Bains Watts blog
Straightforward guidance on practice sales, acquisitions, valuations, mergers and exit planning from Peter Watson.
Latest insights
Explore practical articles designed to help sellers prepare well, buyers ask better questions and practice owners understand their options.
If your practice is built around bookkeeping, payroll and compliance, you may have wondered whether it is worth less than a firm known for accounts and tax, or advisory work. In my experience, that assumption can be misleading. When buyers
Retirement · Practical guideCompare exit routes, prepare your information and plan a confidential sale and a realistic client handover.
Practice value · 6 minute readThe four questions that reveal whether a practice is profitable, transferable and sustainable without everything depending on its owner.
Exit planning · 12 minute readA practical month-by-month plan to strengthen your practice, reduce buyer risk and prepare for a confident, well-managed exit.
Selling · 10 minute readThe figures, client information, team details and practical decisions worth organising before you approach potential buyers.
Valuation · 9 minute readWhy recurring fees are only part of the picture, and how profitability, clients, people, systems and deal terms can influence value.
Buying · 11 minute readA practical review of the financial, client, staffing, operational and transition risks to examine before committing to an acquisition.
From experience
The best decisions are usually made before a transaction becomes urgent.
Peter uses the Bains Watts blog to share observations from more than two decades of helping accountancy practice owners sell, buy, value and plan for succession. Topics will focus on the questions that matter in real transactions: preparation, confidentiality, buyer fit, recurring fees, payment terms, due diligence, handover and client retention.
No pressure. Complete confidentiality.
Whether your plans are immediate or still a few years away, Peter will help you understand your options.
