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Founder Draper Hinks |
You have survived to read this Newsletter, well done! We have a lot of buyers looking to buy. Many buyers have money in the bank and are keen to spend it on the right acquisition, which could be your practice. To date, we have completed close to 500 deals so have some experience in these matters. If you want to sell, we want to talk to you. Email me at n.draper@draperhinks.co.uk so we can find a time to have a chat. |
Nicola Draper Thinking of selling – get in touch.
When selling your practice, are these things important to you:-
- Getting the right buyer for your staff and your clients.
- A high-end multiple for your practice.
- A choice of offers.
- Dealing with a broker that manages the process from start to finish.
- Working with a broker with over 20 years of experience.
- Having confidence in a broker that has overseen close to 500 deals.
If you answer yes to any of these, then email me at n.draper@draperhinks.co.uk or call me on 01788 816440 to discuss how we can help.
| 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 | ||
Your Guide to Selling
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.
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 on completion with no clawback.
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 using this link:-
https://calendly.com/draper-hinks/q_a
- Read our monthly Blogs that give 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.
Next Step
If you are thinking about selling, 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.