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At Draper Hinks we receive referrals from many different places and we are grateful to anyone and everyone that passes our name forward, thank you. We are proud to announce that we have completed well in excess of 465 deals to date. This does not mean we know everything, but we do have a lot of experience we are happy to share with you. We listen before explaining how we may be able to help. |
Nicola Draper There is a new trend for vendors to downsize and sell a tranche of fees rather than the whole practice
Some of our vendors do not want to stop working but at the same time they do not want to have the same level of responsibility for managing their practice. They like what they do, enjoy working with the clients and are not sure how they will fill their time if they were to fully retire. So, they do the next best thing and sell a percentage of their practice, even up to 75%.
This can be very attractive to a buyer because often these fees come unencumbered with an office and staff. They are totally portable and can easily be slipped into your office without any fuss, too much supervision and financial exposure.
Let us know if you would be interested in buying a tranche of fees, please email me on n.draper@draperhinks.co.uk so we can book a time to have a chat.
Don’t leave selling your practice too late to enjoy your retirement.
Read our Vendor’s story with details of multiple paid
| Reference | Area | Amount | Description |
| w/739/250602 | Oxfordshire | £727,370 | Vendor looking to retire. Total of top 20 clients fees £239,090. 14 staff, including vendor – 2 ACCA and 4 AAT qualified. Leased premises ending May 2036 with break clause May 2026. |
| w/738/250602 | South Hampshire | £118,000 | Vendor looking to retire. 1 f/t AAT qualified staff and 2 p/t staff. Rented premises available if required at £475 per month with 6-month break clause. |
| w/728/250506 | Dorset | £327,000 | Vendors looking to retire. Total of top 20 clients fees £101,800. Buyer needs to be FCA/ACA or FCCA/ACCA qualified. 4 staff. 2 audits. Leasehold premises available if required. |
Details of another deal done in 2024
| Fees sold | £300,000 | Where | Essex |
| Qualified | FCCA | Age | 58 |
| Time scale | 4 months | Type of Practice | Sole Practitioner |
| Payment | Three Payments | How paid | A third, a third, a third |
| Multiple | 1.2 x fees | When paid | Comp, 12 mths and 24 mths |
| Offers | 2 offers | Office & staff | Buyer shut office and kept staff |
| Results | Vendor working paid consultancy period; travelling around the world with his wife | ||
Income Multiples Paid in the last 12 months
| 2024 | Quarter | Average income multiple paid | Lowest income multiple paid | Highest income multiple paid | Lowest income multiple offered | Highest income multiple offered |
| Quarter 2 | Apr – Jun | 0.998 | 0.80 | 1.13 | 0.65 | 1.20 |
| Quarter 3 | Jul – Sept | 1.063 | 0.85 | 1.20 | 0.70 | 1.25 |
| Quarter 4 | Oct – Dec | 0.988 | 0.65* | 1.15 | 0.65 | 1.195 |
| 2025 | ||||||
| Quarter 1 | Jan – Mar | 1.06 | 0.50* | 1.20 | 0.50 | 1.20 |
NB None of the above figures are to be reproduced in any way without express permission from
Nicola Draper.
* One off payment made on completion with no clawback.
Your Guide to Buying
We have been helping accountants sell and buy practices for more than 20 years, and during that time we’ve learnt so much. We have collated all of our knowledge and experience into our new eBook, which is the ultimate guide to selling accountancy fees. You can download your copy from our website for free.
Here is a testimonial from a vendor whose practice we sold in 2024:-
A number of factors came together at the same time, my youngest leaving school, wanting to spend more time with my elderly family and selling the family home after 20 years to downsize and realise capital. I knew it was time to sell my practice. I spoke to 3 other agencies but chose to work with Draper Hinks. I was confident I was dealing with a professional, experienced team who understood the issues around selling a practice like mine.
The process was straight forward. I had lots of questions and was reassured that these were all valid and none were stupid! I was concerned that the clients would not want to transfer to the buyer. However, all clients were grateful that I had found a successor, so I need not have worried.
I won’t miss having to plan holidays around Payroll and VAT deadlines and running payrolls when on holiday. I have valued having an independent, experienced third party, always available to answer any queries. My advice is don’t leave it too long. I would happily recommend Draper Hinks.
Sarah Mann ACA (Permission given to print her name)
Please check out our website www.draperhinks.com where you can:-
- Download our Draper Hinks Selling Fees eBook.
- Book a time to talk to Nicola on Calendly via this link:-
https://calendly.com/draper-hinks/q_a
- Read our monthly Blogs that give regular market commentary.
- Read the vendor’s stories on the website.
Next Step
If you are thinking about selling your accountancy practice, please contact Nicola Draper at n.draper@draperhinks.co.uk or call her on 01788 816440.
You can also book a one-to-one appointment with Nicola through Calendly by clicking here https://calendly.com/draper-hinks/q_a.
Everything discussed will be totally confidential.