Nick Giles - Head of Hospitality New Zealand, LINK

05/11/2026

If you're planning your life after selling your business, don't leave the restraint of trade clause until the solicitors start drafting the sale agreement.

Our team recently shared a quick guide on this over on the LINK Business page. From a broker's perspective, one thing worth understanding early is that the scope of a restraint can often be negotiated, but it's important to address it before signing the sale agreement.

A buyer is paying for your goodwill, so they will want to protect what they're acquiring. However, the restraint should also take your plans after the sale into account.

Whether you plan to consult, sit on advisory boards, mentor the incoming owner or step away from the industry entirely, these expectations should be discussed early and included in the sale agreement where appropriate.

💡 Planning an exit in the next 12 to 24 months?

I can help you consider these details as part of your exit planning, so your plans after the sale aren't overlooked during negotiations.

Let's have a confidential conversation.

📞: +64 9 555 6039 | 📱: +64 21 676 832
📧: [email protected]

02/11/2026

Confusing SDE with EBITDA can lead to an inaccurate business valuation when preparing for a sale.

Seller’s Discretionary Earnings (SDE) measures the total financial benefit available to an owner-operator, including their salary, eligible discretionary expenses and one-off costs. It's commonly used for smaller businesses where the buyer will take over daily operations.

EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortisation) measures earnings after allowing for a market-rate management salary. It's more commonly used for larger, management-led businesses.

Using the wrong measure or overlooking valid adjustments can affect the valuation multiple and the price a buyer is prepared to pay.

I can help review your financials, identify relevant adjustments and present your business's earnings clearly to potential buyers.

Unsure which measure applies to your business? Let's have a confidential conversation.

📞: +64 9 555 6039 | 📱: +64 21 676 832
📧: [email protected]

30/10/2026

One area that needs careful attention when selling a business is the final deal structure.

A buyer may agree to your asking price, but the terms of the offer can change how much you actually receive and when you receive it. This could include earn-out arrangements, vendor finance or deferred payments.

It's important to understand these terms before signing, including how any future payments will be calculated, when they're due and what conditions apply.

I can help you work through the proposed terms, understand what they mean for you as the seller and negotiate a structure that protects your interests, with the right legal advice in place.

If you're preparing to sell or already discussing an offer, let's have a confidential conversation.

📞: +64 9 555 6039 | 📱: +64 21 676 832
📧: [email protected]

26/10/2026

If you think you might sell your business in the next few years, don’t wait until you’re ready to put it on the market to think about what a buyer will see.

The decisions you make now can affect how attractive the business is when you eventually decide to sell. That could mean improving profitability, reducing how much the business relies on you, strengthening your systems or getting your financials in better shape.

You have time to work on those things when you start early. Once you’re ready to sell, you don’t want to be trying to fix years of issues under pressure.

If a sale is somewhere in your plans, I’m happy to have a conversation about where the business is today and what you could work on between now and then.

📞: +64 9 555 6039 | 📱: +64 21 676 832
📧: [email protected]

22/10/2026

What a business is worth on paper and what a buyer is prepared to pay are not always the same thing.

The market ultimately puts a value on the business based on what a buyer believes they’re acquiring, the earnings, the level of risk, the opportunities ahead and how confident they are in the business continuing to perform.

That’s why understanding your position before going to market matters. It allows you to address any gaps, strengthen the business where you can, and go into a sale with realistic expectations.

If selling is something you’re considering, I can help you get a clearer picture of where your business sits and what you could be doing now to prepare for a successful sale.

📞: +64 9 555 6039 | 📱: +64 21 676 832
📧: [email protected]

20/10/2026

Superb brand and such a great entry level price.

Rafiq Bhamani - Business Broker

Here is an opportunity that deserves a serious look.

19/10/2026

You’ve spent years making the business work. At some point, it’s worth asking what you want your time to look like when you’re no longer running it.

Selling can give you the opportunity to step away, but getting there takes planning. There’s the value of the business, finding the right buyer, keeping the sale confidential and making sure the transition works for everyone involved.

If selling is something you’ve been thinking about, even if you’re not ready yet, I’m happy to talk through what that could look like.

📞: +64 9 555 6039 | 📱: +64 21 676 832
📧: [email protected]

15/10/2026

A business can be profitable and still not be as valuable to a buyer as the owner expects.

I see this fairly often. Owners look at what they've built: the years of work and the profit it generates. Buyers look at something slightly different. The quality of those earnings, the risks, the opportunities ahead and how transferable the business is.

That's why a realistic view of value matters.

LINK's Business Value Appraisal Tool is backed by 30 years of transaction data, so it gives you a useful benchmark based on what businesses are actually selling for. It's a good way to sense-check your expectations before you decide what to do next.

Thinking about selling, or just want to know where you stand? Get in touch. I'll walk you through the appraisal and explain what buyers will look for in your business.

📞: +64 9 555 6039 | 📱: +64 21 676 832
📧: [email protected]

13/10/2026

Not every sale goes exactly to plan.

That's when it matters who's beside you. Trust comes from how a sale is handled: being upfront about what the market is telling you, keeping you informed when things change, working through the difficult conversations, and making sure you understand what's happening at each stage.

If selling is something you're thinking about, whether that's now or in the next 6 to 12 months, I'm always happy to have a conversation about your options.

📞: +64 9 555 6039 | 📱: +64 21 676 832
📧: [email protected]

09/10/2026

Once a buyer is seriously interested, your business gets looked at a lot more closely than most owners expect.

A lease that hasn't been reviewed in years. A key customer agreement that was never properly documented. Employment contracts that are out of date. A brand, domain or social accounts that aren't clearly owned by the business.

None of these will necessarily stop a sale, but each one can lead to questions, delays and extra negotiation, right when you'd rather be focused on getting the deal done.

If you're considering selling, whether that's now or in the next 6 to 12 months, I'm happy to help you work out what needs preparing and where to start. The earlier we talk, the more time you have to get the business ready.

📞: +64 9 555 6039 | 📱: +64 21 676 832
📧: [email protected]