Buying a business? How to be savvy about getting the best deal

If you want to buy a business '“ or have one to sell '“ there are tricks to getting the best deal ever. With help from commercial agents Ernest Wilson we've put together the top tips to make your dreams come true.
Think through your choice of location thoroughly and do your research.Think through your choice of location thoroughly and do your research.
Think through your choice of location thoroughly and do your research.

This time next year, we’ll be millionaires – it raised a laugh coming from Del Trotter, but how many of us have dreamed of owning our own business or building on an already successful enterprise?

It’s often something idyllic – a country tea shop or a west London book store – but the reality is that there is plenty of opportunity right here in the North West, often more practical, to take over an already successful business venture and make it your own.

Where to look

"Knowledge is power when you are buying or selling a business""Knowledge is power when you are buying or selling a business"
"Knowledge is power when you are buying or selling a business"

Whether you’re buying or selling a business, or looking for business premises to expand or relocate, it pays to call upon an expert business agent. Unlike buying or selling a house, finding the right business deal doesn’t involve the same range of choices and benefiting from an expert’s eye on the market is invaluable.

Can estate agents make a difference?

Add-on services such as financial advice and business growth come naturally from a good business agent, as seamstress Lucy Suddaby found when she was looking for premises for her new business near Leeds.

She said: After searching for premises to rent, I finally hit upon a small retail unit in Pudsey, near where I live, and decided to buy it. That was my only hope for expansion. But I’m young, self-employed and a single parent and every avenue I looked into for finance I just found they weren’t interested.”

Finding the money

“With help from Ernest Wilson, a specialist business agent in Leeds that was selling the property, I got advice on sourcing finance and encouragement to not underestimate myself and really go for it – and I managed to get the money I needed to buy the unit.”

Who to turn to

Ernest Wilson & Co has been established since 1956 and has helped thousands of clients realise their ambitions to either buy or sell their businesses. The agency covers the north of England, coast to coast from the Midlands up to the Scottish border, and has a portfolio of thousands of businesses of all sizes and in a wide range of sectors.

Paul Williamson, from Ernest Wilson, said: “Knowledge is power when you are buying or selling a business and we pride ourselves on being the first to let clients know when a potentially suitable business comes onto the market.

“We can also offer invaluable information on profit margins and reading trading accounts, through to securing the finance needed to proceed.

“Selling a business can be daunting, when you’ve worked hard to build it up you want to know you’re selling it through people who have your best interests at heart and that’s exactly what we strive for. Discretion is part of the service – there’s nothing like a For Sale board to set unsettling tongues wagging – and we only give out details of your business to registered clients.”

What next?

To find out more about Ernest Wilson call 0113 238 2900 or visit the website https://www.ernest-wilson.co.uk/