Courses, playbooks, checklists, and insights — all built from real deal experience, not textbook theory. Everything here is designed to give you the clarity and confidence to make better decisions.
Education that changes what you do, not just what you know.
Built from real dealsEvery framework, checklist, and lesson comes from transactions Steve has actually been involved in.
Financially groundedCFO-level thinking made accessible — without losing the rigour that makes it actually useful.
Immediately applicableEverything is designed to be used on a real deal, with a real business, right now — not stored away for later.
From first-time buyers to experienced operators — courses and programmes built around the full acquisition journey.
The end-to-end acquisition programme for serious first-time and experienced buyers. Covers deal sourcing, financial analysis, valuation, due diligence, deal structuring, negotiation, and post-acquisition integration — with worked examples and real deal frameworks at every stage.
View programmeDemystifies business valuation for non-accountants — and sharpens it for those who are. Multiple methods, worked examples, and the real-world factors that move multiples.
View courseThe financial due diligence process that experienced acquirers run — structured around the 18 red flags that appear most often in SME acquisitions.
View courseHow to use deal structure as a tool — not just a formality. Earn-outs, deferred consideration, loan notes, vendor finance, and the mechanics that can make or break a deal.
View courseFor business owners who want to understand what makes their business valuable, what buyers will scrutinise, and how to prepare for a successful exit — on their own terms.
View courseEvery resource below is free to download. No course required. Built for people who want to get to work immediately.
47 questions to ask before you buy any business. Used on every Dealwise acquisition engagement.
Download freeHow to value a business using three methods — with worked examples and a reference table of sector multiples.
Download freeAre you ready to buy a business? Score yourself across 8 dimensions before you start your search.
Download freeA decision tree for choosing the right deal structure — cash, earn-out, deferred, or vendor finance.
Download freeFor sellers: the 8-area playbook to prepare your business for sale and maximise your exit value.
Download freeThe guide to understanding working capital in acquisitions — why it matters and how it affects the deal price.
Download free20 things to check before you sign heads of terms — covering price, structure, exclusivity, and conditions.
Download freeA structured template for normalising reported EBITDA — identifying add-backs and building a maintainable earnings view.
Download freeArticles, analysis, and frameworks from Steve — written for people who want to think better about deals, not just read about them.
It's the issue that comes up on almost every acquisition I've been involved in. Not fraud. Not hidden liabilities. Working capital — and specifically, the gap between what buyers think they're getting and what they actually receive on completion day.
Everyone talks about multiples. Few people understand what actually drives them — or how the same business can attract very different bids from different buyer types.
After working on hundreds of deals, the same five issues keep appearing — in businesses that look clean on the surface but have problems buried in the detail.
Most M&A education is taught by people who advise on deals or study them. Steve does them. That's a meaningful difference.
The frameworks and checklists in Dealwise's courses aren't theoretical — they're the actual tools Steve uses on deals where his own capital is at risk.
The financial depth in Dealwise's education reflects board-level finance experience across five countries — not a textbook understanding of how deals work.
Every lesson is designed to change how you approach a deal. Not to impress you with jargon, or make finance feel complicated. To make it feel manageable.
"The best way to learn dealmaking isn't to study it. It's to do it alongside someone who already has — and understand what they were actually thinking at each step."
— Steve Rooms, Founder, Dealwise AdvisoryWhen you're ready to move from learning to doing, Dealwise Advisory is here. Book a free discovery call with Steve.
Advisory services for buyers, sellers, and portfolio operators.