The honest answer
Most small business sales take between six and twelve months from first serious conversation to completion. Well prepared businesses with clean records can move faster; complicated ones take longer.
The stages
Early conversations and agreeing key terms usually take a few weeks. Due diligence, where the buyer checks everything, often takes one to three months. Legal documents and completion add another month or two.
What slows things down
Missing accounts, unclear contracts, disputes, property issues and slow replies are the usual causes. Most delays come from the seller's side, and most can be fixed in advance.
How to speed it up
Prepare your data room before you start, answer questions quickly and keep your advisers instructed and responsive. A buyer who is ready and organised, as we aim to be, can only move as fast as the information allows.
Put it into practice
General guidance only, not legal, tax or financial advice.
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