Services

Financial advisory services for owners making a capital decision

Wills Business provides financial advisory services to owners, boards and family groups in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE at the moments when the numbers decide the outcome: valuing the business, bringing in a partner or buyer, restructuring debt and costs, or raising capital for growth. The work is done by senior consultants who build the model, sit in the negotiation and stay until the decision is made. We are not auditors and we do not sell financial products.

Thirty minutes. No deck. A senior consultant replies.

Who comes to us for financial advisory

Owners bringing in a partner, an investor or a buyer. You have been approached, or you have decided to sell a stake. You need to know what the business is worth, how to present it, how to run the process and what to accept.

Companies under financial pressure. Cash is tight, the bank is asking questions, costs have run ahead of revenue, or a currency move has changed the economics. You need a clear view of the cash position and a plan that the lenders will support.

Family groups and boards that need an independent number. A valuation for succession, a buyout of a family member, a shareholder dispute, a merger of two family businesses, or a board that wants a second opinion on a transaction the management team is recommending.

What you get

Depending on the scope, a financial advisory engagement with Wills Business delivers:

Business valuation: a valuation report using discounted cash flow, trading multiples and precedent transactions where regional comparables exist, with the model, the assumptions and a value range explained in language a family council can follow.
Transaction support: on the sell side, an information memorandum, buyer list, process management, data room preparation and negotiation support; on the buy side, financial due diligence, deal structuring and a view on price. We work alongside your lawyers on the financial terms of the agreement.
Restructuring consulting: a cash diagnosis, a 13-week cash flow forecast, a cost and working capital plan, a revised business plan, and support in negotiations with Egyptian and Gulf banks on the terms of existing facilities.
Capital planning and fundraising: debt capacity analysis, the funding structure, the bank or investor package, and a review of term sheets before you sign.
Financial consulting for the finance function: management reporting, budgeting and forecasting, KPI design and CFO-level support for companies whose finance team has not kept pace with the business.
The models and the documents, in Excel and in English or Arabic, so your team and your advisers can work from the same numbers.

Where a transaction requires a licensed adviser under local securities rules (for example an authorised person under the Saudi CMA, or a licensed adviser in the UAE), we work alongside one and say so at scoping.

How the work runs

Scoping (week 1). We agree the decision, the counterparties, the confidentiality terms, the data we need and the fee. You receive a written scope.
Diagnosis and data (weeks 2 to 4). Historical financials rebuilt into a clean base, quality of earnings review, cash and debt position, and interviews with management and, where relevant, the bank.
Model and analysis (weeks 4 to 7). The valuation or restructuring model built and stress-tested. You see the first outputs before the report is drafted.
Report and negotiation (weeks 7 to 10). Valuation report, information memorandum or restructuring plan, one review cycle, and support in meetings with buyers, investors or lenders for as long as the scope runs.

What goes wrong without it

The rule-of-thumb valuation. A multiple heard at a dinner applied to last year's profit. The owner anchors on a number the market will not pay, or sells for less than the business is worth.
Selling to the first buyer. One approach, one negotiation, no process. The price is set by the buyer's patience rather than by competition.
Cost cuts that miss the cash problem. Headcount goes down, but receivables, inventory and supplier terms are untouched and the cash gap is still there next quarter.
Negotiating with the bank without a model. The bank has one. The company arrives with last year's accounts and a request, and the terms reflect that.

Business plans and financial models when the outcome of the advisory work is a plan to put in front of investors or lenders.
Governance and family business when a valuation or a buyout is part of a succession or a family agreement.
Strategy consulting when the capital question depends on where the company should grow next.
Consulting in the UAE for financial advisory work with Dubai and Abu Dhabi companies, banks and investors.

Frequently asked questions

What do financial advisory services include? At Wills Business: business valuation, transaction support on the buy or sell side, restructuring consulting, capital planning and fundraising support, and financial consulting for the finance function. Each is scoped on its own or combined, depending on the decision.

How does business valuation work? We use three approaches and reconcile them: discounted cash flow, which values the future cash the business will produce; trading multiples from comparable companies in the region; and precedent transactions where comparable deals in Egypt or the Gulf can be found. The report explains each, gives a range rather than a single number, and shows which assumptions move the value most.

What is the difference between financial advisory and business advisory services? Financial advisory is about capital: what the business is worth, how to fund it, how to restructure it, how to buy or sell it. Business advisory services is the wider category that includes strategy, operations and organization. Wills Business offers both, and the two often meet, for example when a restructuring needs an operational plan as well as a financial one.

Do you handle restructuring with the banks? Yes. We build the cash forecast and the restructuring plan, and we sit with you in the negotiations with your lenders. We do not replace your legal advisers on the documentation.

Are you a licensed financial adviser or a broker? No. Wills Business is a management consultancy. We provide analysis, valuation, planning and negotiation support. Where a transaction requires a licensed adviser under Saudi CMA, UAE or Egyptian securities rules, we work alongside one and make that clear in the scope.

How much do financial advisory services cost? Fixed fee per scope, quoted in writing after the scoping call. A valuation is priced differently from a sale process or a restructuring, and the fee reflects the work involved, not a percentage of the deal.

Tell us the decision in front of you

Thirty minutes on a call, in confidence. You describe the transaction, the valuation question or the cash position. We tell you what the work would involve, how long it would take, and what it would cost.