Sell my business in the UK
Selling a privately owned UK business is a structured process, not a quick listing. This page walks through the usual steps, a realistic timeline, how to prepare, who typically buys, and what it tends to cost. It is general guidance only — get advice from a solicitor, accountant and, if you use one, a broker before you act.
The usual steps
Most sales follow a similar path, even if the order of some tasks overlaps:
1. Decide what you are selling — the company shares, or selected assets and contracts — and what you want after the sale (a clean exit, a staged handover, or a period of consultancy).
2. Get your numbers and records in order: management accounts, tax filings, customer contracts, employee details, leases, IP ownership and any debt.
3. Form a view of value (see our UK valuation guide). Many owners start with their accountant or an independent valuer, then refine with a broker or M&A adviser.
4. Choose how to go to market: a business broker, an M&A adviser, an online marketplace, or a direct approach to known buyers. See our guide to choosing a broker.
5. Prepare marketing materials (a teaser or Information Memorandum), run buyer outreach under non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), take indicative offers, and shortlist.
6. Negotiate heads of terms, then open due diligence. Lawyers draft the share purchase agreement (SPA) or asset purchase agreement (APA).
7. Complete, hand over, and deal with any deferred consideration, earn-out or transition help you agreed to provide.
Timeline — typically 6–12+ months
From the decision to sell to completion often takes six to twelve months or more. Preparation and finding the right buyer can take longer than the legal work. Deals slip when accounts are incomplete, key-person risk is high, a lease or licence needs consent, or the buyer’s funding takes time. A rushed sale can still complete faster, but that usually means a narrower buyer pool or a weaker price.Source: SC Business Broker UK: how to sell a business
Preparation that actually helps
Buyers pay for transferable cash flow and lower risk. Useful preparation includes: cleaning up personal expenses run through the business; documenting processes so the business is not solely dependent on you; sorting outstanding tax, VAT and Companies House filings; clarifying ownership of IP and key contracts; and reducing customer concentration where you can. Be ready to explain any one-off costs or income so a buyer can see a normalised picture of earnings.
Types of buyer
Common buyers for UK privately owned businesses include: trade buyers (competitors or adjacent firms seeking growth), private equity or search funds (often for larger or platform deals), individual owner-operators (common for smaller main-street businesses), and management or employees (a management buyout). Each type looks at risk, culture fit and funding differently — which is why a wider, well-run process usually beats a single unsolicited approach.
Main costs (typical, varies)
Expect professional fees on top of any negotiated price. Typical items (all vary by deal size and complexity):
• Broker or M&A adviser: often a marketing retainer plus a success fee; success fees are commonly in a rough 3–10% range depending on size (typical, varies). Source: The Business Valuers (UK adviser): how to choose a business broker See the UK broker-choice page for more detail.
• Solicitors: drafting and negotiating the SPA/APA, disclosure letter and related documents.
• Accountants or tax advisers: due-diligence support, tax structuring and completion accounts.
• Other: valuations, surveys, landlord consents, warranty insurance in some deals.
Tax on a sale can be material. UK sellers of shares in a trading company may be eligible for Business Asset Disposal Relief (formerly Entrepreneurs’ Relief) if conditions are met — rates and rules change, so get professional tax advice before you structure the deal. Source: GOV.UK: Business Asset Disposal Relief eligibility