Advisory & Transactional Services
Due Diligence & Business Planning
Two services that matter most when the stakes are highest — before you sign a deal, and before you commit to a direction.
Financial Due Diligence
Let the buyer beware — before the deal is done
Mergers, acquisitions and new partnerships carry risks that don't always appear on the balance sheet. Philip Barnes & Co Chartered Accountants prepares financial due diligence reports that surface those risks before they become your problem.
A due diligence report commissioned through us examines the true financial viability of a target business — not just the headline numbers, but the liabilities, contingencies and off-balance-sheet exposures that a vendor's pack won't volunteer.
We look specifically for fraud risk indicators and structural weaknesses that could affect deal pricing or financing terms. The findings inform your negotiation position and give your lender or investor the independent assurance they need to proceed.
If you are buying, merging or entering a significant commercial partnership, speak to us before heads of terms are agreed.
How Due Diligence Works With Us
Four stages from instruction to report
1. Initial briefing
We take a full briefing on the proposed transaction — deal structure, timeline, financing arrangements and any concerns you already have about the target.
2. Document review
We examine the target's financial records, management accounts, contracts and any available audit files, looking for off-balance-sheet items, fraud indicators and structural weaknesses.
3. Findings and negotiation support
We present our findings clearly, with a view to informing your negotiation position — whether that means adjusting the price, seeking warranties, or walking away.
4. Finance structuring advice
Where required, we work alongside your solicitors and lenders to ensure the deal structure reflects the financial reality uncovered during our review.
Business Planning & Forecasting
From long-term strategy to next quarter's KPIs
A business plan is only useful if it connects ambition to numbers. Philip Barnes & Co builds financial forecasts that ground your strategy in cash flow, margin analysis and realistic growth assumptions.
Our business planning and forecasting service covers the full range — from a strategic plan prepared to support a finance application, to a rolling cash flow model that flags pressure points before they become crises.
- Steady cash flow Forecast models that identify seasonal gaps and funding requirements before they bite.
- Profitable areas Analysis to identify where your business generates its strongest returns — so you know where to focus.
- Finance applications Lender-ready projections and supporting commentary, prepared by ICAEW Chartered Accountants.
- Opportunity analysis Scenario modelling to test the financial impact of a new market, product or acquisition before you commit.
Why Philip Barnes & Co
Advisory experience, two offices across Staffordshire
Philip Barnes & Co Chartered Accountants has two offices in Staffordshire — at The Old Council Chambers, Halford Street, Tamworth, B79 7RB (tel: 01827 60033) and at 40 Carter Street, Uttoxeter, ST14 8EU (tel: 01889 563550). From both locations the firm advises businesses across the region on transactional and strategic matters.
As ICAEW members, we hold ourselves to the professional standards that lenders, investors and counterparties expect from an independent adviser. Our due diligence reports and business plans carry the weight of that accreditation.
Both services — due diligence and business planning — sit outside day-to-day compliance work. They are engaged at the moments that define a business's direction. We treat them accordingly.
Ready to talk through a transaction or plan?
Call our Tamworth office on 01827 60033 or our Uttoxeter office on 01889 563550. We work with businesses across Staffordshire and beyond.