Building Value When Markets Are Uncertain

Welcome to "Ask The Expert". In each episode, we invite seasoned professionals and industry leaders to share their insights, experiences, and strategies for navigating the complexities of modern business and the advanced engineering landscape. In this episode, Paula Carter and Patrick Faughnan from theTC Group Corporate Finance team share practical insights into value creation, exits and succession in today’s uncertain market. They discuss what drives premium business valuations, how SME owners can strengthen their position even without an imminent sale, and why deals continue despite economic and geopolitical uncertainty.   Meet Our Experts: Paula Carter is a Chartered Accountant and Corporate FinanceDirector at TC Group, with over 25 years’ experience spanning professional services and industry. Having trained with a Top 5 accountancy firm, she has advised SMEs across a wide range of sectors, as well as providing consultancy support to large multinational organisations. Since returning to professional services in 2020,Paula particularly enjoys working closely with SME business owners and leadership teams, supporting growth, financing and succession plans to help turn long‑term ambitions into reality. She is known for her pragmatic, client‑focusedand highly responsive approach to dealmaking. Alongside her advisory work, Paula has a strong interest inpeople and diversity. She is particularly passionate about mentorship and is keen to create opportunities for female business owners to connect, collaborate and support one another as they grow their businesses. Outside of work, Paula's a keen runner and enjoys spendingtime with her children and friends. paulacarter@tc-group.com   Patrick Faughnan is Partner and Head of Corporate Finance atTC Group, where he works closely with owner‑managed businesses to support growth and succession plans. His work spans mergers and acquisitions, fundraising, valuations and exit planning — always with a clear focus onachieving the right outcome for clients. Patrick’s proud to lead TC’s dedicated Corporate Financeteam, which was named ‘Corporate Finance Advisory Firm of the Year’ at the Insider Central & East of England Dealmakers Awards in 2023. He was also recognised individually as 'Dealmaker of the Year' in 2025 — one of the mostsought‑after titles in the sector. For Patrick, these awards reflect the collective effort of the wider team and the strong results they’ve delivered for clients in recent years. A chartered accountant by background, Patrick’s also atrustee and mentor, supporting the development of businesses and individuals beyond formal advisory work. Outside of the corporate finance world, he is married and a father of two daughters — and when time (and the weather) permits, he enjoys dusting off the golf clubs! [**patrickfaughnan@tc-group.com**](mailto:patrickfaughnan@tc-group.com) This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠TCGroup⁠⁠. TC Group’s an Accountancy Age ‘Top 20’ firm ofbusiness advisors and accountants, providing quality financial advice and strategy, enabling you to achieve your business growth goals, safeguard your wealth, and maximise your tax efficiency. Our teams’ experience and expertise mean we understand the challenges and opportunities you face at a local, national, and even international level. We’ll invest time in getting to know you so we can provide proactive and tailored advice, supporting you in making the right decisions both now and in the future. We pride ourselves on offering more than the standard compliance services and straight-forward number crunching. We offer a multitude of functional accountancy and specialist business growth services along with personal financial solutions and legal advice, providing our clients with a unified “one-stop-shop” approach, saving you both time and money. Recorded and produced by The Pod Collective.