PEOPLE are often afraid of asking a ‘daft' question but when you’re buying or selling your business, there’s no such thing.

In fact, that question might be the one which uncovers really important information – it’s simply that no one had thought to ask it before. It can reveal new detail or open up a different aspect of the business, helping both buyer and seller.

Getting involved in a client’s business is one aspect of my work which I really enjoy. The earlier I can be involved in a transaction, the better; my client gets the best understanding of the whole process and I can focus on the right solution for them because I understand their aims.

The chance to get organised early on gives a client another advantage – getting all the right documents together may seem obvious, but paperwork is sometimes not top of the priority list in a business.

That kind of organisation makes the process simpler for everyone, and it also makes it easier to comply with all the legal rules – part of my work is to help people to understand their obligations and ensure that they comply.

Openness and clarity are important too – I’m often asked by sellers if they should tell their buyer something about the business which they fear may not reflect well on them. The answer is yes – it’s always better to get any issues out into the open and deal with them, and this also usually means that the sellers' liability after completion of a sale is minimised.

Clear, practical outcomes work when buying or selling – that’s the result I want.