I grew up on a working-class estate surrounded by three of London’s wealthiest postcodes - Regents Park, Marylebone, and St John’s Wood.

From an early age, I saw how access to capital determined opportunity.
It shaped who had freedom, who built, and who got left behind.
That observation became an obsession - understanding how money flows, and how to help more people access it with confidence.

Over two decades, I’ve helped founders, business owners, and investors facilitate hundreds of millions in capital across property, consumer, and technology sectors. I’ve won awards for fundraising and built a methodology that changes how people prepare for investment and exits.

Today I’m the founder of FundLabs, Valuedd, Acquisition-Grade™, and Living Intelligence Studio - a connected ecosystem designed to flip the traditional model of raising, scaling, and selling businesses.
Most founders and owners still go to market blind - waiting for investors or buyers to tell them what they’re worth.

We bring an investor-grade lens before they ever pitch or negotiate.
Through frameworks like the SIMPLE System™ and the Acquisition-Grade™ Framework, we combine human intelligence and AI to give founders and owners full visibility of their valuation reality - the risks, opportunities, and levers that build confidence and value.

FundLabs helps founders and business owners access aligned capital through strategy, positioning, and investor psychology.

Valuedd delivers the technology and institutional-grade diagnostics that reveal how investors view a business before it goes to market.

Acquisition-Grade™ transforms established companies into premium, buyer-ready assets - blending capital strategy, systemisation, and technology to elevate valuation multiples and create exits that reward years of work.

As clarity spreads, so does capital flow - and when more people access money, more problems get solved.

Beyond the tech, Living Intelligence ensures everything we build keeps humanity at the centre: connection, trust, and community. It’s why we’re now expanding into physical spaces - retreat environments in Bali, Oman, Devon, and Mexico - where top performers in business, sport, and entertainment come together to align money and minds toward meaningful impact.

My mission is simple:
To help people access capital, unlock potential, and come together to create what’s next.
We’re partnering with founders, owners, and investors who believe the same.
 
If you’re preparing to raise, scale, or exit in the next 12 months, we can help you see what investors see - before they do.

Stuart Mellody

Des Vadgama

Win higher £ value clients for your service. Works best for active coaches, experts and service specialists. Solid £ results within 21 days.

Most good deals don’t fail because of price, terms, timing or logic.

They fail because the right conversation never happens.

For 30+ years, I’ve worked inside high-stakes sales and deal environments — from high-ticket consulting to complex deals and transactions — helping people say what actually needs to be said so decisions get made.

Today, I assist:

• Founders
• Dealmakers
• Coaches & experts

Close deals and sales that have stalled, slowed, or gone quiet — mostly at £100K to £10M+.

My role is specific:

• I sit inside critical conversations (via 3-way calls or transcript review)
• I surface hidden objections and decision friction
• I expose power dynamics blocking commitment
• I move things to a clear Yes or No

No scripts.
No coaching or training.
No waiting around.

Just precise dialogue at the moment it matters.

If something should be closing or completing — but isn’t — that’s usually where I come in.

DM me if this resonates.

Or if you'd like a free copy of my 150-page Power Dialogues book, WhatsApp me directly:

+44 7973 615564

--------------------

Some backstory...

In the 1990s, I promoted and sold seminars for these top speakers/gurus:

Tony Robbins
Dan Pena
Jay Abraham
Brian Tracy
Stephen Covey

The fees for these live events were up to £10K per delegate.

Later, with the rise of the internet in the early 2000s, I launched an online service for specialist contractors, which smoothly generated thousands of bookings each year.

After selling that lucrative business, I attempted semi-retirement in Spain, which lasted all of 6 months!

Sell 2x to 5x more

I assist a small number of coaches or mentors to sell more of their program, using my DALM process - focused on helping you to now add more:

Dialogues
Access
Leverage
Margin

This proven process delivers best £/$ results and a high ROI if you’re a…

Coach
Mentor
Mastermind owner
Consultant
Speaker
Trainer

Ideally, you’re already comfortable with offering your service or program at £2,000 or more per client.

So if you now want to achieve 2x to 5x more sales and clients, let’s have a chat.

Just send me a DM here...

Or a Whatsapp text message on +44 7973 615564  (UK)

Buying a business has turned into a circus 🤡 

Marketers shouting “buy a business for £1”…
“just send a few letters”…
“dealflow is easy”…
“AI will find your next 7-figure business”…

It’s utter delusion and fantasy
And people are paying £5k–£20k+ for it!

Here's the reality...

Over the past month, 600+ people have responded/sent me DMs

Here’s what they REALLY tell me:

They can’t engage with any businesses
They’re obsessing over 1 or 2 potential acquisitions
They’re not speaking to enough owners
They’ve got funding gaps of £200k–£1m+
They don’t really know how to communicate with sellers
And no-one is joining business seller calls with them

Let me put it bluntly:

You're won't close a deal if you’re chasing just ONE business owner!
Serious business buyers keep 3–10 live deals in motion.

The problem isn’t the economy
It isn’t competition from PE/big money firms
It isn’t interest rates
It isn’t lack of capital

The problem is the lack of DEAL-FLOW.

So I’m going to prove a point...

I’m giving away ONE free place in my Dealflow DWY service (worth £2,000).

Me and you work together
It's for 30 days
Taking action steps only
No theory, no hype

This is what you get:
 
- A proven lead-flow and dealflow system (I've had 600+ responses)
- Ongoing support by WhatsApp and 1-to-1 video calls to progress live deals
- Sharper seller dialogues (by asking the right questions)
- Potential access to £200k–£1m+ funding gap for the right deal
+ Accountability
+ Real momentum

No networking, no masterminds, no social meetings, no chit-chat, no 100-hour videos, nor courses to attend

Just actual results + £ progress.

So to enter this free prize draw (no purchase necessary)

Like and Comment: DEALFLOW

Also in your comment, add what impact/difference doing a 6- or 7-figure deal will make in your life 😊 
.

“Dealflow Des” PE/VC alternative at Vadgama Capital | £1m to £10m+ Deal Connector | Power Dialogues to Decisions | QLA Advocate

Most entrepreneurs can't raise £1 

Raising capital or getting funding is becoming harder

If you need to raise £100k to £2m+ to...

buy a business
get an acquisition/M&A deal done
do a property deal

It's highly likely...

- that your pitchdeck is vague
- your numbers are a guess
- your deck is confusing
- your story lacks structure
- your plan collapses under 1 or 2 questions

Investors don't fund noise
They fund clarity and certainty

If you're serious about raising capital, then you need a deck or 1-page executive summary which gets real £ results!

So I've created a simple, fill-in-the-blanks investor deck and 1-pager template...

If you want a free copy of this, then

Like and Comment: RC
- we need to be connected

And I will send this Raising Capital template to you by DM

Good investors know instantly when a deal is investable - or not!

.

PE/VC alternative at Vadgama Capital | £1m to £10m+ Deal Connector | Power Dialogues to Decisions | QLA Advocate

I am looking into Gumball 3000

120 supercars
7 days
3,000 miles across multiple countries

Ferraris. Lamborghinis. McLarens

Celebrities. Billionaires. Founders

Most people assume you simply pay £200k and show up.

Not true.

Many teams actually get sponsors to fund their entry.

Some join as media teams.
Others borrow a supercar from a dealership...

Because the rally isn’t about racing.

It’s about story, exposure, connections and attention.

Over the past few weeks I’ve had 600+ responses, leads and conversations from entrepreneurs mostly wanting more Dealflow.

So here’s my idea...

To be in the Gumball 3000 while documenting a mini-series, working title:

Dealflow Rally

3,000 miles
Multiple countries
Meeting founders, investors and business owners along the way.

Filming conversations about:

• buying businesses
• raising capital
• building companies
• selling businesses + 💰 exits

3000 miles...
30+ business conversations
And possibly a few real deals!

Curious - if you join this rally, what would you chase?

1. A business to buy or acquire 
2. Investors or funding 
3. Dealflow 
4. Someone to sell your business to 🙂

Comment a number please ...

Credit: This Gumball idea was inspired by Anthony Miller

99% of you have a deal-flow problem

I’ve spoken with 100s of entrepreneurs who want to buy a business or to do a 7-figure deal.

Most are serious.
Many have their own savings/resources.
Some have investors lined up.

But they are all stuck in the same place.

They’re doing things like:

• emailing business brokers 
• sending out 100s of letters in the post
• blasting out 1000s of emails
• competing with 10-20 other business buyers 

And months later…

Still no deal.

Here’s the reality:

The problem isn’t funding or capital.
It isn’t valuation.

It’s DEALFLOW

The entrepreneurs who actually get deals done don’t rely on methods used by 1000s of others!

They create dealflow through:

• conversations with owners
• LinkedIn connections 
• introductions from accountants
• supplier networks
• private investor circles

I’ve built a power list of 100 ways entrepreneurs find businesses to buy.

If you'd like a free copy of this list...

Like and Comment: 100
- we need to be connected 
- be good if you comment which type of business deal you want!

And I will send you this massive list by DM

You only need 1-2 good methods to do your next 7-figure deal 😊

Being a podcaster is all fun and profit ...

Or more like focus, effort and time input?

I was just interviewed in London by James Lamb on his business podcast for about 90 minutes on video...

He probably doesn't need to be doing this, as he has a track record of 20+ done deals.

And James mentioned that his wife Gauri is more accomplished than him, having managed a £100m+ retail property portfolio.

I've met podcasters such as Brian Rose and a few others who get millions of downloads and listeners...

However, those guys are in the Top 1%

From what I see, most of the other podcast hosts face these problems...

1. Audience growth feels real slow 
- many episodes get just 50-200 downloads 

2. Podcast guests don't share episodes 
- they contribute zero in distribution 

3. The workload is far heavier 
- recording, editing, clips, promotion...

4. Monetisation rarely happens 
- only a few episodes ever turn into clients 

So I've created a short report:

Podcast Profits 
- 7 steps to 3x your listener growth 

If you're a podcaster, I'll send you a free copy 

Like and Comment: PP 

And I’ll send you Podcast Profits by DM 
.

Supercars and Sexy Deals 

Doing business deals is fairly boring…

Just ask anyone in private equity.

Or any M&A guy or gal.

Well, I love supercars and I assist entrepreneurs to get more Dealflow to add 7-figure deals.

This week my Gumball 3000 post attracted a bit of attention!

That led to a video chat with two M&A guys.

They’ve already built one business to £20m and now selling that.

Their next target is to build a £100m business within 5 years...

A few years ago they were hosting 7-day luxury experiences.

Price: €40k to €120k per couple.

Supercars.
VIP racing.
Luxury hotels.

But the real value wasn’t the lifestyle.
It was the conversations, connections, relationships and trust built.

They told me that multiple 7-figure deals came from those luxury tours.

So now they’re relaunching a Supercar tour (at €40k per couple)

Because when the environment changes…

The quality of Dialogues and Dealflow changes.

So would you join a Supercars & Dealflow experience to meet investors, potential partners and do business deals?

Comment:

SUPERCARS - if you love this idea
DEALFLOW - if you’re focused only on acquisitions/deals

I just had another meeting with Dan Peña

at The Ritz in Mayfair.

Says he has actually created $2.4 trillion in wealth 🙂

Not theory. Not motivation. Not “mindset”.

Actual deals.
Actual businesses.
Actual £ outcomes.

He gave me example after example of entrepreneurs who attended his QLA seminar at Guthrie Castle…

…and then went on to build £10m, £50m, even £200m+ results.

That is a massive difference.

Most people stand outside the room talking about success.

A few get close enough to see how real wealth is built.

And it is rarely neat and tidy.

It is pressure.
It is speed.
It is stronger conversations.
It is decision-making when the stakes are high.

After the meeting, I walked around Mayfair.

Saw Bentley showrooms.
Cars on sale for £300k+.

Nice to look at.

But that was not the main point.

The real flex is not the car.

It is becoming the person who can sit in serious rooms, have serious conversations, and help move serious deals.

And that is where Dealflow comes in.

Because in £1m-£20m deals, acquisitions, exits, and deal structuring…

one conversation can change the price,
the terms,
the timing,
or whether the deal happens at all.

A £300k car is noise.

A well-handled dialogue can be worth millions.

If you are working on a £1m-£20m deal, acquisition or exit, comment DEAL or DM me.

Deal-flow.co.uk | Free list your 7-figure deal | £1m to £10m+ Deal Connector | Power Dialogues | QLA Advocate

I will sell your business for £1 retainer 🙂

Before the business brokers start choking...

Here’s my offer:

Introduce me to any business owner who wants to sell their business in the next 6-36 months

And I will choose ONE of these businesses, and will assist in selling it for £1 retainer + % of success/result

Not £5k retainer 
Not £10k
And not £20k-£50k 

Within 30 minutes, I can tell:

✓ What buyers will really pay
✓ What will kill your deal instantly
✓ What a business broker won’t tell you
✓ What needs fixing 
✓ Whether you even need a broker at all

If you know a business that might be interested...

Comment: £1

Think this is a good idea? Comment £1

Think this is a bad idea? Comment £0

.

Finding a good opportunity is hard.

So I’m developing something simple.

A site called Dealflow.

A place where anyone can create a clear 1-page profile about an opportunity or a deal...

To help more entrepreneurs, investors and business owners to complete 6- and 7-figure deals.

Examples include:

• Businesses for sale
• Investment opportunities
• Acquisition targets 
• Property deals
• Joint ventures / partnerships
• Deal scout opportunities
• Special situations

If you have an interesting opportunity, deal, project or partnership idea, you’ll be able to list it.

Because I’ve received 700+ responses and leads recently, I’ll personally add the first 100 profiles for free.

Simple 1-page format.

Clear opportunity and easy to understand.

If you’d like one of the first 100 profiles, comment:

PROFILE

Curious to see which other opportunities and deals appear!
.

My client just completed a £4M+ deal

Just had a call with one of my clients who completed the purchase of a £4M+ building in east London.

Nothing remarkable as property transactions go.

But what he does next...

Probably puts him into the Top 1% of dealmakers.

For example, he has already rented/leased out the ground floor to a quality commercial tenant for an agreed term of 10+ years at £300K+ pa.

This income and cashflow protects pretty much any downside risk with this SPV project - whatever happens to the economy!

Next... he's applying for planning permission to add 12+ apartments on the upper floors.

And that's about it! 

As soon as PP is granted, he will sell this commercial asset, likely making £1m+ uplift/gain by later this year.

And it's not the first time he's doing this.

Some might call this asymmetric or optimal profit generation or investor return/ROI...

I call it a smart deal. 😊

Do you have an example of a smart deal you're working on?
.

Raising Capital hasn't changed much in 30 years?

Way back in 1996, my most popular 1-day live seminar (with Dan Peña) was called...

Raising Capital 

100s of entrepreneurs and business owners paid £800+ each to learn about how to raise £200k to £1 million or more

Yesterday, I received 50+ requests for a template for a pitchdeck and 1-page summary to raise capital/funding (RC)

On the other side, there are now 1000s of sources of funding and finance options...

Private Equity/VC 
Corporate Finance 
Asset based lending, ABL
1000+ banks 
Property development finance 
Business angels
Crowdfunding 
+ many more...

So I'm genuinely curious:

What are possible ideas to match those seeking funding... to the right funding/finance solution? 🙂

.

Private Equity is Not Your Friend 

Here’s the part PE doesn't tell business owners:

PE firms don’t beat you with spreadsheets.
They beat you with certainty.

They turn up with a team, a playbook, and a 200-point checklist.

You turn up with “Here’s my P&L from last year.”

And that’s why PE wins.

Here are the 4 weapons PE uses to cut your valuation without blinking:

1️⃣ “Owner Dependence”

If your business collapses without you…
PE smiles.

Because they can instantly slash your value in half.

2️⃣ “Margin Predictability”

If your profit jumps around, PE calls it “risk.”

And risk = price reduction.

3️⃣ “Recurring Revenue”

No contracts?
No subscriptions?
No repeatable retention?

PE labels your business “unpredictable” - the kiss of death?

4️⃣ “Real KPIs”

If you can’t show what drives revenue, PE assumes the worst.

And charges you for the uncertainty.

This is why so many business owners feel blindsided.

They walk in thinking they’re worth 6×.

PE firm calmly offers 2.8× — and has the paperwork to justify it.

Now fix the confidence gaps before you talk to any business buyer…
…and you instantly flip the power dynamic.

So I’ve created:

The Business Valuation Reality Report

A short report showing business owners:

> what business buyers really look for
> how PE actually thinks
> the confidence killers that destroy value
> and how to avoid being low-balled
> how to achieve a higher/better £ offer

Like and Comment: Higher £ Valuation 
(or send me a private DM)

And I will send this free report to you by DM
.

Want to find an opportunity like this for yourself?

Like and Comment: DEALFLOW

I spoke with 3 different people:

• a broker working on a £6m deal
• an investor looking to deploy £2m cash
• an entrepreneur trying to buy his first business

All 3 have the same problem...

Dealflow.

They need access to the right opportunities.

This is why I’m developing a simple Dealflow listing site.

A place where:

• business owners
• buyers and acquisition entrepreneurs 
• investors
• operators

can see and access more opportunities.

No hype.

Just connections that lead to deals

If you're actively looking to buy, sell, invest or structure deals, send me a message with DEALFLOW.

Sometimes the biggest advantage in business is simply being in the right conversations.

Why 90% of business buyers FAIL? 🤔

Most acquisition entrepreneurs aren’t buying anything!

They’re collecting screenshots… 
watching 100s of videos...
paying £1000s to gurus… 
or chasing just 1 or 2 deals… 

Yesterday’s comments on my circus post were brutally honest:

“Buyers are delusional.”
“Zero conversations with real owners.”
“I've watched 100+ videos, just getting ready now..."

Forget Love Island, 90% are on Fantasy Island! (fab show from the 70s)

If you don’t have 3–10 potential deals right now, you’re not a buyer.

You’re a spectator.

You cannot buy a business with:

- 1 broker listing
- 1 perfect “no money down” method
- 1 or 2 quick chats with a business seller 
- 1 “maybe” deal you’ve been staring at for 2+ months

Real business buyers or Dealmakers do boring things:

> They have multiple owner conversations
> They run multiple deals in parallel
> They don’t chase perfection
> They don’t wait for a guru to bless them!
> They don’t fall in love with ONE deal

And guess what?

Everything becomes easier when you have pipeline:

➡ Owners take you seriously
➡ Funding partners engage
➡ Negotiation gets calmer
➡ Confidence comes back
➡ No more circus, no more hype, no more fantasy

For example, I've received 600+ responses and leads recently 🙂

But most entrepreneurs fail because:

0-2 deals = stress
3-10 deals = options
Options = power

If you want my simple Dealflow steps, used by clients who pay me £1000s - then

Like and Comment: More Deals 
- we need to be connected 

Will send that to you by DM 

(optional) Comment: What's stopping you now from seeing or receiving more 6- and 7-figure business deals?
.

How to turn £100k into £20m+

Walker Diebel posted about turning $100k into $50m by doing business acquisitions.

But doing that in the UK is different.

Here’s how that looks here:

£100k → first acquisition → platform → 2-5 add-on acquisitions → £20m-£60m enterprise value.

1000s of UK businesses are:

• profitable
• owner-operated
• fragmented
• approaching succession or retirement

So here's the pathway to £20m+

1. First acquisition (platform)
Target a £500k-£1m EBITDA business.

2. Use smart deal structure
Combine buyer equity, investors, bank debt, and seller finance.

3. Stabilise and improve operations
Reporting, systems, management depth.

4. Add 2-5 smaller acquisitions
Often cheaper multiples in the same sector.

5. Build a larger group
Scale, synergies, and stronger market position.

6. Exit at a higher multiple
Small businesses sell cheaper than larger consolidated groups.

You don't get rich from doing just one deal, as Dan Peña has repeated since 1993!

But from buying, building and combining businesses.

If you want a free copy of my UK Buy-and-Build Playbook

Comment: £20m+

And I will send it to you by DM

Do you ever comment on a post?

I didn't expect this…

I left one comment on Daniel's post.

Just a quick insight.

And that single comment generated 5,000+ impressions.

...way more than my own posts!

Are comments actually an overlooked way to:

• get visibility
• attract inbound leads
• create more dealflow, perhaps?

Most people focus on posting.

But maybe the real leverage is joining the right conversations...

I’m starting to test this more intentionally now.

Curious:

Do you use LinkedIn comments to generate leads or opportunities - or just for fun?

And what works best for you?

Most people who think they’re dealmakers… are not!

They analyse.
They chit-chat.
They hold meetings. 
They talk about valuation.

But when it really matters…

They hesitate.

Only a few pull the trigger to close a £1m to £10m transaction.

So here are 7 qualities of real dealmakers:

1. They create dealflow - multiple opportunities 
   Not wait around for it.

2. They ask uncomfortable questions
   While everyone else stays polite.

3. They’re calm when things get messy
   Silence doesn’t scare them.

4. They hear what’s not being said
   That’s where deals really matter.

5. They structure, not negotiate
   Price is only one variable.

6. They protect long-term relationships
   Even in tough moments.

7. They move while others over-think
   Speed creates advantage.

From your experience...

What else separates a real dealmaker from everyone else?

Business brokers list businesses they can't sell.

A business owner recently sent me a message.

He’d spent 14 months with a well-known business broker.

Paid the fees.
Did the meetings.
Shared the accounts.
Trusted the process.

The broker kept saying:

“Don’t worry - the right buyer is coming.”
“Your valuation is solid.”
“Any day now...”

But here’s what the business owner didn’t know:

The broker had 37 other listings.
He was never going to push this one.
Wrong buyers.
Wrong positioning.
Wrong expectations.
And - truth be told - it never should’ve been listed in the first place!

The business owner said something that stuck with me:

> “I thought I was paying someone to sell my company.
> Turns out I hired someone to just list it.”

If you’re planning on selling your business in the next 6-36 months...

I’ve created something you can use before you speak to any broker:

Like and Comment: CHECKLIST
and I’ll send you The Pre-Sale Readiness Checklist by DM
- 12 things real buyers look for that brokers never tell you!

Or send me a private DM today...

It takes just 3 minutes to read.
But it could save you 12 months of pain and anxiety. 

.

“I am not afraid of selling my business...

I’m afraid of being ripped off.”

That’s what a business owner said to me recently.

He’d spent 22 years building his company.

Early mornings. Late nights. Staff problems. Cash-flow scares. Personal guarantees.

The business became his identity.

Now he’s ready to sell.

But his biggest fear is this:

“What if buyers tell me it’s worth far less than it should be?”

I hear this constantly.

Owners worry that:

• Business brokers will overpromise on valuation just to win that listing.

• Buyers will pick apart every weakness to push the price down.

• The process will drag on for months with no real offers.

And after decades of work…

They fear the final £ number won’t reflect the true value of what they built.

Here’s the reality most owners discover too late:

Buyers don’t value effort.
They value preparation.

So I’ve put those points into a short report.

Like and Comment: CHECKLIST

And I’ll send you by DM:

The Pre-Sale Readiness Checklist
- the 12 things serious buyers look for before making an offer.

Be more confident whenever you're ready to sell your business 🙂

.

taplio

The Battle

Stuart Mellody

Des Vadgama

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taplio

The Battle

Stuart Mellody

Des Vadgama

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Des Vadgama's LinkedIn Performance

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