Five owners ready to talk about selling to you. In 45 days.
You know what you want to buy. The slow part is finding it and getting the owner to talk. In 45 days, we research 100 businesses that fit. We agree the list with you. We approach every owner in confidence. Then we introduce you to five who want to talk.
Every project starts with a free Expansion Briefing. That way, we only start when we're both sure it fits.
An owner who fits, and who's said yes to talking.
An introduction is an owner from your agreed list. They have had a first talk with us. Their business fits what you asked for. And they have agreed to talk to you, in confidence, about a possible sale.
It isn't a name on a spreadsheet. It isn't a broker's sales sheet, or a business already up for auction. It also isn't a promise that the owner will sell, or sell at your price. That depends on the talk you have next. What we promise is that the talk happens.
Owners who say no don't count. Nor do owners who don't fit once we speak to them. You see them all in the weekly update, with the reason.
From brief to introductions
Agree the brief
What you want to buy, where, what size and why. And what would make you walk away. We sharpen it together in a two-hour session.
Research 100
We map the market from filed accounts, public registers, trade bodies and our contacts. We build a record for each business.
Your sign-off
You approve the list. We contact nobody until you do. You can take any business off it.
Approach and check
We write to, email and call every owner, in confidence. We speak to those who reply. We check fit, how keen they are and their timing.
Introduce and hand over
We introduce owners as they agree. At day 45, we hand over every business, talk and next step.
A record for every business, and a weekly update
For each business, we show why it fits and who owns it. We show its size from filed accounts. We show what we've checked, what is only an estimate and where the talks stand. Each week, we show how many owners we've approached and who replied. We show who said no and why, and who is ready to meet you.
See a sample record and weekly update- Approved list
- 100 businesses
- Owners approached
- 58
- Replied
- 17, of which 6 said not now
- Talks held
- 9
- Introductions made
- 3 of 5
Is it right for you?
- You run a founder-led UK business with £5m to £100m turnover
- You know roughly what you want to buy, or you're happy to decide in week 1
- You have a way to fund a deal, even if it isn't final yet
- You, or someone senior, can make time to meet the owners we introduce
What you'll need to give
- About two hours in week 1 to agree the brief
- A 30-minute update call each week
- Your sign-off on the list before we contact anyone
- Quick decisions when an owner wants to talk
Led by someone who's been the buyer
Michael Ferguson leads every project. He ran acquisitions as head of M&A at one of the world's largest family-owned spirits companies. He is a Partner at CDI Global in the UK. That gives your search reach across more than 45 offices in more than 30 countries. It helps when your market crosses borders. In a past role, he led the search for a £6m wealth management business. It was bought off-market, without ever going up for sale, in seven months.
You take it from here, or we stay on
Every introduction is yours, and so is the full list of businesses you're talking to. Many founders run the next talks themselves. You might want help to value a business, make offers, negotiate and check it properly before you buy. Or you might want the search to keep going. If so, the Acquisitiv Expansion Partnership picks up where the project ends.
What founders ask about Target 45
Is 45 days realistic?
For introductions, yes, if the brief is clear and you approve the list quickly. Buying a business takes longer. It usually takes many months after the first talk. The 45 days gets the right owners talking to you. It doesn't promise a deal.
What if you don't make five introductions?
We keep approaching owners at no extra fee until you have five. It means more work from us until you do.
Will the owners know who I am?
Not until you agree. We approach them for you without giving your name. We share your name only once an owner has agreed to talk. Usually they first sign an agreement to keep it private.
What if a business I already know about is on the list?
Tell us at the start. Businesses you're already talking to stay with you. We leave them out of our approaches, unless you ask us to include them.
Do the introductions belong to me?
Yes. We act only for you, the buyer. We never pass your list, or the owners we speak to, on to anyone else.
Want owners at your table in 45 days?
Start with a free Expansion Briefing. If Target 45 is right for you, we'll plan it together on the call.