Experience, trust and a commitment to get the job done are just as important as cost when it comes to getting the best advice for your business.

Cost is important, but it shouldn’t be your sole driver when you’re making decisions which will have long-term effects for your commercial success.

Buying or selling a business can be a very stressful process, and you need advisers who are easy to work with. Clear advice from your adviser increases the range of options open to you and is worth the initial investment.

Knowledge of your market and your needs, experience of handling business issues and the personality of your adviser should all be factors in your decision – those are the issues which will most influence the outcome for you.

Trying to find certainty when facing an uncertain future

The issue of trust is very important – after all, your adviser will not only be handling sensitive information about your business but also, if you’re using them properly, they will be coming up with solutions to take into account your longer-term aims.

I would always advise people to give issues such as their statutory books or company secretarial matters their proper importance – it is vitally important that these administration tasks are not overlooked and are dealt with promptly.

Getting the basics right from the outset means that the focus can be on the more complex issues at stake, and good, clear advice will always offer you alternative approaches that you might not have considered.