Guides

  1. To what extent is the number of businesses on an agent's books a reliable indicator of their reputation?

    It's only reasonable to surmise that a business with plenty of custom must be doing something right. However, a selection of top business transfer agents tell Adam Bannister, editor of BusinessWings.co.uk, that it's perhaps a little simplistic to equate a large number of listings with a high-quality service.

  2. What should you expect from a business transfer agent as a minimum in terms of service?

    Business brokers and business transfer agents don’t all offer the same range of services. However, there are certain standards of customer care and touchstones of good practice that firms in the industry should adhere to (although there are substantive differences between small business sales and multimillion pound mid-corporate deals). Some top business transfer agents and brokers told Adam Bannister, editor of BusinessesForSale.com and BusinessWings.co.uk, what sellers should expect from their agent as part of the service.

  3. How does a business transfer agent go about valuing a business?

    Leading business transfer agents discuss the myriad issues surrounding business valuation, such as the various causes of overvaluation, how the same business can be given significantly different values by different agents, and how the urgency with which you need a sale is often pivotal to the price you achieve.

  4. What factors should someone selling a business consider when assessing a business transfer agent and their fees?

    There are a range of fee structures to consider when deciding which company should represent you in selling your business. Here some leading business transfer agents gave Dan Drage, Mid Market Exchange editor, their views on what is reasonable and proportionate in terms of up-front fees, valuation fees and exit fees, and the respective merits of different approaches to fees in the industry.

  5. How do you decide which business transfer agent / broker to instruct to help you sell your business?

    Getting someone competent, experienced and trustworthy to help you sell your business could be the difference between finding a buyer at your desired price and failing to get fair reward for years of hard work and dedication. Sally Grant, a journalist at Dynamis Plc, asked a number of prominent business transfer agents for their advice on researching firms and what criteria to apply when choosing one.

  6. What rights does a seller have if their business transfer agent goes into administration?

    As with most industries during the current recession, a number of business transfer agencies have become bankrupt in recent months. Adam Bannister, who writes for BusinessWings.co.uk and BusinessesForSale.com, asked a couple of business transfer agents about vendors' rights when their agent goes into administration.

  7. Selling a business: why appoint a business transfer agent?

    Not everyone selling a business appoints a professional intermediary to oversee a sale. While this saves them money in the short term, arguably it could cost them a lot more in the long term if they fail to prepare the business for sale correctly and maximise the business value.