This episode of The UK Flooring Podcast is a quick-fire chat with Tom and Martyn, breaking down what flooring business owners need to think about if they ever plan to sell.
And the big message is simple: if you wait until you’re ready to sell, you’ve probably already left it too late.
Tom shares his own experience of selling flooring businesses, while Martyn explains what actually drives value from a buyer’s point of view. It’s not just about how much profit the business makes. It’s about whether the business can run without you, whether the numbers are clean, whether the systems are in place, and whether a buyer can trust what they’re buying.
They also get into some of the uncomfortable but important stuff, including cash payments, add backs, owner dependency, customer concentration, legal costs, and why proper non-compete agreements matter when a sale goes through.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Why preparing to sell your business should start years before you actually want to exit.
How profit multipliers affect the value of a flooring business.
Why cash jobs and messy accounts can damage the value of your business.
What “add backs” are, and how they can affect the final sale price.
Why a business that depends too heavily on the owner is harder to sell.
The importance of systems, processes, and written ways of working.
Why relying on one or two major customers can make your business feel risky to a buyer.
What legal costs and non-compete agreements can look like in a small business sale.
Why getting your house in order now can make a huge difference later.
Memorable Quote:
“If you are your business, then that multiplier is going to be pretty low.”
Speaker Information:
This episode features Tom and Martyn from Cockerill & Co, sharing practical advice for flooring business owners who may be thinking about selling in the future. Drawing on real experience from business sales and consultancy work, they explain what buyers look for, what reduces value, and what owners can do now to build a more saleable business.
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