Articles
Insights from the Rockfield team
Practical guidance, market commentary and lessons from selling established New Zealand businesses.
17 May 2026
How to Prepare Your NZ Business for Sale: A 12-Month Roadmap
A practical, broker-led plan for the year before you go to market — financial clean-up, owner-dependency, lease and contract review, and building an information memorandum buyers trust.
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12 May 2026
What Is My Business Really Worth? Valuation Methods Explained
EBITDA multiples, SDE, asset-based, DCF and market comparables — a plain-English guide to how New Zealand SMEs are actually valued, and the common traps owners fall into.
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11 May 2026
The Information Memorandum That Actually Sells Your Business
A great Information Memorandum does more than describe a business — it answers the buyer's quiet objections before they form. Here is what a high-converting IM looks like for a New Zealand SME sale.
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5 May 2026
Buying a Business in New Zealand: A Practical Due Diligence Checklist
Financial, legal, commercial, operational and people due diligence — the questions every NZ buyer should ask before signing, and the red flags worth walking away from.
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28 April 2026
Confidentiality When Selling: Protecting Staff, Customers and Suppliers
Why discretion matters, how to run a confidential sale process, when (and how) to tell your team, and the practical safeguards every NZ vendor should have in place.
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27 April 2026
Shares or Assets? Tax Considerations When Selling Your NZ Business
The choice between selling shares and selling assets is rarely just a legal one — it can change your net proceeds by hundreds of thousands. Here is what every NZ vendor should understand before sitting down with their accountant.
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21 April 2026
Earn-outs, Vendor Finance and Deal Structures in NZ SME Sales
When buyers ask for an earn-out or vendor finance, how to tell a fair structure from an unfair one, and the safeguards every NZ vendor should insist on before signing.
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14 April 2026
Lease Assignment and Landlord Consent: The Deal-Breaker Most Vendors Underestimate
More NZ business sales fall over on the lease than on the price. Here is how landlord consent really works under the Property Law Act 2007, and how to prevent your lease from sinking your deal.
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1 April 2026
Reducing Owner-Dependency Before You Sell: The Quiet Driver of Sale Price
Two NZ businesses with identical EBITDA can sell for very different prices. The difference is usually how much the business depends on the owner. Here is how to systematically reduce that dependency in the year before sale.
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21 March 2026
Working Capital Pegs and Completion Accounts: The Adjustment That Changes Your Net Cheque
Many NZ SME vendors hand over their business at settlement and find the final wash-up is tens of thousands less than expected. The cause is almost always the working capital adjustment. Here is how it really works.
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11 March 2026
Selling a Business With Staff: Employee Transfer Under NZ Employment Law
When a New Zealand business is sold, the legal and human treatment of staff is one of the most carefully scrutinised aspects of the deal. Here is how employee transfer really works under the Employment Relations Act.
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2 March 2026
Buying a NZ Business With the Overseas Investment Act in Play
If the buyer is not a New Zealand citizen or resident, the Overseas Investment Act can quietly govern the deal. Here is what triggers consent, how long it takes, and how to keep your transaction on track.
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21 February 2026
Heads of Agreement vs Sale and Purchase Agreement: What Belongs Where
A well-drafted Heads of Agreement saves time, money and arguments in the months that follow. A bad one creates problems that take a Sale and Purchase Agreement weeks to unwind. Here is what belongs in each.
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11 February 2026
Buying a Franchise Resale in New Zealand: What to Check Beyond the Numbers
Buying an existing franchise is not the same as buying any other business. The franchisor sits at the table for every major decision. Here is what to look for in a franchise resale, beyond the financials.
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2 February 2026
Selling a Trades or Services Business: What Drives Value in This Sector
Plumbing, electrical, building, landscaping, cleaning — NZ trades and services businesses have their own value drivers and their own risks at sale. Here is what buyers are really looking for, and what you can do about it.
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