Most business owners assume selling means months of back-and-forth with a broker, a thick information memorandum, and a parade of tyre-kickers who never actually buy.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
The traditional route is slow by design
When you go through a broker, you’re paying for a process. They list your business, market it widely, manage multiple enquiries, and take a percentage of the sale — often 5-10% of the final price. That process can take 12-18 months from first conversation to completion.
That’s a long time to have your business on the market. And in most cases, your staff, customers and suppliers find out long before you’d like them to.
A direct sale is different
When you sell directly to an acquisition company — without a broker in the middle — the process moves faster for a simple reason: there’s no third party managing the conversation.
From first contact to a letter of intent can take a matter of weeks, not months. Due diligence still happens, but it’s focused and straightforward when both parties are talking directly.
Privacy is a side benefit
Without a public listing or a broker shopping your business around, the sale stays quiet. Your team doesn’t find out. Your competitors don’t find out. You stay in control of the timeline and who knows what.
Is it right for everyone?
Not every business suits a direct sale. But if your business turns over between £500k and £10m, is owner-managed, and you’re thinking about your next chapter — it’s worth a conversation.
At Hazel Property Group, that’s exactly what we do. No brokers. No listings. Just a straightforward conversation about whether there’s a fit.
If you’re thinking about it, the best time to start that conversation is now — before you’ve made any decisions.
