners, for the benefit of all employees. This trust becomes the majority owner of the business as part of an exit or succession planning strategy.

In the appropriate circumstances, an Employee Ownership Trust is the most tax efficient way to sell your business.

The transaction is completely tax free for the seller (resulting in no Capital Gains Tax whatsoever).

The seller is also guaranteed the full market value for their shares, and gains certainty of exit in a defined time frame, free from the whims of trade buyers. The price agreed for the controlling stake will be market value, based on independent assessment.

The Corporate Finance team at Shorts are experienced in helping owners assess their exit planning options, and are specialists in EOT transactions. The Shorts team can help owners see their plans through to a successful conclusion.

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How the Shorts team can help you

Our experienced Corporate Finance team will use their wealth of knowledge, across multiple industries, to uncover the best opportunities to drive greater growth, brighter futures, smoother transitions, and bigger rewards.

We want to get to know your business from the inside out – its history, its culture, its values, finances and, most of all, its goals. This knowledge and understanding helps us go the extra mile to make your ambitions a reality.

Thanks to the relationships we have with finance partners and legal experts, you’ll know there’s a whole team of specialists with you on this journey.

Comprehensive Corporate Finance services

Shorts has assembled an award-winning team that delivers bespoke Corporate Finance advisory solutions for a diverse range of client businesses and shareholders. We’ve worked with clients big and small, across multiple industries and sectors.

Buying or selling businesses
Raising finance
Tax on transactions
Due diligence reports

Our experienced team of corporate dealmakers, problem solvers, and specialist advisers is ready to help you lead your business through change and deliver on your goals.

Try our Business Valuation Calculator

For business owners, the current value of your business is vital information – particularly in helping you decide if it is time to consider your exit planning options. Use our free business valuation calculator using the button below to gain a rough idea of what your business may be worth.

Experience

Corporate finance in numbers

Award-Winning
Our Transactions
You will be looked after by experts

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Our corporate finance team has been nominated for 29 separate awards in local business awards over the last six years

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The number of transactions completed over the last five years

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Our team of professionals spends 100% of their time advising clients on Corporate Finance transactions

An award - winning team

Our Corporate Finance Specialists

Andy Ryder

Corporate Finance Partner

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Adam Ames

Corporate Finance Director

Scott Burkinshaw

David Robinson

Martin Dean

Corporate Finance Senior Manager

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Ellie Wilcockson

Mergers and Acquisitions Associate

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See our full team

Award-winning Service

Most recent recognition

WINNER - Corporate Finance Service Award

Yorkshire Accountancy Awards 2020, 2022

FINALIST - CORPORATE FINANCE Advisory firm of the year

INSIDER DEALMAKERS AWARDS 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 & 2021

Finalist - Deal of the year (up to £2.5m)

INSIDER DEALMAKERS AWARDS 2019, 2020 & 2021

Finalist - Emerging Dealmaker of the year - Nomination for Martin Dean

INSIDER DEALMAKERS AWARDS 2021

Finalist - Corporate Finance Team of the year

Yorkshire Accountancy Awards 2019

WINNER - DEAL OF THE YEAR UP TO £2.5M

INSIDER DEALMAKERS AWARDS 2018

WINNER - NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL DEAL OF THE YEAR

INSIDER DEALMAKERS AWARDS 2018

Winner - Emerging Dealmaker of the year - Ellie Wilcockson

INSIDER DEALMAKERS AWARDS 2018

View all awards

What our Corporate Finance clients say about us

Testimonials

Shorts provided me with a detailed proposed plan from every angle, this covered both pre and post-sale efficiency planning. They took care of the business disposal, and then also advised me on what happens next, after the business disposal – what do I do personally? It was all there under one roof with a great, prompt response at all stages.
Andrew Mills
T Allen Engineering

We don’t hesitate to refer our clients to Shorts as we know they will be in a safe pair of hands
Roy Deaver
Moss Adams

Shorts have been both helpful and efficient with our transaction.
John Hayes
Dickinson Philips Ltd

We had an initial meeting with Shorts and got a good feel for that meeting. So, it was decided we would appoint Shorts to act on behalf of the management buyout team. The expertise, professionalism, commitment and passion to get the deal done came across very strongly.
Matt Robinson
Juratek Limited

We were extremely happy that when we made the decision to sell J W Hutchinson we were able to agree a sale with another family-owned funeral directors, AW Lymn The Family Funeral Service. The families have known each other for generations so we know the company and its clients are in safe hands. We were supported through this from the start by both Shorts and Keebles, with their help and advice making what could have been a stressful time into a smooth and successful sale.
Alison and Anthony Corbett
JW Hutchinson Funeral Services

Working with Shorts was like having a 'business SatNav' - showing me what to do next, and then just plotting the path for me.
Stacy Phillips
Bullseye Car Parts

Shorts managed the whole process for us, with professionalism and courtesy.
We found them particularly helpful in the negotiating of the finer details of the sale, i.e.- the conditions / contracts etc. post deal.
Having experts in different fields, Shorts handled all issues quickly.
Andrew Larkin, Director
Pentag Gears Limited

Shorts explained it at a level we could understand and we were comfortable with. It was reassuring to have Shorts to fall back on and to ask questions
Steve Bowling
Freight Despatch Worldwide Ltd

I would absolutely recommend any company considering a sale process to discuss and ultimately use the team at Shorts. The team (and especially Adam) were always on hand to deal with queries and offer us advice and the process helped greatly by the experience they were able to bring to every discussion and meeting. Shorts ability to be a "friendly co-pilot" throughout the process, kept us on track to the completion.
Paul Stead, Director
TSG Media Limited

We found the Shorts Corporate Finance team's knowledge of deal structuring and negotiating added real value in ultimately securing the best outcome. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Shorts to anyone looking for advisers to sell their business.
Richard Carr
Mechan Limited

A highly personalised approach from the start led to the development of excellent relationships and production of a truly first class IM (which means Information Memorandum in corporate finance speak or aka ‘a brochure of your business‘!). Our area of business was very specialised but despite this, Shorts IM generated the interest we needed to find the right buyer for us. (Our buyer has told us it is the best IM they have ever seen having acquired many similar businesses over the years)
Katie Lukey, Service Manager
The Good Day's Project

During the negotiation stage of selling the business, I’ll be quite honest, a lot of it went over our heads, so knowing that Shorts were in our corner and able to sort the difficult questions was great.
Jonathan Slater
former Director of One Stop Managed Waste Solutions

Our client's transactions

Recent success stories

Case Study
Cost Advice Energy Specialists - EOT

n an EOT transaction, the Trustees can take a more measured approach to valuation based on a greater understanding of the business and a longer-term view. It’s reassuring to know that lots of other companies are choosing EOT.
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Case Study
Dickinson Philips - EOT

We are delighted to have completed the transaction and are proud to say that our Company is now employee-owned. Shorts have been both helpful and efficient with our transaction.
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Client Case Study
Bullseye Car Parts Management Buy Out

"When you make a decision to buy a business, then the reality dawns - how do you actually do it?
But working with Shorts was like having a ‘business SatNav’ showing me what to do next, and then just plotting the path for me – making something that initially seemed out of my reach, possible."
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Client Case Study
Rollem Patent Products

"Over the last 20 years, we have had two strategic buyouts of the business and have relocated which are all major events in the life of a company. Those events were made so much easier because of Shorts' financial understanding of our business."
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Client Case Study
One Stop Managed Waste Solutions

For me, one of the most important factors was the relationship we built up with a few key people and the ability to just pick up the phone and get an answer. We knew that if there was anything we didn’t understand we could put it in their court and the answer we received, we could trust.
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