Perspectives on succession and perpetual capital.
Notes from the team on European owner-managed businesses, succession, and what it takes to hold in perpetuity.
ProcessJune 5, 20267 minUnderstanding M&A Advisor Fees: Retainers, Success, and Tail Clauses
Advisory fee structures look similar on the surface, but the incentives they create are very different. Learn how to align your advisor's interests with your own.
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ProcessJune 5, 20267 minWriting a CIM That Stands Out — Without Overselling
The Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM) sets the tone for every conversation that follows. Honest, specific, and forward-looking beats glossy every time.
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OperationsJune 5, 20267 minCultural Fit in Cross-Border Deals: The Soft Stuff That's Hard
Cultural mismatches kill more cross-border integrations than financial ones. Discover why diagnosing fit early is a core part of buyer selection, not an afterthought.
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ProcessJune 5, 20265 minVendor Due Diligence: Selling on the Front Foot
Commissioning your own diligence before going to market sounds expensive. Done right, it pays for itself in process speed and price certainty.
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ProcessJune 5, 20267 minAuction vs Bilateral Negotiations: Choosing the Right Path to Exit
A competitive auction or a private bilateral deal? Choosing the right sales process is critical for transaction value and legacy. We explore which path suits your business goals.
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CapitalJune 5, 20267 minHow Interest Rates Reshape M&A Pricing in the Mid-Market
Interest rates are the gravity of valuation. Understand how rising rates compress multiples and shift the balance between strategic buyers and private equity.
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OperationsJune 5, 20267 minPost-Merger Integration: Where Deal Value Is Won or Lost
The deal is signed, but the work is just beginning. Discover why post-merger integration is where value is won or lost in the mid-market, and how to navigate the critical first 100 days.
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Deal StructureJune 5, 20265 minNegotiating Closing-Date Adjustments Without Losing Value
Locked-box, completion accounts, and working capital pegs shift risk differently. Pick wrong and the headline price becomes academic.
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ProcessJune 5, 20265 minTiming the Market: When Should You Sell?
Perfect market timing is a myth. But there are predictable windows when sellers consistently get better outcomes — and signs that yours has opened.
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SuccessionJune 5, 20267 minSelling a Family Business: Beyond the Spreadsheet
Selling a family business is a human challenge, not just a financial one. Learn how to manage legacy, family dynamics, and the 'life after' the deal.
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ProcessJune 5, 20267 minCross-Border M&A in Europe: When the Buyer Isn't Local
Cross-border deals offer strategic premiums but involve cultural and legal complexities. Success depends on bridging the gap between local traditions and international standards.
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Deal StructureJune 5, 20267 minW&I Insurance: Securing a Cleaner Exit for Mid-Market Sellers
W&I insurance has transformed the mid-market. It unlocks escrow funds, speeds up negotiations, and ensures sellers achieve a truly clean exit with immediate liquidity and peace of mind.
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ProcessJune 5, 20267 minInside the Letter of Intent: What's Binding, What's Not
The Letter of Intent is more than a formality; it is a strategic tool. Learn how to navigate the binding and non-binding elements to protect your business's value.
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SuccessionJune 5, 20267 minStrategic vs Financial Buyers: Which Fits Your Business?
Strategic buyers pay for synergies; financial sponsors pay for cash flow. The right choice depends as much on your desired post-sale role as it does on the headline price.
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ValuationJune 5, 20267 minQuality of Earnings Reports: What Sellers Need to Know
A QofE report is not an audit—it is a buyer’s tool for rewriting your EBITDA. Understanding it before you commission your own changes the negotiation power.
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Deal StructureJune 5, 20265 minWorking Capital Adjustments: The Hidden Price Negotiation
Headline price gets the headlines. Working capital pegs decide how much actually lands in your account at closing.
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ProcessJune 5, 20267 minBuilding a Data Room That Accelerates Your Sale and Protects Value
A well-organised data room signals discipline to buyers and preserves deal momentum. Learn how to structure yours to protect value and reduce risk.
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Founder VoiceJune 5, 20267 minLife After the Sale: What Founders Do Next
The week after closing is one of the strangest of a founder's life. Discover how to navigate the emotional, practical, and financial realities of life after the exit.
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TaxJune 5, 20267 minTax Considerations When Selling a European Business
Tax structure determines what actually ends up in your bank account. Explore the critical differences between share and asset deals, holding structures, and the pitfalls of cross-border exits in Europe.
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ProcessJune 5, 20267 minGuarding the Secret: Managing Confidentiality in a Business Sale
Leaks during a sale process can erode value and spook staff. Learn the practical disciplines of "Project Names" and "Staged Disclosure" to keep your plans private.
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SuccessionJune 5, 20267 minChoosing the Right Buyer: Why Price is Only Part of the Equation
The highest bid isn't always the best deal. Learn how to evaluate buyers based on deal certainty, cultural fit, and consideration structure to secure your legacy.
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ProcessJune 5, 20267 minM&A Due Diligence: Navigating the Scrutiny of Your Business
Due diligence is the most intrusive part of selling your business. Knowing what to expect and how to prepare turns a stressful period into a manageable stage of the transaction.
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ProcessJune 5, 20267 minPreparing Your Business for Sale: A 12-Month Checklist
The decisions made in the year before going to market matter more than the negotiation. A practical checklist of what to fix, document, and leave alone.
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OperationsJune 5, 20266 minWhy Key Employees Make or Break a Deal
Buyers do not just buy a business; they buy the team that runs it. How you handle your key people before, during and after the sale determines whether the deal holds together.
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ValuationJune 5, 20267 minConcentration Risk: How Customer Dependency Impacts Your Valuation
Buyers discount businesses where too much revenue depends on too few customers. Learn how this risk is calculated and how to protect your valuation before a sale.
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ValuationJune 5, 20267 minThe Recurring Revenue Premium: Why Predictability Commands a Higher Multiple
Sophisticated buyers prioritise predictability over raw turnover. Discover why recurring revenue models command higher multiples and how to de-risk your business ahead of a sale.
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Deal StructureJune 5, 20267 minMinority Sale, Majority Sale, or Full Exit? Choosing the Right Path.
Selling a business is not a binary choice between staying and leaving. Explore the nuances of minority, majority, and full exit structures to find the right fit for your legacy and wealth.
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Founder VoiceJune 1, 20264 minWhy we started Samhild — a letter from the founders
We had built and sold businesses before. We wanted the next one to outlast us. A personal note from Eyass, Axel and Niklas on why permanence matters.
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ProcessJune 1, 20266 minDo You Need an M&A Advisor? An Honest Answer.
Advisors charge meaningful money to help sell your business. Sometimes they earn it many times over. Sometimes they add cost and friction without adding value. Here is how to tell the difference before you sign an engagement letter.
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SuccessionJune 1, 20267 minWhat Founders Wish They'd Known Before Selling
We have spoken to dozens of owners on the other side of a sale. The regrets are remarkably consistent — and almost all of them were avoidable.
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Deal StructureJune 1, 20267 minEarn-outs, Seller Notes and Rollovers — Read Before You Sign
Headline price is a vanity metric; deal structure is the reality. This guide explores how Earn-outs, Seller Notes, and Rollovers impact your final take-home from a business sale.
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SuccessionJune 1, 20267 minWhen and How to Tell Your Team You're Selling Your Business
Telling your team about a sale is a high-stakes balancing act. Disclosure too early breeds panic; too late destroys trust. Learn the strategic timing and narrative frameworks used by veteran owners.
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ValuationJune 1, 20267 minHow Buyers Actually Value Your Business: Beyond the Multiple
Most owners think in EBITDA multiples, but buyers look at risk and cash flow. Learn how the quality of your earnings and your operational independence drive the ultimate price.
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SuccessionMay 31, 20267 minEurope's Quiet Succession Wave: A Strategic Roadmap
Hundreds of thousands of European owner-managed companies will change hands this decade. Most have no plan. The gap between need and capable buyers is the defining opportunity of the cycle.
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CapitalMay 24, 20267 minPermanent Capital Is Not Slow Private Equity
Holding forever changes every decision an owner makes — how you price, how you invest, and who you hire. Permanent capital is a fundamental shift in DNA, not just a longer timeline.
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OperationsMay 17, 20267 minThe First Hundred Days: The Transition After a Founder Exits Balancing Continuity and Change
The handover period decides whether an owner-managed company survives its founder. Stabilisation, knowledge transfer, and new governance must be the priority in the first hundred days.
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