For business owners
Alternatives to selling your business.
A full sale is rarely the only option. Before deciding a business is on the market, it's worth considering the routes that keep some or all of the ownership in place.
Partial sale
Selling a controlling or minority stake to release capital while remaining involved. Several mandates on the register are specifically looking for partial-sale opportunities: see the register for current examples.
Management buy-out (MBO)
Existing management team acquires the business, usually with a mix of vendor rollover, equity from a funder and senior debt. Works best where the team is already running the business day to day.
Employee ownership trust (EOT)
The business is sold to a trust holding shares for the benefit of employees. Increasingly common in the UK for founders with strong cultural preferences on continuity.
Growth capital
A minority investment that funds a defined growth plan: typically two to four years: with an agreed liquidity path at the end.
Doing nothing, yet
- Not every business is ready to sell, trading momentum, key-person concentration and customer concentration all move valuations materially.
- Where an owner is exploring rather than committed, keeping the business off the open market is usually the better decision.
- The register lets you monitor which acquirers are active without ever putting your business into a public process.
Take the next step
Considering a private sale?
Submit your business confidentially. We review every enquiry and only introduce credible acquirers, discreetly.
Confidential. Manually reviewed. No public listing without your approval.