Words: Holly Dibden, Photography: Marc Baker
Eighteen months after launching Business Selling Experts, David Neale sat down with unLTD’s Phil Turner to share the story behind his entrepreneurial spirit, BSE’s hands-on approach and what exactly makes a business sellable.
David’s story begins in the S12 area of Sheffield, where he grew up, shaped by the values instilled in him by his parents. He attributes much of his success and relentless work ethic to their ‘work hard, play hard’ approach to life. His mother, in particular, had a significant influence on his entrepreneurial awakenings.
“My mum always had something going on the side lines – my entrepreneurial spirit comes from her,” David explains. “We’d be up at 5am on Sundays, doing car boot sales, selling doughnuts or jacket spuds. It was always about finding ways to make extra money, which meant we had fantastic holidays, whether in a caravan or abroad multiple times a year. That’s what she worked for – holidays,” he adds, smiling at the memory.
As the eldest of five children, David grew up in a close-knit family. Over the years, he even did business with some of his siblings, such as setting up a motorbike dealership with his brother. However, his career path didn’t follow the conventional route. David studied mechanics in college, but he’s never worked as a mechanic professionally.
Instead, he channels his love for mechanics into a hobby, working on bikes in his spare time. “I can’t do the same thing over and over again,” he explains. “It’s probably ADHD, but I call it my superpower. It lets me come up with ideas and act on them quickly. Ultimately, I wanted to create something that could run without me.”
This drive to build businesses that could operate independently has been a consistent theme throughout David’s career. From an early age, he was determined to be a business owner, and his so-called “superpower” helped him turn ideas into action. One of his first ventures was Saving British Business Money, a venture that offered business cost savings that were client-led.
David also thrived in a more corporate environment as a business development manager for a communications company, where he managed clients and closed deals. His success in that role eventually led him to work independently, knocking on doors and drumming up business for himself, but also taking on more than most people would find reasonable.
“I was already working sixty hours a week,” he says, “and my wife said she could see me working eighty because she knows what I’m like!”
In time, David outsourced many of the administrative tasks in his businesses and recruited a team of commission-based salespeople. The goal was always to create a system that could run without his constant involvement.
“I got it to a point where it was running without me, and I got quite bored,” he says with a chuckle. “As I was building other businesses, I realised it was a lot of hard work. Then I started educating myself on buying businesses, which was a lot easier because someone else had already done the hard work. I sold some and realised I really liked the selling part.”
This realisation eventually led to the creation of Business Selling Experts. By this time, David had a few businesses that were largely self-sufficient, giving him the freedom to focus on new opportunities. His interest in buying and selling businesses grew, but he soon discovered that the industry had its challenges. “When you go to a broker to buy a business, the prices are often ridiculous,” he says. “The seller has a figure in mind, and the broker just lists it at that price, without properly evaluating its worth.”
David found that many businesses stayed listed for years, with the owners continuing to pay fees but seeing no real interest from potential buyers. “It’s listed on a website and then just left there,” he explains. This inefficiency, coupled with the inflated valuations, frustrated David and ultimately inspired him to create BSE. His goal was to offer a more ethical, effective way to buy and sell businesses, with a focus on proper valuations and real buyer engagement.
“We don’t list businesses for sale on websites – we’ve already got buyers,” David says, laying out BSE’s different approach. The company’s finance team values the business first, and if the initial valuation doesn’t meet the seller’s expectations, they work together to improve the business’s value. “Do you want to learn how to make your business worth a million pounds, or sell it for two hundred grand today?” David asks, emphasising the practical, results-oriented ethos at the heart of BSE.
Another aspect that sets Business Selling Experts apart from traditional brokers is their proactive, hands-on approach. BSE isn’t just about listing and waiting for someone to bite. Instead, they guide clients through the entire process, offering support at every stage. David’s assistant, Abbie Bryant, explains that maintaining close contact with clients is a top priority. “Even if there’s no update, we call to check in and keep it personal,” she says. This level of communication ensures that sellers are always in the loop, and it helps build trust throughout the process.
At this point in the interview, unLTD’s MD Phil Turner asks a question that many business owners would likely have on their minds: “OK. Say I want to sell my business. What happens next?”
David explains that the process begins with an evaluation questionnaire, designed to get to the core of the business’s operations. “No buyer wants to buy a job,” he says bluntly. “If the director is doing everything – HR, payroll, admin, taking calls while on holiday – then the business isn’t ready for sale.”
One of BSE’s key roles is helping business owners get to a place where their business can run without them. This might involve outsourcing certain tasks or utilising existing staff to take on some of the director’s responsibilities. “We’d ask them to outsource some of it, and our financial director can help with that. Either that, or we encourage them to bring people in their business up so they can remove themselves.”
Once the business is in good shape and there’s room for growth, BSE’s finance team steps in to value the business and build a deal with a buyer. “We’ll always advise on a time frame,” David says, “usually up to twelve weeks, but sometimes as quick as two weeks.”
Finding the right buyer is also crucial to BSE’s success. “You need someone with experience and passion in your market,” David emphasises. “This is where BSE’s extensive network comes into play.
Over time, the company has built a vast network of buyers, sellers and acquisition specialists, which allows them to match entrepreneurs with the right opportunities, facilitating smoother transactions. “People don’t just look at a business and simply say, ‘I want to buy that.’ Identifying the right type of buyer for your business is crucial to the process, and that’s something we pride ourselves on doing exceptionally well.”
For business owners thinking about buying or selling, Business Selling Experts offers a comprehensive and personalised service that stands out from traditional brokerage models. If you’re looking for expert advice on selling your business or interested in exploring acquisition opportunities, contact David and his team at info@businesssellingexperts.com.
