Exit Partners
Exit Partners Limited (EXITS.co.uk) is a UK advisory firm that helps owners of established SME businesses with turnover up to approximately £5 million prepare, value and confidentially sell their companies via direct, NDA-protected approaches to named acquirers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Exit Partners does
Exit Partners Limited, trading as EXITS.co.uk, is a UK-registered private advisory firm that specialises in confidential business sales, exit planning, and M&A advisory services for owners of established small and medium-sized UK businesses. The firm operates an adviser-led model in which a single named adviser, Director Tony Vaughan, carries each mandate from initial preparation and valuation through buyer research, approach and qualification, offer negotiation, and progression to completion. Target clients are typically SME owners with turnover up to approximately £5 million who are considering full or partial exits for reasons including retirement, succession, reducing day-to-day involvement, or realising built-up value, with the firm explicitly preferring confidential direct approaches to named acquirers under NDA over public marketplace listings.
The firm's core service offering comprises three integrated components: confidential business sales (researching and approaching trade and strategic acquirers directly), exit planning (strategic guidance on timing and route), and business valuation (evidence-based value assessment), supported by buyer identification and diligence management. There is no proprietary technology platform; the service is delivered by human advisers with the website (exits.co.uk) and a network of professional adviser referrals (accountants, solicitors, consultants) functioning as the primary lead generation channels.
Revenue is generated through a three-part fee structure: an initial upfront payment on engagement, a fixed fee payable on receipt of an acceptable offer, and a success fee calculated as a percentage of final transaction value. The firm is bootstrapped with no disclosed external investment and is operated from a registered office in Woking, Surrey. The advisory team is reported to have experience from more than 150 completed business transactions, with Tony Vaughan personally having worked on over 100 completed deals.
Exit Partners firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Exit Partners
- Legal name
- Exit Partners Limited
- Website
- https://exits.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Exit Partners Limited (EXITS.co.uk) is a UK advisory firm that helps owners of established SME businesses with turnover up to approximately £5 million prepare, value and confidentially sell their companies via direct, NDA-protected approaches to named acquirers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Exit Partners industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Business Sale and Exit Advisory Services
- NAICS
- Miscellaneous Intermediation (52391)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Succession & Exit Planning (Owner Exit Readiness) (FSAEAIAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Main Street Business Brokerage (SMB/Owner-Operated) (FSAEAIAA)
Keywords
Where Exit Partners is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Exit Partners business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Success Fee: A success fee based on the final sale or transaction value, payable upon receiving an acceptable offer. This is the primary revenue mechanism aligning adviser incentives with client outcomes.
- Initial Upfront Payment: An initial upfront payment for services, as outlined in the engagement agreement. This covers initial work before a transaction completes.
- Fixed Fee: A fixed fee, payable upon receiving an acceptable offer, as detailed in the engagement agreement.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom engagement based on transaction complexity and value |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Exit Partners product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Exit Partners Limited, trading as EXITS.co.uk, provides confidential business sale and exit advisory services for owners of established UK SMEs. The end-to-end service covers exit planning, evidence-based pre-sale valuation, identification and direct NDA-based approach of named trade and strategic acquirers, and full deal progression from offer negotiation through due diligence to completion, carried by a single adviser.
Product overview
EXITS.co.uk is a specialist UK business exit advisory service operated by Exit Partners Limited, offering a unified end-to-end service for owners of established private UK businesses. The core offering consists of three integrated services: Confidential Business Sales (named acquirers approached under NDA, no public listing), Exit Planning (strategic guidance on timing and approach), and Business Valuation (evidence-based value assessment). These services are supported by buyer research and identification, deal progression and diligence management components. The service is delivered by a single adviser (Tony Vaughan) who carries the mandate from initial preparation through to completion. The company focuses on SME businesses with turnover up to approximately £5 million and operates exclusively in the United Kingdom.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Confidential Business Sales Confidential business sale advisory service for owners of established UK SMEs, where named trade and strategic acquirers are researched and approached directly under NDA with no public listing. One adviser carries the mandate from preparation through to completion.
- Exit Planning Advisory service helping UK SME owners decide whether, when and how to exit before the business goes near a buyer, covering strategic planning, timing and exit route selection.
- Business Valuation Evidence-based business valuation service providing owners with an indicative view of value and the key value drivers affecting their business, used to assess readiness for sale and establish realistic price expectations.
Quantifiable outcome
- 150+ completed business transactions across multiple sectors
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Exit Partners
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Exit Partners technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Exit Partners partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Exit Partners competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- EMBS (East Midlands Business Sales): EMBS is a UK regional business broker primarily active in the Midlands and East Anglia, with a comparable SME focus but defined regional concentration. Comparable in service offering but different geographic centre of gravity than Exit Partners' London/South East base.
Direct peers
- Altius Corporate Finance: Altius is a UK business sales and corporate finance advisor serving SME owner-managed businesses across a similar size band. Overlapping advisory offerings in confidential business sales, valuation and exit planning.
- Hilton Smythe: Hilton Smythe is a UK business sales broker focused on selling SMEs, typically with a mix of confidential and marketplace-listed approaches. Directly comparable in customer segment (UK SME owners) and service offering (business sale advisory).
- Knightsbridge Business Sales: Knightsbridge Business Sales is a UK business brokerage serving SME owners across multiple sectors. Directly comparable in target customer (UK SME sellers), mandate style and confidential advisory approach.
- Cornerstone Business Sales: Cornerstone is a UK SME business sales broker offering confidential disposal services to owner-managed businesses. Similar lower-mid-market focus and adviser-led model to Exit Partners.
- KBS Corporate: KBS Corporate is one of the largest specialist UK SME business sale advisors, handling mandates broadly comparable in deal size and owner profile to Exit Partners. Highly direct competitor in confidential lower-mid-market business brokerage.
- BCMS Corporate: BCMS is a specialist UK and international mid-market M&A advisor focused on owner-managed businesses. Direct peer offering comparable sell-side advisory services, though typically at the larger end of the lower-mid-market Exit Partners targets.
Emerging players
- BusinessesForSale.com: BusinessesForSale.com is a large online marketplace for SME business listings, representing the digital-first / marketplace model that contrasts with Exit Partners' confidential, adviser-led approach. Comparable target customer but different go-to-market.
Broad incumbents
- Grant Thornton UK Corporate Finance: Grant Thornton is a major UK mid-market corporate finance advisory with a business sales and succession practice spanning larger deal sizes. Broader incumbent offering overlapping exit advisory capability but serving larger transactions than Exit Partners' core SME focus.
- BDO UK Corporate Finance: BDO is a top-tier UK advisory firm with a corporate finance practice handling mid-market M&A and exit planning. Broad incumbent offering similar advisory services to owner-managed businesses, generally at the larger end of the SME bracket Exit Partners targets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Exit Partners social profiles
Digital presenceExit Partners compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Exit Partners financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Exit Partners leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Exit Partners funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Exit Partners M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Exit Partners
What does Exit Partners do?
Exit Partners Limited, trading as EXITS.co.uk, provides confidential business sale and exit advisory services for owners of established UK SMEs. The end-to-end service covers exit planning, evidence-based pre-sale valuation, identification and direct NDA-based approach of named trade and strategic acquirers, and full deal progression from offer negotiation through due diligence to completion, carried by a single adviser.
Is Exit Partners a public or private company?
Exit Partners is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Exit Partners founded?
Exit Partners was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Exit Partners based?
Exit Partners is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Exit Partners make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Success Fee is the primary driver. The others are initial Upfront Payment and fixed Fee.
Who are Exit Partners's main competitors?
EMBS (East Midlands Business Sales) is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Altius Corporate Finance, Hilton Smythe, Knightsbridge Business Sales, Cornerstone Business Sales, KBS Corporate and BCMS Corporate. BusinessesForSale.com is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Grant Thornton UK Corporate Finance and BDO UK Corporate Finance.
Does Exit Partners have an API?
No public API is recorded for Exit Partners.
What industry is Exit Partners in?
Exit Partners's product category is Business Sale and Exit Advisory Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAIAF, Succession & Exit Planning (Owner Exit Readiness), with a secondary code of FSAEAIAA, Main Street Business Brokerage (SMB/Owner-Operated). Its NAICS code is 52391.