Build value before you go to market.

Despite what many exit planning experts say, many businesses are ready to go to market with little preparation required. However, some businesses can sell for materially more than their current value — given time and the right work. Our Value Builder programme is the disciplined version of that work, delivered by professionals who know exactly what buyers reward and what they discount.

We regularly add considerable value through this programme. Engagements typically run twelve to twenty four months and culminate in a sale process led by Rockfield.

Every advisory engagement is scoped to the business. While our delivery framework is structured, the execution is entirely bespoke, and we don't bill by the hour for time that doesn't move the needle. Fees are agreed upfront against a defined plan.

Most engagements are structured as an upfront fee for the Diagnostic and Planning, followed by a fixed monthly retainer over the agreed term for the action plan, and ongoing working sessions.

We are deliberately selective about who we take on. If the numbers don't make sense for both sides, we'll say so in the first conversation rather than start a programme that won't pay for itself completely.

Every engagement is different, but as a rough guide it helps to think of the programme in two phases.

Phase 1 — Diagnostic & 12-month plan

A comprehensive valuation, an assessment of risks, growth opportunities and the specific areas where value can be built. We then develop your comprehensive 12-month plan, set you up on the client portal, and provide the supporting documents and frameworks you'll work from. We will also create your "value bridge", determining the target value and timeframe to achieve it — with clear value attribution based on milestones. For example, if owner dependency is dragging down your valuation, we will set milestones to de-risk the business—such as transitioning client relationships and systemizing operations—and quantify the resulting uplift in exact dollar terms. Most businesses will have 5 or more key milestones to be set that can be specifically tied to real value uplift.

Typically 4–6 weeks. Indicative fee: $4,000 – $15,000+, depending on size and complexity. Includes an initial comprehensive baseline valuation.

Phase 2 — Ongoing advisory retainer

Monthly guidance, accountability, feedback and advice as the plan is executed. Our objective is to help you across your value bridge, and create a meaningful uplift in enterprise value and saleability. Specific milestones are agreed and customised workplans are followed — all recorded in real time in your own confidential portal that holds everything you need to progress and the data to see those results.

Typically runs 6–24 months on a monthly retainer of $1,500 – $3,000+, depending on complexity.

These figures are a guide, not a quote — every engagement is scoped and priced against the specific business before we begin.