For business buyers
Finding good businesses before they come to market
Many of the businesses buyers would most like to own are not listed anywhere. Their owners are getting closer to retirement and thinking about what comes next, but have not spoken to a broker or put the business up for sale. We find those businesses, check them properly and open a private conversation on your behalf.
The right business is often not on any list
Businesses that are openly for sale are seen by every buyer at the same time. That usually means competition, pressure on price and little time to get to know the owner.
A business that has not been advertised is different. You can be the first serious buyer the owner speaks to, the conversation can happen at a sensible pace, and there is room to agree a deal that works for both sides, including the people who work there.
How we find businesses for you
We agree your brief.
What the business does, where it is, how big it is, how profitable it needs to be and what kind of owner you hope to deal with.
We screen every company that fits.
We start from the full public register of UK companies and their filed accounts, not a list of businesses for sale. Each one is checked against your location, activity, years trading, staff numbers and financial thresholds.
We check who really owns it.
We look through holding companies to the people behind them, so you know whether a business is genuinely owner-managed. Businesses owned by larger groups, overseas parents or private equity are set aside.
We research each business.
We look at what each company actually makes or does, who it sells to, how well it fits your brief and anything that needs a closer look before an approach.
We open the conversation in confidence.
Gavin approaches the owners you want to speak to, privately and without pressure. You are introduced only when an owner is willing to talk.
A shortlist you can act on
- A ranked shortlist of businesses that meet your brief
- The latest filed figures for each one, including staff, turnover, profit and net assets
- Who owns each business and roughly how close the owner may be to retirement
- What each business does, who it sells to and why it fits your brief
- Points to check before any approach
- A clear summary of how the shortlist was reached
You decide which owners you would like us to approach. Nothing happens without your agreement.
From thousands of companies to a focused shortlist
A recent search for a buyer looking for an established engineering business in the West Midlands, Shropshire and Staffordshire. The buyer wanted an owner aged 60 or over, more than 15 staff, at least £400,000 of profit and a business that had been trading for at least ten years.
Engineering companies in the area, trading 10 years or more
2,536Owner or director aged 60 or over
1,520Meet the staff, profit and size requirements
151Genuinely owner-managed
98Strong fit with the buyer's brief
51
What a search can and cannot tell you
We would rather be clear about this from the start.
Smaller companies do not publish their profit. Many file short accounts that show the balance sheet but not the profit. These businesses are judged on the strength of the balance sheet, and trading profit is confirmed in the first conversation.
Published figures are a starting point. Filed accounts can be a year or more old. Nothing replaces a proper look at the current numbers once an owner is willing to talk.
Ownership is checked, then checked again. Some businesses sit inside family groups or larger groups in ways that are not obvious at first. We verify ownership before any approach.
Not every owner will want to sell. A good shortlist gives you real options. It does not guarantee that a particular owner is ready.
Businesses already on the market
Where a business that fits your brief is already being marketed, we will bring it to you as well, so you see the full picture in one place.
If we have contacted you about your business
You may have heard from us because your business matches what one of our buyers is looking for. We found it through public company records, the same filed accounts and ownership details anyone can see.
A conversation with us is private and carries no obligation. We will not share anything you tell us without your agreement, and there is no pressure to sell. If the timing is not right, we simply say thank you and leave it there.
If you are thinking about the future of your business, you are welcome to talk it through with Gavin.
You will deal directly with Gavin
Gavin Page is Founder and Director of Transition 360 Partners. He has bought businesses himself as well as advising buyers and sellers, so he understands what makes a good acquisition and what an owner needs before agreeing to talk. Gavin leads each search personally, from agreeing your brief to the first conversation with an owner.
Questions buyers ask
Tell us what you are looking for
A first conversation is private and carries no obligation. Tell Gavin what kind of business you want to buy, and he will tell you honestly what a search is likely to find.
Have a confidential conversation