Rules of Engagement — A buyer decides his limits before the first shot of a negotiation.

Preparing to Negotiate an Acquisition: setting limits and reading risk before talks begin

Guy Bartlett spent 42 years in military service, including commissioned service in the Royal Engineers, before he started sitting across the table from sellers who move their terms at the last minute. He argues most deals are lost on temperament rather than numbers, because a buyer who reacts to a late surprise hands back the value he spent months building. Drawing on more than 150 deals across owner-managed companies, he walks through what he settles before talks open, how he reads risk when the other side changes the offer, and why he treats a negotiation as a planned operation rather than a pitch. He is direct about the point where preparation stops and nerve takes over. Listeners leave with a way to hold their position when a deal starts moving against them.

About Guy Bartlett

Guy Bartlett, podcast guest

Fractional M&A Expert Helping Business Owners Grow Through Acquisition

Nearly 30 years In business£145M Transition revenue acquired by coached clients42 years Military service2006 First deal

Guy Bartlett is a UK-based entrepreneur, M&A expert, military veteran, and founder of Fidelis Advisory, a Cheshire-based fractional M&A firm that helps ambitious business owners grow through acquisition, exit successfully, and navigate the complex realities of buying, selling, and transitioning companies.

Guy is not simply an adviser commenting from the sidelines. He leads a team of acquisition experts with hands-on experience in strategy, sourcing, negotiation, finance, deal structure, and post-acquisition integration.

With nearly 30 years in business and more than two decades of transaction experience, Guy brings a rare combination of commercial insight, deal-making expertise, and people-first leadership. His career began in sales, marketing, direct response, and data-driven growth, where he helped scale an agency from £32,000 in fee revenue to almost £7 million in turnover within six years. That journey gave him his first exposure to shareholder structures, acquisitions, and the realities of building business value beyond day-to-day revenue.

Since completing his first acquisition in 2006, Guy has bought, built, advised on, and guided businesses across multiple sectors. He later founded Business Buyers Club, where he helped entrepreneurs understand acquisition as a serious growth strategy, with coached clients acquiring an estimated £145 million in transition revenue.

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#540 - Guy Bartlett - Buying Businesses
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The Next 100 Days Podcast· Listen to Guy Bartlett on air