For Professional Advisers
Your client wants to sell their business. Here is how it works.
Richard Matthews handles the transaction window. You keep the client relationship — before, during, and after the sale.
The adviser relationship is longer than the sale
Accountants, bookkeepers, and solicitors have typically worked with a business owner for years before a sale comes up — and they will continue working with them long after settlement. The broker's role is different: it begins when the owner decides to sell and ends when the deal completes.
Richard Matthews is engaged for the sale process only. He does not provide accounting or tax advice, does not give legal opinions, and does not replace the advisers who know the client's full picture. When financial or legal questions arise during the transaction — and they always do — he refers them back to the appropriate professional.
What he does is run the sale: prepare the business for market, find and qualify buyers, manage confidentiality, negotiate price and terms, and keep the deal progressing toward settlement. That is a specialist function, and it is the only one he performs.
Where each relationship sits
Before the sale
Your territory
You know the client's financials, their structure, their goals, and their personal situation. That context is invaluable — and the earlier you can share it with Richard, the better the outcome for your client.
During the sale
Richard's window
Richard manages the sale process end to end — information memorandum, buyer identification, confidentiality, negotiation, due diligence coordination, and settlement. He keeps you informed and refers financial and legal questions back to you.
After settlement
Your territory again
CGT concessions, reinvestment decisions, estate planning, the next chapter. Your client relationship continues. Richard's engagement ends at settlement.
Earlier is almost always better
Many business owners mention a sale to their accountant 12 to 24 months before they are ready to act. That window is valuable. An early introduction to Richard means the client can prepare properly — clean financials, reduced owner-dependency, resolved lease or licence issues — all of which directly affect the sale price and the likelihood of a successful transaction.
A business that goes to market unprepared typically sells for less, takes longer, or does not sell at all. A business that has been prepared with a sale in mind — even informally — is a fundamentally different proposition to buyers.
If your client has mentioned selling, even in passing, an early conversation with Richard costs nothing and creates no obligation. It gives you something concrete to tell them about what the process looks like and what their business is likely to be worth.
Advisers are welcome at the appraisal
Richard is happy to present the initial appraisal with the adviser in the room. If the accountant or solicitor is part of the client's decision-making process, Richard prefers it that way.
The appraisal conversation covers what the business is likely to achieve, how it would be positioned for sale, the likely buyer profile, and the realistic timeline. Having the adviser present means questions about tax treatment, structuring, or legal implications can be addressed in the same conversation rather than in a separate follow-up.
It also means the client hears a consistent message from their full advisory team — which tends to produce better decisions and fewer delays.
What helps Richard give your client a useful assessment
For an initial assessment, Richard needs:
- 1Three years of profit and loss statements — or a summary if formal accounts are not yet finalised
- 2The most recent balance sheet
- 3A brief description of the business — what it does, how long it has operated, and the owner's role in day-to-day operations
- 4Any known constraints — lease expiry, licence issues, key-person dependency, or timing requirements
Tax returns help but are not essential at the first conversation. The more context you can provide, the more useful Richard's initial assessment will be — and the less time your client spends in preliminary conversations.
Common questions from advisers
How does a referral work in practice?
You make an introduction — by email or phone — and Richard takes it from there. He will contact your client directly, conduct a confidential initial conversation, and provide an honest assessment of whether the business is ready for sale and what it is likely to achieve. You are kept informed at whatever level suits you. There is no fee to you and no obligation to your client.
Can the adviser be present at the initial appraisal?
Yes — and Richard prefers it. If the accountant or solicitor is part of the client's decision-making process, having them in the room means the appraisal conversation is more complete. Questions about tax treatment, structuring, or legal implications can be addressed on the spot rather than in a separate follow-up. It also means the client hears a consistent message from their full advisory team.
Will my client relationship be protected?
Yes. Richard is engaged for the sale process only and steps back once settlement is complete. He does not provide accounting, tax, or legal advice, and will refer those questions back to you. Your relationship with the client continues before, during, and after.
What sectors does Richard work in?
Richard specialises in industrial, logistics, manufacturing, warehousing, wholesale distribution, engineering, and professional services businesses across NSW. His transactions are typically in the $2M–$50M range. If a client's business falls outside that scope, he will say so clearly and suggest alternatives.
What if the client is not ready to sell yet?
That is a perfectly normal outcome of an early conversation. Richard will give the client an honest view of where they stand and what would improve their position — and the conversation ends there until they are ready. There is no pressure and no ongoing engagement unless the client wants to proceed.
Discuss a client situation
Confidential. No obligation. Richard is available to speak with advisers directly — and welcomes advisers joining the initial appraisal if that suits the client.
Richard Matthews · Licensed Business Broker · AIBB Member · Link Business NSW