My name is Robert Illsley,  I am a licensed business broker in Canberra that specialises in the sale of Cafes

I am originally from Somerset in the South West of England and in 2000 I married a Wagga girl and moved to Australia in 2007. In 2014 I opened my own café which I poured my heart and soul into and was able to establish it as one of the towns most prestigious and popular locations for coffee and food. When we decided to sell nearly 4 years later I realised how difficult it was to sell a business, although I felt that I was capable of handling the sale myself, I needed help. I wasn’t sure exactly how to evaluate my business, how to properly and discreetly market it and I found the process quite daunting.

After a number of bad experiences with agents I discovered GSE Business Consultants and it was at this point that I realised how valuable a good business broker can be. The right advice and preparation allowed me to properly prepare my business for market. After using the services of GSE I quickly found a potential buyer and found that I was in a competitive situation with another café. The buyer was in advanced negotiations with another café. Because of the way I was able to present my business the buyer felt more comfortable buying my business even though my competition had a bigger business with higher turnover.

I think that at this point a lightbulb went on in my head and I made the decision that I wanted to become a business broker myself. I approached the owner of GSE and thankfully he was looking to expand his business and when I sold Jardine’s I qualified as a business broker and setup my own business operating as a franchisee of GSE Business consultants.

Put simply a good business broker can be the difference between selling your business and having it languish on the market. Many brokers are happy to list a business without doing the proper preparation and do not always increase your chance of selling in a timely manner. In my role as a business broker I intend to bring the same level of service, quality advice and ethical standard as when I owned my café.

The difference between working with us at GSE compared with other brokers is clear. We only work with cafes, all the brokers at GSE have owned, operated and sold food businesses of our own and we understand the unique challenges that this industry faces. My regional knowledge as well as my background in hospitality means that I can help you to add significant value to your business during the sale process.

If you are considering an exit strategy then please get in touch with me as soon as possible on 0415 243750.