Guides
Selling and buying a UK business, explained
What each document is, what a buyer will ask, and what it costs — written as general information, not advice.
For business owners
- What is a teaser in a business sale?
A teaser is the short, anonymous summary buyers see first in a UK business sale. What goes in it, what stays out, and where it sits before the NDA.
- Information memorandum: what it contains and when buyers see it
What a UK information memorandum contains, how it differs from a teaser, and when in a sale a buyer receives it: after the NDA, before offers.
- Due diligence checklist for sellers: what a UK buyer will ask for
What a UK buyer’s due diligence asks a seller for: accounts, add-backs, customers, contracts, people, property and tax, and why each request comes up.
- EBITDA add-backs: what UK buyers usually accept, and what they question
What an EBITDA add-back is, which ones UK buyers usually recognise, which they tend to strike out, and the evidence that decides it. General information.
- Exit readiness checklist for UK business owners
An exit readiness checklist for UK owners: accounts that agree, evidenced add-backs, customer spread, owner dependence, contracts, records and tax timing.
- How long does it take to sell a business in the UK?
UK advisers put a typical sale at six to twelve months from preparation to completion, after up to two years getting ready. What each stage takes, and why.
- Valuation vs readiness: why a number is not the first step
A valuation multiplies an earnings figure a buyer will test. Why many UK owners check readiness before asking for a number, and where to get one.
- Business broker fees in the UK: success fees and retainers explained
How UK business brokers and sale advisers charge: retainers, success fees, minimums and tail clauses, with published fee ranges and their sources.
- Selling your business without a broker: what you still need
Selling a UK business without a broker is possible. The documents, people and steps you still need, what a broker usually covers, and who it suits.
For advisers
- Preparing a teaser and information memorandum faster: a guide for advisers
Where the hours go when an advisory firm prepares a teaser and information memorandum, and the habits that cut rework: one record, reconciled first.
For buyers
- Buying a UK business: what you see before and after the NDA
Before an NDA, a buyer usually sees only an anonymous teaser; after it, the memorandum, then the data room. What each stage shows and asks of you.