Every business owner should have one eye on their eventual exit. If it’s planned correctly, the sale will provide a capital sum that rewards you for all your years of hard work.

Exit planning isn’t something to leave until the last minute. Ideally, preparation should begin years in advance to ensure your business is attractive to as many potential buyers and exit routes as possible. This investment of time always pays off. Our Exit Planning workshops are designed to help you get started.

It’s also important to decide when you’d like to sell, and whether that means a full exit or continued involvement. Once a target date is fixed, we can work backwards to plan when to begin marketing your business and approaching potential buyers.

Where Will My Buyer Come From?

There are several broad categories of potential buyers, and the most likely depends on the nature of your company, its sector, and your growth story.

We use an Exit Route Map to explore each option with you, which typically includes:

Family succession – keeping the business within the family, which raises both tax considerations and succession planning questions.
Trade buyers or financial institutions – competitors, suppliers or complementary businesses seeking to expand through acquisition, or equity investors looking for a growth opportunity.
Individuals or management teams – which could be your employees, or external parties, keen to run an established business rather than start from scratch.

Each route requires specific preparation, from governance and tax planning to presenting your commercial story. We’ll also advise you on how the market is evolving in each buyer group, so you can focus on the most promising path.

How Long Does the Process Take?

It’s often longer than you think. A straightforward sale can take 6–12 months once you’ve started the marketing process, but that doesn’t include the years of preparation that make your business truly attractive to buyers.

The length of time depends on:

The buyer pool you’re targeting
The readiness of your financial and operational records
The wider M&A market climate

We have a Deal Process timeline which clearly explains all the steps from Exit Planning to Post-Completion, so you can see how the transaction evolves across the different stages.

Rushing rarely works in your favour. Allowing enough time to prepare properly and to run a controlled competitive process will help you achieve a stronger valuation and better deal terms.

Finding the Right Buyer

So how do we actually find them? The process isn’t as simple as listing a business for sale and waiting for offers. A purposeful approach is essential:

Understand your market – whether individuals, trade buyers, private equity, or family offices, each has different motivations.
Run a structured process – identify multiple candidates, tell a clear story about your business, and manage confidentiality carefully.
Use the right professionals – from M&A advisers to corporate lawyers, who know how to manage the process with selective marketing and sensible advice, the team around you will help shape the success of the deal.

As part of The Corporate Finance Network, we have access to market-leading databases and networks, which will identify the potential parties who may wish to explore the opportunity to acquire your company.

I’ve Been Approached by a Buyer – Why Go to Market?

It’s exciting when someone shows interest in buying your business — but don’t let that flattering approach rush your decision. Going to market matters for several reasons:

Valuation protection – if only one party is at the table, they set the terms. A competitive process ensures you achieve a fair market price.
Negotiation leverage – multiple interested buyers can help improve both value and deal structure.
Risk management – if that one buyer withdraws late in the process, you may lose valuable time and momentum.
Finding the best cultural fit – the first interested party may not be the right long-term custodian of your business, your team, or your clients.

Going to market doesn’t mean dozens of conversations. It means running a controlled process that gives you confidence you’ve chosen the best exit.

Final Thoughts

Selling a business is one of the most significant milestones of your career. With the right planning, advice, and time, you can secure not just a buyer, but the right buyer – on terms that reward everything you’ve built.

For an exploratory conversation about your options, please contact us on 01904 655202. Alternatively, take a look at our Corporate Finance page.