Meet the Team Behind the Deals
About Ross Bugden
Ross is the financial strategist behind Black Swan Strategy. He owns Anglo Dutch Accountants in Tring (anglodutch.co.uk), one of the area’s most respected and straight-talking practices. Ross brings decades of accountancy, advisory, FD-for-hire, and M&A preparation expertise. He ensures clean numbers, confident valuations, financial readiness, and robust support throughout due diligence.
About Simon Ellson
Simon is a business builder, author, and exit strategist with decades of experience helping business owners grow, scale, and sell. With multiple commercial operations across Dorset, Hertfordshire, and Buckinghamshire, he knows what makes a business valuable — and what buyers pay for. Simon handles commercial readiness, operational preparation, positioning, and negotiation.
THE BLACK SWAN PRINCIPLE
Why Our Name Matters — and Why It Shapes Everything We Do
A Black Swan, in the work of Professor Nassim Nicholas Taleb, describes a rare and unpredictable event with consequences far beyond the ordinary. Selling a business fits that definition perfectly. It’s something most owners do once, it carries lifetime impact, and it’s an event where the outcome genuinely matters.
That’s why our approach is different. We don’t treat an exit as a routine transaction. We treat it as a high-impact strategic moment that demands preparation, clarity and control. Our work removes uncertainty and prevents surprises – the very things that derail most SME sales
Business Turnover | Preparation Fee | Success Fee |
|---|---|---|
Up to £500,000 | 1.5% of turnover | 3% on completion |
£500,001 – £1.5m | 1.25% of turnover | 3% on completion |
£1.5m – £5m | 1% of turnover | 3% on completion |
£5m+ | 0.5% of turnover | 3% on completion |
Business Turnover
- Up to £500,000
- £500,001 – £1.5m
- £1.5m – £5m
- £5m+
Preparation Fee
- 1.5% of turnover
- 1.25% of turnover
- 1% of turnover
- 0.5% of turnover
Success Fee
- 3% on completion
- 3% on completion
- 3% on completion
- 3% on completion
We anticipate what others miss
We prepare for the challenges buyers will bring
We remove risk before it becomes a problem
We turn a chaotic process into a structured, managed outcome
We engineer results that don’t rely on luck, timing or hope
Why This Partnership Works
0 +
years Partnership
- numbers + narrative.
- preparation + deal‑making.
Ready to Start Your Exit?
Get a confidential, no-pressure call with Ross and Simon. We’ll help you understand valuation, readiness, and the best path to a successful sale.
