Case Study: "From 'Just Done' to Joyful Exit: How Dave Rediscovered His Freedom"

The Tipping Point: Dave built his business from a one-man van operation to a £1.4M-revenue business with 12 employees. But after 14 years, he confessed: "I'm not burnt out—I'm just done. The paperwork, the HR headaches... I miss when it was just me, my tools, and solving problems."

Why Standard Exits Fail Owners Like Dave:

1. Nostalgia Trap ("This business was my identity")

2. Underestimated Value (Assuming "small" = low worth)

3. Wrong Buyer Types (Private equity wanted to gut his culture)

The "Freedom-First" Valuation Approach

We conducted a Legacy-Preserving Valuation focused on:

1. The Van Test™

• Identified which assets/clients still delivered that early-days joy (35% of revenue)

• Isolated the "soul-sucking" elements (corporate contracts = 62% of stress)

2. Hidden Nostalgia Premium

✅ £240k in goodwill value from his local hero reputation

✅ £180k for his proprietary troubleshooting system (built in the van days)

✅ 9 "perfect fit" buyers who wanted to preserve his legacy

3. The Clean Break Blueprint

✔ Structured sale to another technician-turned-entrepreneur

✔ 6-month transition coaching (protecting his team)

✔ Retained 15% of the "fun" residential clients (kept him connected)

The Liberation Outcome

• Sold for £1.1M (3.2x adjusted EBITDA)

• Kept his van and tools (now does passion projects 2 days/week)

• Watch the business thrive under new ownership (revenue up 22%)

"The valuation showed me I wasn't selling out—I was buying back my freedom," Dave said. "Now I get the best parts of the old days without the baggage."

Ready to Be Done, On Your Terms? Value my business with Evo-Valuations and find the exit that honours your journey.