Off-market
Off-market origination is where most of the value in a search actually sits. It means identifying businesses that fit a buyer's brief on paper, then making a direct approach, by phone, LinkedIn or personal introduction, to open a conversation an owner wasn't expecting. Many of these owners have never spoken to an adviser and have no exit plan in place. Reaching them takes a genuine network across accountants, lawyers and corporate finance contacts who hear about a possible sale long before it's formalised, plus the confidence to make a cold approach that gets taken seriously.
Deal origination
Two routes in, one search.
Deal origination is the work of building a pipeline of acquisition targets before a search can properly begin, and it splits into two distinct routes. A search built on both routes, rather than either alone, is what actually determines how good the resulting shortlist is.
On-market
On-market origination is the more straightforward half. We track broker listings, corporate finance networks and public deal platforms continuously, so nothing suitable slips past a live search. It's a necessary part of the process, but it's also visible to every other buyer running a similar mandate, which tends to mean more competition and a price that already reflects it.
01
We identify
targets
We build a shortlist against your brief, whether the business is already listed for sale or the owner hasn't thought about it yet.
02
We use our network
We're plugged into a wide web of accountants, lawyers and brokers across the corporate finance community who often hear about a sale before anyone else.
03
We approach owners directly
We reach out ourselves, by phone, LinkedIn and email, starting a conversation with an owner directly rather than waiting for them to come to market.
04
We keep the pipeline moving
Expect a steady flow of opportunities across six to twelve months, with the first ones typically landing within days of starting.
How it works
Four steps, one search.
Here's what that looks like in practice, from first shortlist to a steady flow of opportunities landing in your inbox.
why this works
The businesses you can see are a fraction of the ones you could buy.
Agents' lists only ever show what's already for sale. Most owners who'd consider an exit aren't advertising it, because they haven't been asked.
Our job is to have that conversation first. It's the same approach we use to headhunt executives through our sister brand, Cork Griffiths, applied here to finding businesses instead of people.
"
Most of the deals I've done started with a phone call the owner wasn't expecting. That's the job, starting conversations other advisers wait for.
Paul Griffiths · Founder, Auxilium Advisory