How this actually works.
Selling a business, valuing one, buying one, and the question underneath all three: whether to build something or buy something that already trades. Every number here is sourced and dated, because most of the numbers written about this subject are not.
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SellingBusiness broker fees in the UKUK business brokers usually charge some mix of an upfront or marketing fee, a success fee on completion, a minimum fee, and an exclusivity period that ties you in. Nobody publishes an official rate, so the terms in the engagement letter matter more than the headline percentage. Whether you need a broker at all depends mostly on whether you already know who your buyer is.Read itEverything else
- BuyingBuying a franchise resale: what to check before you commitHow buying an existing franchise differs from a new one: franchisor approval, transfer fees, the remaining term, trading history and the agreement.10 min read
- BuyingBuying a pub or restaurant in the UK: what to checkBuying a UK pub or restaurant: leasehold or freehold, tied pubs and the Pubs Code, licence and DPS transfer, food registration, the lease and staff.11 min read
- SellingSelling a business to an Employee Ownership TrustHow selling to an Employee Ownership Trust works: the tax relief now worth half the gain, the 2024 rule changes, vendor funding and when an EOT suits.10 min read
- SellingShare sale vs asset sale: what changes for buyer and sellerShare sale vs asset sale in the UK: what transfers, who keeps the liabilities, TUPE, contracts, VAT, stamp duty, SDLT and how the choice moves the price.10 min read
- SellingTax on selling a business in the UKHow a UK business sale is taxed: Capital Gains Tax on shares, Business Asset Disposal Relief at 18%, asset sales, the disposal date and earn outs.11 min read
- BuyingTUPE when buying a business: what transfers and what to checkHow TUPE applies when you buy a UK business: asset sales versus share sales, what transfers, the duty to consult, pensions, and protecting yourself.10 min read
- By locationBuying a business in BirminghamBuying a business in Birmingham: the sectors that trade, the lease and rates questions to ask, and what West Midlands survival figures tell a buyer.9 min read
- By locationBuying a business in BristolBuying a business in Bristol: the aerospace, tech and creative base, South West survival figures, and the local checks a buyer should make.8 min read
- By locationBuying a business in CardiffBuying a business in Cardiff: what differs because Wales sets its own rates and some regulation, what trades locally, and the checks to make.8 min read
- By locationBuying a business in EdinburghBuying a business in Edinburgh: the finance and tourism base, festival seasonality that distorts a trading year, and what Scots law changes.9 min read
- By locationBuying a business in GlasgowBuying a business in Glasgow is legally different from buying in England. Commercial leases, tacit relocation and the transfer process explained.10 min read
- By locationBuying a business in LeedsBuying a business in Leeds: the financial, legal and digital services base, what Yorkshire formation figures say, and the local checks to make.8 min read
- By locationBuying a business in LiverpoolBuying a business in Liverpool: the port, logistics, tourism and health sectors that trade, North West formation figures, and what to check.8 min read
- By locationBuying a business in LondonBuying a business in London: which sectors trade, what rent and business rates do to a price, and why the busiest market is also the riskiest.9 min read
- By locationBuying a business in ManchesterBuying a business in Manchester: the sectors that trade, what the North West formation rate means for competition, and the checks to make.9 min read
- SellingHow to sell a business in the UKHow to sell a business in the UK, step by step: preparation, valuation, confidential marketing, heads of terms, due diligence and completion.11 min read
- SellingWhat a buyer will ask for, and how to have it readyThe documents a buyer's advisers request in due diligence on a UK business sale, why each is asked for, and what a slow answer signals.10 min read
- SellingConfidentiality when selling a businessHow a confidential business sale works: anonymised teasers, non-disclosure agreements, staged disclosure, and when to tell your staff.9 min read
- SellingHeads of terms explained, clause by clauseWhat each clause in UK business sale heads of terms does, which parts are binding, and the three provisions worth negotiating hardest.10 min read
- SellingWhat actually kills a business saleThe ten reasons UK business sales collapse between heads of terms and completion, how each shows up early, and what a seller can do about it.9 min read
- ValuingHow UK businesses are valuedHow owner-managed UK businesses are valued: adjusted profit, multiples, what a multiple reflects, and the gap between an asking price and a sale price.10 min read
- ValuingBusiness sale multiples by sector: what the data saysTypical UK profit multiples by sector for owner-managed businesses, why published averages mislead, and what moves a multiple within its range.9 min read
- ValuingAdjusted EBITDA: what you can and cannot add backWhich add-backs survive a buyer's accountant in a UK business sale, which do not, and how to build an adjustment schedule that holds up.9 min read
- BuyingHow to buy a business in the UKHow to buy an established UK business: what to look for, finding one, approaching a seller, making an offer, and getting to completion.11 min read
- BuyingDue diligence when buying a business: the checklistA due diligence checklist for buying a UK business: financial, legal, commercial, employment, property and IT enquiries, and why each matters.10 min read
- BuyingFinancing a business acquisition in the UKHow to fund buying a UK business: your own capital, bank lending, asset and property finance, vendor loans and earn outs compared.10 min read
- Starting outHow to start a business in the UKHow to start a UK business: choosing a structure, registering with Companies House and HMRC, VAT, insurance, banking and the first year.11 min read
- Starting outStart a business or buy one? The honest arithmeticStart a business or buy one? What each costs and risks in the UK, what the survival data says, and which route suits which person.9 min read