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What does it really mean to take on external investment, and how do you know if it is the right move for your business?

In episode three of this three-part Sofa Stories x Clearwater special, we focus on funding the next chapter and explore what raising external investment actually looks like in practice. Joined by Mark Taylor, CEO of Clearwater, and Christopher Jones, Managing Partner, we unpack how business owners should think about funding growth, acquisitions and long-term strategy.

From venture capital and private equity to debt, family offices and secondary buyouts, this episode looks at how to navigate an increasingly complex funding landscape and, crucially, how to choose the right type of capital for your business and your goals.

This episode explores:

• Why the first question to ask is not “how much?” but “why?”
• The different types of investors and what they are really looking for
• How to align the right capital provider with your strategy and culture
• The trade-offs between debt and equity, and when dilution can be worth it
• What investors expect from management teams, data and financial models
• Why valuation is only part of the story when raising investment

Whether you are considering external investment for the first time, planning a buy-and-build strategy, or thinking about funding the next phase of growth, this episode offers practical, experience-led insight from advisers who help business owners navigate investment decisions every day.

Contact Clearwater;

Website: clearwatercf.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clearwater-corporate-finance/

Follow @the_sofastories_podcast on Instagram. Send us a voice note with any questions and/ or thought provoking and inspiring statements which we can engage with on the show. We encourage our listeners to join the conversation. 🙏🏻

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In episode two of this three-part Sofa Stories x Clearwater special, we focus on valuation and unpack one of the most misunderstood parts of selling a business. Joined by Michael Loudon and Joe Dyke, both Partners at Clearwater, we explore how valuation really works in practice and why it is rarely just a number on a spreadsheet.

From EBITDA multiples and market benchmarks to scarcity, strategy and buyer psychology, this episode looks at what actually drives value in a real transaction and what can quietly undermine it.

This episode explores:

• Why valuation is as much about perception as it is financial performance
• The difference between value, price and headline multiples
• How strategic fit, competition and buyer appetite influence outcomes
• Common red flags that can damage value late in a process
• The role preparation, readiness and timing each play in maximising value
• Myths around earnouts, private equity and whether you really need to run a full process

Whether you are questioning what your business might be worth, challenging assumptions you have heard elsewhere, or thinking about how to maximise value before a future exit, this episode offers candid insight from advisers who have negotiated valuations across a wide range of sectors and deal types.

Contact Clearwater;

Website: clearwatercf.com

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/clearwater-corporate-finance/

Follow @the_sofastories_podcast on Instagram. Send us a voice note with any questions and/ or thought provoking and inspiring statements which we can engage with on the show. We encourage our listeners to join the conversation. 🙏🏻

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What is it really like to sell your business, beyond the headlines and valuation multiples?

In this first episode of a three-part Sofa Stories x Clearwater special, we go behind the deal to demystify the realities of selling a business. Joined by Rich Goldsack, Partner and Head of Clearwater’s Leeds office, and Gareth Iley, Group COO and founding member of Clearwater, we unpack what business owners should expect long before a deal is done.

From the very first conversation with an M&A adviser to the emotional highs and lows of due diligence and negotiation, this episode explores:

• What buyers actually look for — and why profit, cash and business “attractiveness” matter more than headline turnover
• How to prepare your business for sale without losing focus on growth
• Common myths around private equity, partial exits and losing your management team
• Why selling a business is as much a personal and emotional journey as a financial one
• How experienced advisers help owners keep perspective when deals get intense — or wobble at the last minute

Whether you’re an owner-founder just starting to think about an exit, or simply curious about how deals really happen behind closed doors, this episode offers candid insight from advisers who’ve guided businesses through billions of pounds of transactions.

Contact Clearwater;

Website: clearwatercf.com

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/clearwater-corporate-finance/

Follow @the_sofastories_podcast on Instagram. Send us a voice note with any questions and/ or thought provoking and inspiring statements which we can engage with on the show. We encourage our listeners to join the conversation. 🙏🏻

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Do what you love, then put every cell of your body into it, put every ounce of your energy into it, embrace your inner madness, go with the flow, don’t ignore inspiration, double down, don’t compromise your creativity, go nuts, practice, fail, make yourself vulnerable, refine it, reinvent it, move the goalposts, question it, reframe it, fine tune it, get comfortable with it then change it, get uncomfortable, experiment, elevate it, go beyond your capabilities.

Ready, Fire, Aim.

Welcome to The Sofa Stories Podcast with NB and Choc.

Now, let’s get into it!

Thank you listener, we love you! 🫶🏼

This episode is sponsored by Projuvenate - https://www.instagram.com/projuvenate_?igsh=MXBlNTdubnZmNHd6aA== check out the incredible well-being treatments using state of the art technology and an awesome team.

https://projuvenate.co.uk/our-services/

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Join “NB and Choc” LIVE STYLE at Brook Lane Coffee Co. Alderley Edge.

With our fabulous Training, Development and Coaching Expert and Mentor to teams of professionals in the corporate world as well as children - Jess Lomas.

Jess has an infectious energy and passion for helping others build confidence and a wealth of skills and knowledge to thrive in their environment, be it in school or in the workplace, she helps and inspires many and we are blessed to have her on the Podcast.

Enjoy the episode , to see and hear more from Jess Lomas, you can visit her IG here;

https://www.instagram.com/illuminate_tdc?igsh=YjU3aDVpaHI1azJr

Enjoy 🤍✌🏼

Follow @the_sofastories_podcast on Instagram. Send us a voice note with any questions and/ or thought provoking and inspiring statements which we can engage with on the show. We encourage our listeners to join the conversation. 🙏🏻

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Join us for a Cheeky little catch up on the sofa at the boardroom at Arighi Bianchi. Perhaps on your morning run. Will kick things off with electrolytes and some padel , but we will take you to places that you won’t expect.

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Ladies, Gents and fellow Pod Lovers. Please permit me to grant you access to “The Ben Wain Experience”.

A passionate Leader with 20 Years of Retail Sales and Operations Excellence.

With two decades of diverse experience in retail sales, performance management, and high-level operations, dedicated to driving success through a people-centric approach. His coaching style emphasises strong support, motivation, and meticulous attention to detail, consistently delivering outstanding results for his clientele.

Ben Wain, welcome to The Sofa Stories Podcast… LET’S GET INTO IT.

Find Ben on social media.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/benwain?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

https://www.tiktok.com/@benwaincoach

https://www.instagram.com/ben_wain

Follow @the_sofastories_podcast on Instagram. Send us a voice note with any questions and/ or thought provoking and inspiring statements which we can engage with on the show. We encourage our listeners to join the conversation. 🙏🏻

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We had the pleasure of welcoming Joe Sealey on the Pod, we talked to Joe who is an ex pro footballer (West Ham) about his fantastic business Mr Whippy (confectionery), Real Housewives of Cheshire and his lovely wife Nicole Sealey, we talked the menopause, padel of course, the untimely death of his late father and Manchester United Goalkeeper Les Sealey, we covered addiction, his busines journey, boxing and more!

This episode is a treat, let’s get into it….

Follow @the_sofastories_podcast on Instagram. Send us a voice note with any questions and/ or thought provoking and inspiring statements which we can engage with on the show. We encourage our listeners to join the conversation. 🙏🏻