Bristol and the South West combine a strong small-business economy with a genuine quality-of-life draw, and the region’s accountancy practices reflect that — loyal client bases, often built over decades. For owners approaching retirement or simply ready to step back, the priority is usually the same: a good home for the firm, not just the highest number. We buy Bristol and South West practices directly, so you can judge the buyer yourself and protect the legacy you have built.
Why sell your practice directly
We’re a direct buyer, not a broker. You deal with the decision-maker, keep the process confidential, avoid broker commission, and shape the deal around your timeline rather than a broker’s calendar. There is no listing your practice around the market and no parade of tyre-kickers — just a grown-up, private conversation. The full comparison is in our guide to broker vs direct.
What should you settle before you sign?
If where the firm ends up matters more to you than squeezing the last few percent out of the price, the place to protect that is heads of terms — not a handshake and a hope. These are the points worth pinning down with any buyer, us included, and our guide to heads of terms explains what is and is not binding at that stage.
| What to settle | Why it matters afterwards |
|---|---|
| Who tells clients, and when | Client retention in the first six months is what actually determines whether the deal worked. |
| What happens to the team | In most deals the people are how the clients are kept, so this should be explicit, not implied. |
| The trading name | Whether the name is retained, phased out or kept as a brand is a decision to make openly and up front. |
| Your own involvement | A clean break and a phased step-down are both workable — but pick one and write it down. |
| How any deferred amount is calculated | If part of the price depends on retention, the formula belongs in writing before you sign. |
What is the practice likely to be worth?
UK practices are usually valued on a multiple of gross recurring fees rather than profit, because owner-managed profit is distorted by how the owner pays themselves. Our valuation guide puts the range for general practice at broadly 0.8× to 1.2× GRF, with weaker firms below that and high-quality fee blocks attracting 1.3× or more. You can get an instant indicative figure from the valuation calculator, and our guide to what reduces the value of a practice covers the things that quietly pull the number down.
Where in the South West do you buy?
Bristol, Bath, Weston-super-Mare, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Swindon, Taunton, Exeter and Plymouth, and across Somerset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Devon, Dorset and Cornwall.
Our promise as a buyer
- Respect the legacy you have built
- Protect the team — keep clients stable
- Improve systems without wrecking the culture
- Confidential from the very first conversation
If a good home for the firm matters as much as the price, that is worth saying out loud early — a first conversation about your Bristol practice commits you to nothing.
Ready for a confidential conversation?
Wherever your practice is, you deal directly with the buyer — confidentially, and on your timeline.
Book a confidential call