https://gavingibbons.com Gavin Gibbons is managing partner of Next Level Ventures, a UK-based M&A firm helping ambitious business owners scale up and achieve a successful exit. en-gb https://gavingibbons.com/newsletter/your-revenue-went-up-your-valuation-probably-didn-t/ https://gavingibbons.com/newsletter/your-revenue-went-up-your-valuation-probably-didn-t/ Wed, 29 Jul 2026 12:09:00 GMT You didn't fix your constraints. You outgrew them. https://gavingibbons.com/newsletter/how-to-fix-your-sales-pipeline/ https://gavingibbons.com/newsletter/how-to-fix-your-sales-pipeline/ Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:27:00 GMT Most owner-led businesses don't have a sales problem. They have a sales system problem. https://gavingibbons.com/newsletter/the-most-dangerous-place-in-business-isn-t-bankruptcy/ https://gavingibbons.com/newsletter/the-most-dangerous-place-in-business-isn-t-bankruptcy/ Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:06:00 GMT It's also not when you're earning zero revenue https://gavingibbons.com/newsletter/a-convenient-excuse-costing-you-millions/ https://gavingibbons.com/newsletter/a-convenient-excuse-costing-you-millions/ Wed, 08 Jul 2026 12:02:00 GMT Are you looking in all the wrong places when it hits the fan? https://gavingibbons.com/newsletter/the-margin-hiding-in-your-systems/ https://gavingibbons.com/newsletter/the-margin-hiding-in-your-systems/ Wed, 01 Jul 2026 11:57:00 GMT You're leaking 15% EBITDA and don't even know it https://gavingibbons.com/newsletter/the-50k-test-most-leadership-teams-fail/ https://gavingibbons.com/newsletter/the-50k-test-most-leadership-teams-fail/ Wed, 24 Jun 2026 11:58:00 GMT Smart teams find solutions. Weak teams spend their way out of problems. https://gavingibbons.com/newsletter/increase-your-company-s-value-without-growing-the-business/ https://gavingibbons.com/newsletter/increase-your-company-s-value-without-growing-the-business/ Wed, 17 Jun 2026 12:06:00 GMT What most business owners completely overlook https://gavingibbons.com/newsletter/the-ferrari-stuck-in-traffic-problem/ https://gavingibbons.com/newsletter/the-ferrari-stuck-in-traffic-problem/ Wed, 10 Jun 2026 12:04:00 GMT The £100M solution to your £10M requirement https://gavingibbons.com/newsletter/8-valuation-killers-of-your-business/ https://gavingibbons.com/newsletter/8-valuation-killers-of-your-business/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 10:21:00 GMT An experienced buyer will quantify every single risk in your company https://gavingibbons.com/newsletter/the-wealth-tax-you-re-paying-for-every-quick-question/ https://gavingibbons.com/newsletter/the-wealth-tax-you-re-paying-for-every-quick-question/ Wed, 27 May 2026 12:21:00 GMT The invisible cost of founder-dependency is lost wealth https://gavingibbons.com/2025/06/19/how-many-billion-dollar-publicly-listed-companies-are-in-the-uk-compared-to-other-countries/ https://gavingibbons.com/2025/06/19/how-many-billion-dollar-publicly-listed-companies-are-in-the-uk-compared-to-other-countries/ Thu, 19 Jun 2025 14:31:12 GMT How many Billion Dollar publicly listed companies are in the UK, compared to other countries? By market cap, the UK has 218, compared to China with 216. Japan stands at 404,… https://gavingibbons.com/2025/06/19/your-reward-for-overcoming-challenges-as-a-business-owner/ https://gavingibbons.com/2025/06/19/your-reward-for-overcoming-challenges-as-a-business-owner/ Thu, 19 Jun 2025 14:28:16 GMT Your reward for overcoming challenges as a business owner… are bigger challenges. But that’s all part of the journey towards maximising company value and a future exit. Most… https://gavingibbons.com/2025/05/03/so-many-business-owners-have-been-brainwashed-into-believing-this/ https://gavingibbons.com/2025/05/03/so-many-business-owners-have-been-brainwashed-into-believing-this/ Sat, 03 May 2025 02:34:47 GMT Focusing only on revenue and EBITDA, is the best way to maximise what their company is worth. But I’m seeing more and more business owners who want to increase their… https://gavingibbons.com/2025/03/18/why-you-need-an-exit-strategy/ https://gavingibbons.com/2025/03/18/why-you-need-an-exit-strategy/ Tue, 18 Mar 2025 15:47:47 GMT Not having an exit strategy is pretty short-sighted in my opinion. Why? Because the people who work in your business will suffer the most, when unexpected events force an… https://gavingibbons.com/2025/03/18/annual-budgets-are-killing-your-profit/ https://gavingibbons.com/2025/03/18/annual-budgets-are-killing-your-profit/ Tue, 18 Mar 2025 15:44:13 GMT Too many businesses are stuck in a financial Stone Age… Why? Because they’re using ANNUAL budgets in a world that changes by an order of magnitude every 90 days. I see it all… https://gavingibbons.com/2025/02/28/stop-using-ai-to-find-your-next-hire/ https://gavingibbons.com/2025/02/28/stop-using-ai-to-find-your-next-hire/ Fri, 28 Feb 2025 03:37:21 GMT I’m being told by a few people that using AI will supercharge my hiring. Will it? We’re implementing AI into most of our businesses at the moment, but I’m sceptical about how… https://gavingibbons.com/2025/01/15/scale-your-business-through-radical-collaboration/ https://gavingibbons.com/2025/01/15/scale-your-business-through-radical-collaboration/ Wed, 15 Jan 2025 15:41:55 GMT Most business owners think scaling up means hiring more staff and burning through cash. Sometimes it does.. But growth and value creation also happens through collaboration.… https://gavingibbons.com/2025/01/10/outlook-for-sme-ma-in-2025/ https://gavingibbons.com/2025/01/10/outlook-for-sme-ma-in-2025/ Fri, 10 Jan 2025 17:54:40 GMT 2024 was a much better year for buying and selling companies. The value of mergers and acquisitions in 2024 involving UK companies was up 36 per cent, standing at about £250… https://gavingibbons.com/2025/01/10/will-your-business-be-disrupted-before-you-exit/ https://gavingibbons.com/2025/01/10/will-your-business-be-disrupted-before-you-exit/ Fri, 10 Jan 2025 17:44:45 GMT Don’t tell me you seriously have a 10 year business plan…? Because you’ll be disrupted way before that. I meet so many business owners who’ve created long-term business plans… https://gavingibbons.com/2024/11/28/the-hidden-killer-that-derails-exits/ https://gavingibbons.com/2024/11/28/the-hidden-killer-that-derails-exits/ Thu, 28 Nov 2024 10:28:24 GMT How long should due diligence take when you’re selling your business? Yes I know the answer is a bit like ‘how long is a piece of string?’ But some business owners get dragged… https://gavingibbons.com/2024/11/08/youll-never-be-ready-to-exit-your-business/ https://gavingibbons.com/2024/11/08/youll-never-be-ready-to-exit-your-business/ Fri, 08 Nov 2024 11:47:09 GMT At least once a month, this is what I think after a call with a business owner: “I can't see them exiting their business anytime this decade.” Why do I think that? Because… https://gavingibbons.com/2024/11/02/the-essential-milestones-for-exiting-your-business/ https://gavingibbons.com/2024/11/02/the-essential-milestones-for-exiting-your-business/ Sat, 02 Nov 2024 13:16:50 GMT As a business owner, how do you move towards a successful exit? People always seem to think more about the later stages of planning an exit. Things like maximising valuation… https://gavingibbons.com/2024/10/20/business-exit-strategy-options/ https://gavingibbons.com/2024/10/20/business-exit-strategy-options/ Sun, 20 Oct 2024 04:48:19 GMT Let's face it. You didn't build your business to run it forever. At some point, you'll want to cash in your chips. Yes, I’ve met one or two who literally want to die with… https://gavingibbons.com/2024/09/29/avoid-stumbling-into-this-exit-trap/ https://gavingibbons.com/2024/09/29/avoid-stumbling-into-this-exit-trap/ Sun, 29 Sep 2024 11:51:35 GMT Thinking of exiting your business in the next few years and creating a liquidity event? Hold on a minute. Because there's more to it than hitting a magic revenue or EBITDA… https://gavingibbons.com/2024/09/16/should-you-stay-on-after-selling-your-business/ https://gavingibbons.com/2024/09/16/should-you-stay-on-after-selling-your-business/ Mon, 16 Sep 2024 11:57:52 GMT Do you even WANT to stick around after you exit as the owner? Because some people do - and they have their reasons. Others don’t. They want to run for the hills the moment the… https://gavingibbons.com/2024/09/10/is-your-company-valuation-wishful-thinking/ https://gavingibbons.com/2024/09/10/is-your-company-valuation-wishful-thinking/ Tue, 10 Sep 2024 08:31:10 GMT Note to all business owners eyeing an exit in the next few years… Is your valuation really based on reality - or are you letting your ego get in the way? Worse still, you… https://gavingibbons.com/2024/08/17/is-your-exit-clock-counting-down/ https://gavingibbons.com/2024/08/17/is-your-exit-clock-counting-down/ Sat, 17 Aug 2024 13:38:27 GMT One thing is for sure. If exiting your business is on the cards in the next couple of years, you want to achieve the highest valuation. But if you leave your exit strategy to… https://gavingibbons.com/2024/08/03/exiting-your-business-will-get-personal/ https://gavingibbons.com/2024/08/03/exiting-your-business-will-get-personal/ Sat, 03 Aug 2024 02:29:50 GMT Spreadsheets don’t buy businesses, people do. But business owners often tell me the exact valuation of their company, without much idea about WHO will acquire or WHY they will… https://gavingibbons.com/2024/07/30/fix-your-business-before-you-scale-to-an-exit/ https://gavingibbons.com/2024/07/30/fix-your-business-before-you-scale-to-an-exit/ Tue, 30 Jul 2024 09:25:56 GMT Are you someone who invests into broken business models? The likely answer is no. So why would someone else invest in your business, if your model is flawed? Or if they do -… https://gavingibbons.com/2024/07/19/is-your-exit-plan-a-total-fantasy/ https://gavingibbons.com/2024/07/19/is-your-exit-plan-a-total-fantasy/ Fri, 19 Jul 2024 06:44:21 GMT On paper, this business looked in good shape… But when I spoke to the co-owner last week, it was clear their 3 year exit plan and target valuation were in fantasy land. The…