Buying a business is rarely a solo endeavour. The outreach gets you to the conversation. Everything that follows, legal, financial, structural, strategic, requires the right people around you.
This page brings together the resources, professionals and communities that experienced UK acquirers actually use. It is not exhaustive and it is not sponsored. It is a practical starting point.
Jonathan Jay's acquisition training programme is the most widely used in the UK, with over 13,500 dealmakers trained globally. The flagship VIP programme covers the complete business buying system, from sourcing your first deal to building a group of companies. Useful whether you are buying your first business or scaling a portfolio. Regular live events and an active community.
A weekly UK-focused podcast on the nuances of buying and building small businesses. Practical and one of the better resources for individual acquirers navigating real deal situations rather than theory.
The academic home of the search fund model. Stanford's annual Search Fund study is the most cited data source on acquisition outcomes, deal timelines, and return profiles. Free to access. Essential reading if you are building a thesis around the entrepreneurship-through-acquisition model.
INSEAD's ETA programme for those looking at the acquisition model from a more structured or institutional angle. Strong European and UK coverage.
Jeremy Harbour's M&A training programme, running since 2009 and one of the most established in the UK. The focus is on deal structuring and financial engineering — specifically how to acquire both distressed and profitable businesses with no capital upfront. Covers 15 deal structures, legal frameworks, and post-acquisition value creation. Includes 12 weeks of coaching and access to a live community of active dealmakers. A strong complement to outreach-focused programmes if you want to go deeper on deal mechanics.
Dee Ludlow's private members programme covering the full acquisition process from sourcing to exit. UK-based with a strong community following on LinkedIn and YouTube. Boardroom-format sessions focused on practical deal execution across all five dimensions of a deal — hence the name. Well regarded among individual acquirers looking for a structured, community-led environment with a smaller cohort feel than the larger academy-style programmes.
Not all commercial solicitors are equal on SME acquisitions. Key things to look for: experience with share purchase agreements (SPAs) and asset purchase agreements (APAs) at sub-£5m deal sizes, familiarity with earn-out structures, and a track record of completing deals rather than just advising on them. Smaller regional firms with dedicated corporate teams often outperform large generalist practices, with faster turnaround, more direct partner access, and more realistic fee structures.
Share purchase or asset purchase agreement drafting and negotiation. Due diligence review covering legal, employment, IP, contracts and property. Warranty and indemnity negotiation. Disclosure letter. Completion mechanics and post-completion obligations. Companies House filings on completion.
ownered.ai does not refer solicitors or receive referral fees. We recommend The Law Society's find-a-solicitor directory at solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk to identify regulated firms with corporate transaction experience in your region.
For a buyer, you need someone who can read behind the numbers, identifying normalised EBITDA, one-off costs, owner-managed expenses, revenue concentration risk, and working capital requirements. This is financial due diligence, and it is distinct from an audit or year-end accounts preparation.
Quality of earnings, is reported profit genuinely recurring? Normalised EBITDA, stripping out owner salary, personal expenses and one-off items. Working capital analysis. Revenue concentration, what percentage comes from the top 3 customers? Deferred revenue, aged debtors, and creditor position. Tax liabilities, including PAYE, VAT and corporation tax exposure.
Financial due diligence for an SME acquisition typically runs £2,000 to £8,000 depending on complexity and deal size. For deals under £500k, a lighter-touch review is often appropriate. For deals above £1m, full quality of earnings work is advisable.
Use the ICAEW directory at icaew.com/find-a-chartered-accountant to find chartered accountants with corporate finance or transaction services experience. Look for the Corporate Finance (CF) designation.
Vendor loan notes. The seller lends you part of the purchase price, repaid over 2 to 5 years from business cash flow. Common in off-market deals where the seller is motivated and the buyer has limited upfront capital. Aligns incentives well.
Acquisition finance and leveraged loans. Banks and specialist lenders provide debt secured against the business's assets and cash flow. Typical LTV 50 to 70% of deal value. Shawbrook and specialist acquisition finance brokers like CapitalNow are active in this space.
British Business Bank guarantee schemes. The Growth Guarantee Scheme supports lenders providing acquisition finance to SMEs. Worth understanding before approaching lenders directly at british-business-bank.co.uk.
Earn-outs. Part of the purchase price is deferred and contingent on the business hitting agreed targets post-completion. Reduces upfront capital required but creates complexity and requires careful legal drafting.
Specialist brokers who understand acquisition finance structures are worth engaging before approaching lenders directly. CapitalNow (capitalnow.co.uk) and Howe Commercial Finance (howecommercialfinance.co.uk) are two active in the SME acquisition space.
Active community of people at various stages of the acquisition journey, from first-timers to experienced group builders. Practical, UK-focused, regularly active.
Search "buy and build UK" on LinkedIn for active groups focused on the UK acquisition market. Useful for real deal discussions and connecting with other acquirers.
Annual event at ICC Birmingham recognising the UK's top dealmakers. Good for networking with corporate finance professionals and serious acquirers operating at larger deal sizes.
The most detailed publicly available analysis of the UK SME succession landscape.
Government-backed guide to SME finance options including acquisition-specific schemes.
The public register of Persons with Significant Control for every registered UK company. Free to search.
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