Looking to Sell Your Accounting Practice? We’re Buying.
If you are weighing up whether to sell your accounting practice, chances are you’ve spent years building it. Your clients trust you, and your team knows them well. Naturally, you want that care to carry on after you step back.
We get it. That is exactly why MBP Advisory is actively looking to buy accounting practices across New Zealand, from owners who want their clients, and their team, in safe hands.
Thinking of Selling? You’re Not Alone
Plenty of practice owners reach a point where selling makes sense. For some, retirement is on the horizon. Others are tired of keeping up with software changes, compliance deadlines, and staff shortages on their own. For many, there is simply no obvious successor inside the business.
Whatever the reason, timing matters. Owners who plan early usually have more options and a smoother handover. Leaving it too late can mean rushing a decision you’ll live with for years. That is why professional bodies like CA ANZ encourage practitioners to treat succession as a planned process rather than a last-minute reaction.
At MBP Advisory, we’re keen to work with you on your timeline, not ours.
Why Sell Your Accounting Practice to MBP Advisory
We’re a proudly Kiwi accounting and advisory business based in Taupō, with satellite offices in Rotorua and Hamilton, and hundreds of clients right across the country. Every one of our clients is a family business, and so are we. We’re not another corporate looking to extract what value we can from your clients, cast half of them aside, then outsource the work overseas.
A few things set us apart:
- Everything is done in-house. Your clients’ work stays with our team here in New Zealand.
- Fixed fees. Clients know what they are paying, with no surprise invoices. Certainty and confidence.
- Advisory first. Alongside compliance, we help owners plan, grow and make better decisions.
- Technology driven. Clients get modern tools that allow us to double down on the personal relationships.
Looking After Your Clients Through the Transition
For most sellers, this is the biggest worry. Your clients chose you, and you want them to feel looked after, not handed over. You definitely don’t want them to feel ‘sold’.
That’s why we take a careful, personal approach. First, we agree with you how and when clients are told, so the news comes from you. Next, we meet them properly, ideally with you in the room, especially for key relationships. Any changes to how they work with us are explained clearly and never sprung on them.
Where you’re keen, we’d also love to have you involved for a period after the sale. That continuity makes a real difference to client confidence, and it gives you a chance to see your clients settle in.
Looking After Your Team
Your staff are a big part of what you have built. We’re always glad to welcome good people into the MBP Advisory team. After all, they know your clients, and clients value seeing familiar faces. We will talk openly with you about roles, location and what the change means for each person. We’re stronger together, so where possible, we aim for any transition to be a coming together of our two teams, rather than any kind of takeover.
How an Accounting Practice Sale Usually Works
Every deal is different, but most follow a similar path:
- A confidential first conversation about your goals and timeline. We’ll map out the path ahead together.
- A high-level look at your client base, fees and services. This shows the skill mix needed and whether our client bases complement each other.
- An offer, usually based on recurring fee income. Part of the price is often linked to how many clients stay on after the handover. Generally, the closer your practice is to how MBP Advisory works, the smoother the transition and the stronger the offer.
- Due diligence, legal agreements and an agreed handover plan. This is where everything is double-checked and the nuts and bolts are agreed by both sides.
- Settlement, followed by a supported transition period.
Client information needs careful handling throughout. Under the Privacy Act 2020, client details should generally only be shared when it is reasonably necessary for the sale. So we keep the early stages high level and anonymised, and only look at the detail once both sides are serious during due diligence.
Confidential From the First Conversation
We know word travels fast in New Zealand. Everyone knows everyone, especially in tight-knit professional circles. Your clients, staff, and competitors do not need to know you’re exploring a sale until you’re ready. Every conversation with us stays private. And we’ll definitely be signing a confidentiality agreement before you share anything sensitive.
Let’s Have a Coffee
If you’re starting to think about the next chapter, a no-pressure chat is a good first step. You do not need to have it all figured out. Whether you want to sell your accounting practice now or in a few years, we would be glad to hear your story and see what part we can play in your succession plan.
Get in touch with Chris Mercer and the team at MBP Advisory to start the conversation.