Thinking about retirement, succession, or simply stepping back? Practice Group buys UK accountancy practices directly — confidentially, founder-led, and without broker noise. No auction, no tyre-kickers, no listing your firm around the market. Just a grown-up conversation with the person who'll actually run the practice. This page sets out the whole picture: why selling direct changes things, exactly how the process works, what we buy, and how we protect the clients and staff you've spent years building.
A buyer, not a broker — and why that changes everything
Selling your practice isn't just numbers. It's your name, your people, and years of relationships. Dealing with a direct buyer rather than a broker changes four things that matter:
| What it means for you | |
|---|---|
| Speed | You're speaking to the decision-maker, not passing messages through a deal team. |
| Discretion | No listing your practice around the market. Early conversations can be completely anonymous. |
| Simplicity | Fewer parties, fewer delays, fewer games — and no broker commission out of your proceeds. |
| Control | A deal shaped around your timeline and your handover, not a broker's calendar. |
There's a fuller comparison in our guide to broker vs direct buyer.
How the process works — five steps
- Confidential call (20–30 minutes). We talk through your goals, timeline, client mix, team and what a good outcome looks like. Nothing leaves the room.
- Indicative valuation range. A sensible range based on what you share, and the key drivers that move it up or down — not a sales pitch. See how valuation works.
- Light-touch due diligence. We review the essentials — recurring fees, client concentration, staffing, billing discipline and compliance basics. Proportionate, not a forensic audit. See what to expect.
- Heads of terms. We agree price, structure, timeline and your involvement (exit now vs a phased step-down), plus how staff and clients are looked after. See heads of terms explained.
- Completion and handover. A calm, protected transition that gets you the exit you actually want.
Deal structures
Most deals blend cash on completion with deferred consideration, sometimes with a retention-linked element. A clean break and a phased step-down carry different profiles — and staying on for a handover often supports a stronger overall figure because it de-risks retention. We recommend what fits your goals, not what looks clever on paper. The detail is in our guides on earn-outs and deferred consideration and the tax when you sell.
What we buy
| We're interested in | We're flexible on |
|---|---|
| UK practices — limited company or sole practitioner | Location, size and software stack |
| Strong recurring revenue (even if it isn't perfect) | Service mix — accounts, tax, VAT, payroll and more |
| Solid client relationships and decent compliance foundations | Owner involvement — a fast exit or a phased step-down |
| A team that cares about doing things properly | A practice that needs a cleaner operating system (that's our lane) |
Our promise as a buyer
- Respect the legacy you've built
- Protect the team
- Keep clients stable
- Improve systems without wrecking the culture
- Say what we'll do — then do it
What's your practice worth?
Start with a range, not a sales pitch. Our valuation calculator gives an instant indicative figure from your recurring fees and a few quality factors, and a confidential call gives you a proper range with the reasoning behind it. If you're not ready yet, we can map a short plan to increase your value first.
Frequently asked questions
Do you buy practices directly or broker deals?
We buy directly. You speak to the buyer, which keeps the process simpler, quieter and typically avoids broker fees.
How confidential is selling to Practice Group?
Very. Early conversations can be anonymous, and we only involve your staff or clients once a plan is agreed. Nothing is 'listed' around the market.
What size and type of practices do you buy?
We're open-minded — UK limited companies and sole practitioners, with strong recurring revenue. Fit matters more than size, and we're flexible on location, software and service mix.
Do I have to stay on after the sale?
Not always. Some owners want a clean break; others step down over time to hand over relationships. We build the plan around you — and a phased handover often supports a stronger overall figure.
What happens to my staff and clients?
Continuity matters. In most deals, retaining the team is part of protecting clients and service — and we set out how staff and clients will be treated in the heads of terms.
What if I'm not ready to sell yet?
Still worth a confidential call. Often we map a short value-uplift plan, or start with back-office support, so you exit stronger when the time comes.
Ready for a grown-up conversation?
On the call we'll cover your timeline and ideal outcome, the key numbers, an indicative valuation range, and the best route — sell now, step down, or prepare for a higher-value exit. Everything discussed stays confidential.
Book a confidential call