Criteria
What we look for
We’re specific about what we buy, which makes us quick to say yes – and quick to say no so nobody wastes time.
The practice
- Bookkeeping-led. Bookkeeping, VAT returns, payroll, management accounts and similar recurring work make up most of the fees. Year-end accounts and tax returns are fine as part of the mix.
- Recurring fees from around £100k a year. There’s no hard ceiling; if you’re bigger, talk to us.
- South East England. Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Greater London.
- Established client base. Mostly small businesses on monthly or quarterly fees, with reasonable retention.
- Any software. Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, spreadsheets, shoeboxes. We’ll deal with it.
The owner
- Planning to retire or step back in the next one to three years.
- Running a good practice that’s outgrown the way it’s run.
- Wants backing to grow rather than to sell outright – we can talk about that too.
What we're not looking for
- Pure audit, tax-advisory or corporate-finance practices.
- Practices outside the South East (for now).
- Practices where the fees are mostly one-off project work.
For brokers and advisers
Send a one-page teaser to lisa@smartabacus.co.uk – fee income, split by service, location, staff numbers and the owner’s intentions is enough. We’ll respond within a week with a clear yes or no.