LONDON, UK – 9 July 2025 – Collingwood, the purpose-built value creation and M&A advisory for B2B information, media, and events businesses, today announced the release of its pivotal new report, The Deep Niche Mindset: A framework for scaling business information revenues. Co-authored by Collingwood Director Tim Wakefield, and Victoria Davies, Strategic Adviser at Collingwood, the report provides a critical blueprint for founders, owners, and CEOs seeking to unlock premium valuations and build resilient, indispensable businesses in an increasingly commoditised information landscape.

In an era where AI is rapidly transforming how information is accessed and consumed, The Deep Niche Mindset addresses the urgent need for B2B information businesses to differentiate beyond mere data aggregation. The report posits that true value and investor appeal lie in cultivating proprietary, essential content deeply embedded within customer workflows.

“Having spent over 17 years leading B2B information businesses, I’ve witnessed firsthand the profound impact of strategic focus and proprietary content on valuation,” said Tim Wakefield, Director at Collingwood and co-author of the report. 

“This report distils our collective experience into a clear, actionable framework. It’s about recognising that in a world awash with data, investors are seeking businesses that own their niche, provide indispensable insights, and generate predictable, high-retention revenue. We believe this mindset is the key to not just surviving, but thriving and achieving exceptional exits.”

The report outlines a comprehensive four-stage framework for value creation:

  • Claim your niche: emphasising a strategic focus on tightly defined, attractive market segments to foster deep customer understanding and targeted engagement
  • Build essential, proprietary content: developing unique, hard-to-replicate insights and data that are critical to customers’ daily operations and decision-making
  • Layer on high-value solutions: expanding core content expertise with premium services, analytics, or structured data to create new revenue streams and increase average order value
  • Embed deep commercial relationships: fostering long-term, high-retention enterprise accounts, driving predictable recurring revenue and strong Net Revenue Retention (NRR).

Businesses adopting this Deep Niche Mindset consistently demonstrate the qualities investors prioritise: resilience against market shifts, predictable performance through recurring revenue, high retention rates due to indispensable offerings, and strong forward visibility from embedded customer relationships. These factors collectively contribute to a higher Quality of Earnings and, consequently, premium M&A valuations.

Collingwood’s mission is to empower B2B information, media, and events businesses to create and realise maximum value. This report serves as a cornerstone of that mission, providing the strategic insights and methodologies necessary for transformative growth and successful capital events.

 

For more information contact Rosalind Hill, Head of Marketing: rosalind.hill@collingwood.group