Guide: How We Keep Your Business Sale Confidential

Summary

Who it's for

Business owners who want to know who will find out they are selling.

First look

An anonymous teaser: the type of business, the region and a rough idea of its size. No business name, owner name or address.

The three checks

Our initial screening, your approval and a signed confidentiality deed (often called an NDA). A "no" at any step means the buyer goes no further.

After the checks

Only then is your business name shared, and the most sensitive details are released in stages.

Who Is Going to Find Out?

One of the first questions sellers ask us is "Who is going to find out I am selling?" The short answer is that nobody learns the name of your business until they have passed three checks. This post explains what those checks are and why they matter.

Why Keeping It Quiet Matters

If word gets out too early, staff may start looking for other jobs, customers may move their work elsewhere, suppliers may get nervous and competitors may use the news against you. Any of these can hurt your business and the price a buyer will pay.

What Buyers See at the Start

We first advertise your business using a short anonymous summary, often called a "teaser". It describes the type of business, the region and a rough idea of its size. It does not include your business name, your name or your address. If a buyer is interested, they contact us and our three checks begin.

Our Three-Step Check

The diagram below shows the path every buyer must follow. A "no" at any step means the buyer goes no further.

Flow: Our three-step check | A "no" at any step means the buyer goes no further

• Buyer enquires Has only seen the anonymous summary (the teaser)
• 1 · Initial screening Checked by us: are they genuine and can they afford it?
• Passes screening? Yes | No → The buyer stops here → Note: They never learn your business name or see your details
• 2 · Your approval Decided by you: we tell you who the buyer is
• You approve? Yes | No → The buyer stops here
• 3 · Confidentiality deed Signed by the buyer: a legal promise of privacy
• Deed signed? Yes | No → The buyer stops here
• Business name shared Details released in stages

Step 1: The buyer must pass our initial screening

We speak with the buyer to find out who they are, whether they can afford a business of your size and why they are interested. We also check whether they are linked to a competitor, supplier or customer of yours. This filters out the curious, the unqualified and anyone just fishing for information.

Step 2: The buyer must be approved by you

Before the buyer learns anything about your business, we tell you who they are. You then decide whether they can go ahead. You can say no to anyone, such as a local competitor or someone you know, and you do not need to give a reason.

You always know who is looking at your business.

Step 3: The buyer must sign a confidentiality deed

Once you approve a buyer, they must sign a confidentiality deed, often called a "non-disclosure agreement" or "NDA". This is a written legal promise to:

• Keep everything they learn about your business private.
• Only use the information to decide whether to buy.
• Not contact your staff, customers or suppliers without permission.
• Return or destroy the information if they do not go ahead.

If a buyer breaks this promise, you may have grounds to take legal action against them.

After All Three Steps

Only then do we share your business name, and even then we release information in stages. The most sensitive details, such as customer names, staff wages and supplier contracts, are held back until a buyer has made a serious offer and you are happy to move forward.

How You Can Help

• Only tell people who truly need to know, such as your accountant and lawyer.
• Use a personal email address for sale-related messages.
• Meet buyers away from the business or outside trading hours.
• Talk with us before telling any staff member.

The Bottom Line

No process can promise that news will never get out. But by making every buyer pass our screening, gain your approval and sign a confidentiality deed, we greatly reduce the risk. You stay in control, and your business keeps running as normal while we find the right buyer.

Where to Start

If you would like to talk it through, we are always happy to have a confidential chat. You can also start with a free, confidential appraisal.