How it works
How a sale to Compyle would work
Selling a business you built is a big decision, and you should know what you're walking into. This is how we plan to work with you. We haven't completed a purchase yet, so it describes our process, not a track record.
The steps
A private conversation
You talk to the founder, not a broker or an adviser. We ask about your plans, your team and your clients. You don't need to bring numbers, and nothing is signed.
A look at the numbers
If it looks like a fit, we sign a confidentiality agreement. Then we ask for your filed accounts for the last three years and some basic facts about clients and staff.
An offer in writing
If we want to go ahead, we put our offer in writing: the price, how it would be paid, and what we'd ask of you after the sale. Take advice on it and ask us anything.
Checks and legal work
Both sides' solicitors and accountants do their work. We check what any careful buyer checks: accounts, contracts, clients, staff and who owns the code.
The day of the sale
Your staff and your clients hear the news on the same day, from you. Nothing they see changes that day.
Handing over
We'd like you to stay on for a while so clients can meet us through you. How long is something we agree with you before the sale, not after.
Why we don't use brokers
We find agencies by talking to owners directly, or they find us. In a broker's auction the price is the only thing that matters. In a private conversation we can talk about what matters to you as well: your team, your clients, and what you'd like the agency to be in five years.
If you already have an accountant or an adviser helping you think about a sale, we're glad to work with them.
What we can't tell you here
We don't publish standard terms, such as how quickly we make an offer or how the price is paid. Every agency is different, and we'd rather set out real terms in writing than make a promise on a website that we might not keep for you.
What happens to the agency after a sale is on the next page. What changes, and what doesn't