Fees, timelines, advisors, valuation and deal terms, with sources for every figure.
Twelve steps from the decision to sell to the day the money arrives, with the choices that most affect the price and the terms.
Success fees by deal size, monthly retainers, minimum fees and the clauses that change the real cost, based on a survey of 199 European advisors.
Enterprise value and equity value, normalised EBITDA, multiples and discounted cash flow, with worked examples and the factors that move the price.
Six to twelve months from mandate to closing: a stage-by-stage timeline, the owner's workload and the most common causes of delay.
What buyers pay per euro of EBITDA in 2026, by sector, company size and buyer type, and why three reputable sources give three different numbers.
Deal size, buyers, valuation method, process and fees: how brokers and M&A advisors differ, with three examples and a checklist.
Code names, anonymous teasers, NDAs, staged disclosure and clean teams: how to sell without employees, clients or competitors finding out too early.
Part of the price paid later, if targets are met: how often earn-outs appear in European deals, how they are built and what to put in the contract.
The guides are written by the RSCompany editorial team for owners and buyers of mid-sized companies. Every figure comes from a published source named under the table or in the list at the end of the article: industry surveys, transaction indices, law firm studies and official documents. Where a survey covers a particular region, company size or period, we say so.
Worked examples are illustrative and are marked as such; they are not descriptions of real transactions. We update articles when newer data is published and correct errors as soon as we find them. The guides are general information, not legal, tax or investment advice for a specific situation.