Our latest success story focuses on a sell-side business broker that has experienced impressive growth over the last few years.
We spoke to Sam Roser, who is highly respected in the sector, having started selling businesses at the age of 18. His aptitude for dealing with and helping business owners sell their companies evolved into Starling Corporate, which he founded in 2020. Today, Sam and his business partner James Huggins have developed the company into a national business brokerage with ambitious future plans.
“We wanted to create a company that provides clients with a proactive, and highly personal experience in selling their business. Over the past three years we have successfully closed a number of highly complex deals, and I believe our high conversion rates are a direct result of the time that we spend with each of our clients,” Sam explains.
Not only does Starling Corporate offer a personalised and bespoke service, but it has built a select level of clients that completes an impressive portfolio; currently exceeding £50m in value.
Startling Corporate has partnered with BusinessesForSale.com since inception, and this has developed into an effective and mutually beneficial relationship.
Choosing BusinessesForSale.com
Starling Corporate’s objectives are to be adaptive towards client needs: not only to get the best possible chance to sell their business, but to provide an exceptional experience whilst doing so. Sam explains that the team at BusinessesForSale.com has directly contributed to achieving these objectives.
Rapid solutions
“The main portal of BusinessesForSale.com offers a rapid solution to match our sellers with a range of global buyers, and it’s highly efficient in doing so. We get interest on every business, almost instantly,” Sam says. “This gives our Deal Executive team great momentum in the early stages of the sale process”.
Sam also commends the ability to gain access to data on command. Keeping clients up to date with honest metrics is crucial for the company, so BusinessesForSale.com’s dashboard of click throughs, leads and impressions makes it easy to relay progress.
Different services
MergerVault and SellerMart are two services that Starling Corporate utilises to develop and improve their business further.
“We decided to use MergerVault, initially for a handful of suitable clients,” says Sam. “We felt that MergerVault caters to more niche businesses and offers higher quality buyer matches that are clearly more qualified than other sources that we have previously used. It complements our model really well,” he continues.
Sam also explains that SellerMart is helpful to Starling Corporate, as it offers a personalised and warm introduction. “We convert pretty much 100% of SellerMart leads into new clients, and we can already see a cycle; the introduction of a lead to exceeding the expectations of the respective client through the service we provide. This provides a great story to tell to potential new clients.”
“BusinessesForSale.com has contributed directly to some really significant completions, but it’s also assisted us indirectly with pretty much every client we’ve had as a broker since day one,” he says.
Sam’s advice to business owners looking to sell their business
- Our clients often share that their thought process in selling the business felt exactly the same as their decision to start or enter the business in the first place. There was excitement and ultimately a big step into the unknown. Therefore, it is seldom to have a perfect situation to commence the process. We advise clients that the more time they have to dedicate to this, the more options and offers they'll have to consider, and ultimately accept.
- Be true and authentic. Authenticity has a better chance to sell to the right buyer for the right reasons, rather than uncovering a skeleton in the closet during the advanced stages of negotiations or due diligence.
- Growth potential is crucial. If a business is trading at full and complete capacity, it probably won’t be as attractive as a business that has tangible upside growth potential that can be achieved post-acquisition.
We’d like to thank Sam and Starling Corporate for taking the time to talk to us. We are grateful for your support!
If you’re thinking of selling your business and require support from a professional agent, we can connect you with a broker who will guide you through the process.
