FOR SOLVENT UK BUSINESSES | SAVING JOBS, PRESERVING LEGACIES
Have You Tried to Sell Your Business, but Nobody Wants to Buy It?
Before you close a business you spent years building, see if there's another way: let it live on. Instead of shutting down, it carries on with Retire Today, and we aim to keep the jobs, the customers and your legacy going. Shutting down a business you built can feel like tearing down the family home you raised your kids in. That's what we're here to stop, where your business is suitable.
Simple. Confidential. No obligation.
It isn't you. The market for small businesses is broken.
Selling a small business is hard. Roughly 1 in 10 listed sub-£1m EBITDA businesses completes a sale. If yours did not sell, that says far more about a difficult market than about you or what you built.
Being left to close a solvent, working business is like tearing down the family home you raised your kids in. Retire Today exists to offer another route for owners who would otherwise shut the doors.
What Retire Today does, in plain terms
We are not a broker, an agent or an adviser. Here is the simple version, and we'll explain exactly how it works on a short call.
You let it live on
Instead of shutting the company down, it carries on with Retire Today, so what you built doesn't have to disappear.
We keep it going
The aim is to keep jobs going and customers looked after, so the name you built carries on. Not every business is suitable, and we will tell you honestly.
You decide
You get a straight answer, in confidence, and you decide with no obligation. If closing is the better route for you, we'll say so.
Strike-off, MVL or letting it live on: side by side
A plain summary of how the routes differ. It is general information, and your own circumstances will matter.
| Route | Strike-off | MVL | Let it live on with Retire Today |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | The company is removed from the register by Companies House. | A formal solvent liquidation run by a licensed insolvency practitioner. | The business carries on with Retire Today instead of shutting down, so your staff, customers and legacy keep going. We'll explain exactly how it works on a short call. |
| Who it suits | Solvent companies that are finished and have nothing left to carry on. GOV.UK says solvent companies may choose it. | Solvent companies that want a formal, supervised wind-down. GOV.UK says solvent companies may choose it. | Solvent businesses that would otherwise close, where the business is suitable. Not every business is. |
| What happens to staff and customers | The business stops, so jobs end and customers have to go elsewhere. | The business stops, so jobs end and customers have to go elsewhere. | The aim is to keep jobs going and customers looked after. We'll explain what that means for your business on a short call. |
| What you receive | Whatever is left in the company once anything owed is dealt with. How it is taxed depends on the amount and on you. | Funds are distributed to shareholders after costs and any debts are paid. How that is taxed depends on you. | We aim to make sure you receive a similar financial outcome to closing, received over time. It depends on the business, is received over time and is confirmed in writing after we've looked at your figures. |
| How it feels | Quick on paper, but it still means switching off the lights. | Orderly and supervised, but you are still shutting down what you built. | The business carries on, so you don't have to tear down what you built. |
| What to check | The conditions on GOV.UK for who can apply, and tax, with your accountant. | You need a licensed insolvency practitioner and a declaration that debts can be paid within 12 months (GOV.UK). Ask for a quote. | Whether your business is suitable, and the exact terms, which we'll explain on a short call. |
What you may receive
We aim to make sure you receive a similar financial outcome to closing, received over time.
This depends on the business. It isn't a guarantee, it isn't a lump sum paid on day one, and it's confirmed in writing after we've looked at your figures. We'll explain exactly how and when on a short call.
How it works
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Tell us about the business
Answer a few questions in about two minutes. Your details stay with Retire Today.
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We give you an honest view
We look at what you've told us and say plainly whether we can help, or whether closing may be the more appropriate route. If we can help, we'll explain exactly how it works on a short call.
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You decide with no obligation
Take as long as you need. There's no pressure, and you can walk away at any point.
Is this right for you?
A good fit
- Your business is solvent and can pay its debts
- It has real customers and income, and ideally a team that depends on it
- You would rather it carried on than see it shut down
- You've tried to sell, or been told it's too small, and you don't want to close
Probably not a fit
- The business cannot pay its debts (please get regulated advice first)
- It has stopped completely, with no customers, income, staff or contracts left
- You want a guaranteed outcome, or a lump sum on day one. We can't promise either
If your business cannot pay its debts, or you are not sure, this check is not the right place to start. Please get regulated advice first, from a licensed insolvency practitioner or a free debt advice service such as Business Debtline.
Common questions
Do you buy my business?
No. Retire Today is not a buyer or a broker. The business keeps going instead of closing, and we'll explain exactly how it works on a short call.
Does it cost anything to find out if you can help?
No. There's no fee to find out if we can help. If it looks like we can, we'll explain exactly how it works before you decide anything.
Will I receive what I'd get from closing, and when?
We aim to make sure you receive a similar financial outcome to closing, received over time. This depends on the business. It isn't a guarantee, it isn't a lump sum on day one, and it's confirmed in writing after we've looked at your figures.
What if my business cannot pay its debts?
Then this is not the right place to start. Please get regulated advice first, from a licensed insolvency practitioner or a free debt advice service such as Business Debtline.
See if there could be another way
Two minutes. Simple. Confidential. No obligation.
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