Are You Looking For a
Cafe Business Broker ?
Selling a café is very different to selling most other types of business, anybody working in the industry understands why this is.
You need a broker that understands how to deal with this from first hand experience and that can provide solutions to overcome less conventional ways of valuing, marketing and selling a cash business.
If you are considering working with a broker then would it make more sense to work with one who specialises just in cafes or one who sells a bit of everything?
If you would like to work with a broker that only sells cafes and only talks to buyers looking for cafes then please read on…
Hi, I am Paul Leach of GSE Business Consultants and I specialise in working with Cafe owners to make sure that they get the best return possible when they sell their cafe.
Having sold nine of my own food businesses over the last 23 years I have learnt a thing or two about how the sale process works.
I have sold most of my businesses myself and a couple through a broker so I have seen the pros and cons of both methods first hand.
I now use my experience to guide cafe owners through the sale process in two different ways.
Firstly I run a program called Six Steps To Sale which I have developed to help busy cafe owners sell their business quickly, for the right price and, without paying any commission.
During this program we work together and I guide you through the sale process from start to finish. You have unlimited support and guidance from planning the sale right up to me handing over everything to the solicitors.
The Six Steps to Sale program allows you to use the business to pay my (tax deductible) fees whilst you are still trading instead of having to pay a big chunk out of your sale proceeds.
This program is so successful that if we guarantee that if we have have not sold your business within six months we will work with you free of charge until we do.
The Six Steps to Sale Program is ideal for busy cafe owners that can dedicate 1-2 hours per week in the first couple of weeks to get things set up, are serious about selling and don’t want to pay commission.
Fees for this program are charged monthly and include everything including all advertising, marketing and brokerage costs.
Secondly I can work with you on a traditional business broker basis to help you prepare your cafe for sale, market the business and deal with the whole transaction right up to settlement.
The fees for the full cafe business broker services are commission based with advertising charged at cost.
Work With a Specialist
By working with a specialist in your industry you know that we understand your business and the market. Our database of buyers is full of people looking for a cafe, restaurant or take away.
Sell With Certainty
Don’t worry about whether your business is priced right or whether or not it will sell. My systems will make sure that your business (and you) are fully prepared for the sale process.
I won’t list your business for too much and just let it sit on the market until you realise you need to drop the price. If your business is not currently worth what you need then I will work with you on strategies to increase the value.
Its a Process Not a Science
One of things I learnt after selling a couple of businesses is that its just a process. I have developed a system to work through all of the things that need to be done in order to maximise the business valuation and help the business to sell quicker.
This system is now a stand alone product for anyone looking to sell their cafe themselves but I also use it with anyone I work for as a broker.
See what others are saying.
Professional, reliable service. Paul from GSE is dedicated and relationship focused with on point reporting system putting this company in the ahead of its competitors and business consultants. I am pleased with the service and recommend it highly.
Rison Amin
In my opinion running a cafe cannot really be compared to running many other businesses. From the outside it can look like a dream lifestyle business but for many people that’s not the reality. The first cafe that I setup and run for 11 years certainly didn’t improve my lifestyle in the early stages!
With all the blood sweat and tears that you’ve put into running your cafe during the time that you’ve owned it it’s really important that you sell for the right price and get a fair reward for all of your hard work.
During the time I have spent building up and selling cafes I learnt a lot of valuable lessons. I soon realised that whilst you can make a good living running a cafe the real money is made by increasing their value and selling them on.
It’s no secret that a business which is well prepared for sale generally sells quicker and for more money. Organisations such as the Exit Planning Institute suggest that a business with a well planned exit can be worth as much as 50-100% more than an unprepared business.
In my experience I have found that this exit planning process works just as well with cafes and I have developed a system that is designed specifically for food businesses.
However you decide to proceed with the sale of your business, if you do nothing else then look into how you can best prepare your cafe for sale. Even if you went through the process and increased the value by 20% imagine the difference that money could make to you.
About Paul Leach
I grew up in the food business, my parents owned two very successful restaurants and I remember working (or a least thinking I was) in them from a very early age.
All through school I knew I wanted to go in to the hospitality industry and the day that I started at college could not come quick enough. I spent an enjoyable three years learning my trade and left college to join my parents in their second restaurant.
In 1992 my parents decided that the time was right for them to sell up and I felt it was also the right time for me to go out on my own.
In 1993 I opened my first Cafe called “Hogarth’s” and that is really where it all began. Since then I have built up and sold nine food businesses and loved every minute (well most of it) and learnt a lot about how the sale process works.
I love the food industry and really wanted to crack double digits and open shop number ten, unfortunately the two things that I value the most in my life, my marriage and my health probably would not have lasted so I called it a day.
I always felt that there was a better way to sell cafes and food businesses and that is where the idea of becoming a Cafe Business Broker, starting GSE and the “Six Steps to Sale” program have all come from.
I am now using the experience I gained selling all those businesses to help others to do the same. It works well for me as I am still involved in the industry and it helps my clients by them avoiding some of the mistakes that I made when selling my first couple of cafes – Win Win!
I would love the opportunity to show you more about how this approach can help you to sell your business for the price that you want and on your terms.
If you are looking for a Cafe Business Broker that has walked the walk and understands the industry as well as your situation then I would love to here from you.
See what others are saying.
Great service! Paul was very professional and helpful making the process of selling a business less stressful! Always chasing up leads, finding a buyer to our business was quicker than we expected! Thank you Paul!
Rita Tambellini