The Acquisitiv Expansion Briefing

A company-specific view of how acquisition could increase growth, strengthen position, and build exit value.

The Expansion Briefing is a focused, company-specific acquisition diagnostic for UK founder-led businesses. After one initial conversation, we prepare a view of your market, your current position, and the acquisition routes that may be worth pursuing, before you commit time, capital, or advisory fees.

  • 30 minutes
  • Complimentary
  • You keep the briefing
  • Confidential
  • No pitch, no obligation
What you'll be clearer on after the briefing
  • Whether acquisition is a credible growth route for your business
  • Where the strongest acquisition logic may sit
  • Which types of targets would actually make strategic sense
  • What risks or readiness gaps need to be addressed before moving
  • Whether the right next step is to pause, prepare, originate, or proceed
Select a time that works
Book your Expansion Briefing
Mike Ferguson, Founder of Acquisitiv

Your conversation and briefing are prepared by Mike Ferguson, founder of Acquisitiv. 17 years across finance, M&A advisory, turnaround, and operating roles, including Morgan Stanley and Capita. Senior-led. No junior handoffs.

  • Buy-side only. We never represent the seller.
  • No completion-fee pressure. If the deal is wrong, we will tell you.
  • You keep the briefing regardless of what you decide next.
What founders typically leave with

The briefing gives you a decision-making view, not a generic view of M&A.

  • A clearer acquisition thesis — what to buy, why, and what to avoid
  • Better target criteria — not a list, but a filter
  • A view on whether acquisition deserves serious attention now
  • A sharper understanding of your readiness gaps and the risks to address
  • A clear decision: pause, prepare, originate, or proceed
Example

"One founder came in with a broad ambition to acquire in their sector. The briefing narrowed the opportunity into three credible target profiles, highlighted the internal readiness gaps that needed to be addressed first, and clarified that the right next step was preparation before origination, not an immediate search."

Anonymised. Details changed to protect confidentiality.

01
Book a 30-minute conversation
We understand your business, market, ambition, and constraints.
02
We prepare your briefing
You receive a company-specific PDF view of the acquisition opportunity.
03
You decide the next step
Pause, prepare, originate, or proceed. No obligation to continue.
What the briefing covers

Six sections. All specific to your business.

Every briefing is prepared fresh for the company we are speaking with. These are the sections it typically covers.

01 / Market Context
What is happening in your sector
Where consolidation may be moving, what the strategic window looks like, and which market forces are shaping the opportunity.
02 / What It Means For You
How that movement affects your position
A tailored interpretation of the market through your current position, the risks of standing still, and where the opportunity is specific to your business.
03 / What We Heard
A structured summary of your ambition
Your acquisition rationale, your constraints, and what has prevented action so far, reflected back clearly so there is a shared basis for the rest of the briefing.
04 / Strategic Acquisition Options
Credible routes, target profiles, and logic
A shortlist of acquisition routes that appear credible for your business, with target profiles, geography, and the strategic rationale behind each.
05 / Readiness and Risks
What to test before moving
The strategic, financial, operational, and management issues that need honest assessment before committing time or capital to an acquisition process.
06 / Recommended Next Step
A clear view on what to do next
Whether to pause, prepare, begin originating targets, or proceed with a more serious acquisition process. Specific to your situation, not a default recommendation to move forward.

If this is the kind of clarity you need, book the initial conversation.

Book Your Briefing
Is this for you?

The briefing is selective.
Here is who it works best for.

We keep the number of briefings manageable to make sure each one is genuinely prepared, not templated. Understanding whether there is a fit before booking saves everyone's time.

This is for you if
  • You run a UK founder-led or owner-managed business
  • You are typically between £5m and £50m turnover
  • You believe acquisition could accelerate growth or improve eventual exit value
  • You have looked at opportunities but lack a clear acquisition thesis or process
  • You want to see the quality of thinking before committing to paid advisory work
This is not for you if
  • You want a brokered list of businesses currently for sale
  • You are looking to buy something cheap without strategic logic
  • You are very early stage or not yet commercially established
  • You are not willing to discuss your business, market, and ambition openly
  • You are looking for curiosity, not a serious assessment of whether acquisition should become part of your growth strategy
Book the conversation. We'll prepare the briefing.
30 minutes. Complimentary for selected businesses. You keep the briefing regardless of what you decide next.
Book Your Briefing

Conversations are treated confidentially. We do not approach targets, lenders, investors, or third parties without your consent.