In this episode, Tom Griffiths speaks with Gareth Hawkins, co-founder of BizCrunch, about preparing small and medium-sized businesses for successful exits and the critical role this plays in the broader UK economy.

Gareth shares his career journey—from growing a multi-business industrial group through acquisition and exiting to a Nordic holding company, to launching startups and investing in over 30 ventures. Now, with BizCrunch, he’s on a mission to digitally transform small business M&A and address the growing challenge of baby boomer-owned businesses lacking succession plans.

The conversation explores the looming “economic continuity risk” posed by the potential closure of hundreds of thousands of UK businesses owned by retirement-age founders. Gareth highlights the disconnect between the number of business owners intending to sell and the very small number of successful exits each year. He points to misaligned valuations, poor preparation, and founder dependency as the primary reasons most businesses fail to sell.

BizCrunch tackles this by streamlining the M&A process for both buyers and sellers. On the sell side, they offer tools and assessments to help owners get exit-ready—focusing on areas like operational independence, realistic valuations, and financial transparency. On the buy side, the platform connects acquisition entrepreneurs and investors with off-market, seller-verified opportunities, supported by a more cost-effective and efficient transaction process.

Gareth also shares practical advice for business owners on when and how to start preparing for an exit, including leveraging AI tools to document internal knowledge and ensuring at least 2–3 years of clean, credible financials.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone considering buying or selling a business in the next few years.

To Contact Gareth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gareth-hawkins/