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Founder Draper Hinks |
It is good that January is over and you can concentrate on the rest of the year. It is traditional for us to start to be busy at this time of year. As your workload decreases ours does the opposite. We usually get an influx of potential vendors coming to us to ask for advice about how to sell their practice. It is important we know that you want to buy. We have brokered close to 500 deals so can advise on market rates and how best to buy fees. |
Nicola Draper What we like to put in our Newsletters
At Draper Hinks we send out our Newsletters six times a year. We always make sure that the information we put in our Newsletters is based on our experiences of facilitating the buying and selling of accountancy practices over the last couple of decades.
Please rest assured that all the information presented is true and accurate. We pride ourselves on the reputation we have built up over the years. Sometimes I will give commentary but that is based on my observations. If you have anything else that you would like us to include in our Newsletters, please feel free to email me at n.draper@draperhinks.co.uk.
Practices for Sale
| Reference | Area | Amount | Description |
| 782/260209 | West Sussex | £380,000 | Vendor looking to retire. Top 20 clients’ fees total £89,740. Leasehold premises, lease ends June 2027. 3 staff, 2 ACCA qualified. Buyer needs to be qualified, FCCA/ACCA or FCA/ACA. |
| 783/260209 | Devon | £550,000 | 2 partners, one looking to retire. Top 25 clients’ fees total £121,271. 7 staff. Leasehold premises situated on the town’s high street. Buyer needs to be FCA/ACA, FCCA/ACCA, FMAAT/AAT or CTA qualified, and ideally have experience of dealing with farmers. |
| 785/260209 | West Sussex | £170,000 | The vendor is looking to retire. The buyer needs to be qualified either FCA/ACA or FCCA/ACCA. There are 5 staff, 3 will not stay post sale. There are leased premises but it is not a condition of the sale that the buyer has to take them on. The top 10 clients’ fees total £39,010. |
Here is a testimonial from a vendor whose practice we sold in 2025:-
I did not want to burden my family if anything happened to me. I also could not face training another member of staff and felt that I needed more resources to deal with Making Tax Digital for income tax, so I decided to sell my practice instead.
I had spoken to Nicola from time to time in the past and she was always helpful without being forceful. Draper Hinks helped me quickly when I needed it. Theirs is a common sense approach that was built up over the years of selling accountancy practices.
I needed a hand with the process of selling as I had no experience in this field. I am glad I used a good broker and would recommend Draper Hinks to anyone thinking of selling their practice. I always felt at ease and my questions were always answered.
I look forward to taking a proper holiday and longer weekends with my family.
Lee Noble ACA (Permission given to use his name)
Unfortunately things don’t always go to plan in life
Read our Vendor’s story with details of multiple paid
Details of another deal done in 2025
| Fees sold | £392,000 | Where | Midlands |
| Qualified | QBE | Age | 69 |
| Time scale | 6 months | Type of Practice | Sole Practitioner |
| Payment | 3 tranches | How paid | 33.3% 33.3% 33.3% |
| Multiple | 1 x fees | When paid | Completion, 12 months & 24 months |
| Offers | 3 offers | Office & staff | Kept staff and closed office |
| Results | Vendor stayed on for 2 years post sale as a consultant on a salary | ||
Income Multiples Paid in the last 12 months
| 2025 | Quarter | Average income multiple paid | Lowest income multiple paid | Highest income multiple paid | Lowest income multiple offered | Highest income multiple offered |
| Quarter 1 | Jan – Mar | 1.06 | 0.50* | 1.20 | 0.50 | 1.20 |
| Quarter 2 | Apr – Jun | 1.016 | 0.85 | 1.20 | 0.50 | 1.20 |
| Quarter 3 | Jul – Sept | 1.021 | 0.57* | 1.20 | 0.57 | 1.20 |
| Quarter 4 | Oct – Dec | 1.02 | 0.66* | 1.25 | 0.66 | 1.25 |
NB None of the above figures are to be reproduced in any way without express permission from Nicola Draper.
* One off payment made with no clawback.
Please check out our website www.draperhinks.com where you can:-
- Download our Draper Hinks Buying Fees eBook.
- Read our monthly Blogs giving regular market commentary.
- Read our Vendor’s stories about their experiences of selling their practices.
We regularly post on LinkedIn so if you have not already connected with us please visit our page or email Marie Large on m.large@draperhinks.co.uk.
If you are thinking about buying, then email Diane Bester at d.bester@draperhinks.co.uk or Marie Large at m.large@draperhinks.co.uk.
Alternatively call us anytime on 01788 816440.