Matching buyers and sellers
of insolvent businesses and distressed assets
Business failures are rising dramatically and IP-BID.com is also growing rapidly,
regularly matching serious buyers and qualified sellers of distressed businesses
instantly online via its new web-based insolvency marketplace.
More than 1,000 potential buyers and their representatives have already registered
to receive details of the latest insolvent businesses and distressed assets for
sale. The UK’s leading insolvency practitioners post their insolvent businesses
and assets for sale on the site, which then automatically matches a particular business
for sale with potential buyers. These business opportunities can include companies
in administration and pre-packs, as well as companies in receivership or liquidation
with significant business assets for sale.
Registered buyers, who can specify their buying criteria in advance, include private
equity firms, corporate finance advisors and venture capital partners searching
for corporate turnaround and investment opportunities, as well as individual entrepreneurs
seeking attractive business opportunities and companies looking to grow through
acquisition. They receive fresh email alerts of each new business opportunity automatically
and can express an interest in a distressed business online. Those expressions of
interest are sent direct to the specific insolvency practitioner handling the case
– often in a matter of minutes after the initial posting.
We also have a Classified section, which features 'customer list-plus' opportunities.
These listings typically include the customer list, sales history, access to former
sales staff, telephone numbers and website of businesses mostly in liquidation.
Potential buyers can express an interest in these opportunities quickly online and
each expression of interest will be sent direct to the appropriate insolvency practitioner
or their representative. Click on the Classified menu tab to view current listings.
You can
register
now to post a distressed business for sale or as a potential buyer to receive details
of the latest insolvent businesses to buy. Registration is free.
Buyer profiles
IP-BID.com has more than 1,000 users registered as potential buyers. These include
private equity firms, corporate finance advisors and venture capital partners.
In addition to larger corporate entities, often representing multiple client interests,
the database includes many principals of companies seeking to grow through acquisition
and individual entrepreneurs who are looking for specific business opportunities.
The following selection of buyer profiles will give you just a flavour of the range
and depth of acThe following selection of buyer profiles will give you just a flavour
of the range and depth of acquisition resources you can tap into via IP-BID.com.
Multi-channel retailer of clothing, footwear, household and fishing
tackle products
Global 100 law firm with clients across 11 principal business sectors
and practice areas that include strategic transactions, corporate finance and private
equity
Broad-based engineering firm with international client base
Small-company investment specialist that claims to have provided
private equity and venture capital to more UK SMEs than any other investor in the
marketplace over the last five years
Active construction company working in the public and private sectors
Unit trust of substantial landed estate focusing on commercial property
opportunities
Leading global private investment firm with more than $7.5 billion
of capital under management
Leading chartered surveyor specialising in corporate asset management
Private equity firm that typically invests up to £3m in established
people businesses with good management
Leading leisure resort operator
Independent private equity house focusing on acquisitions and investments
in special situations that include turnaround opportunities and financial restructurings
International asset consultant featuring a substantial corporate
recovery and insolvency division
Turnaround partnership that specialises in driving change through
small to medium enterprises to stabilise a business and lay the foundations for
achieving growth
Real estate agent and broker also handling a substantial portfolio
of its own property
Private equity house with a diverse portfolio of investments, currently including
companies in the medical, social care, property and furniture sectors
Full service accountancy/business advisor with national and regional
clients seeking acquisition opportunities
UK and international intellectual property management firm that
develops and commercialises new products for global markets, as well as advising
technology companies, branded consumer product manufacturers and business services
companies
Partnership of entrepreneurial individuals investing in private equity
transactions with a strong track record across a range of industries, typically
looking to invest £3-10 million of equity in each deal
Professional services firm represented in more than 70 countries
with a client base that ranges from individuals and owner managed businesses to
large corporations and public sector organisations
Recognised international leader in the acquisition and disposal of industrial
capital assets, including plant and machinery, industrial inventory,
furniture, fixtures and real estate
Featured business postings
This is a selection of typical recent postings. They are not necessarily current.
Labour recruitment and provision of personnel
Turnover £5m to £9.99m
Employees 10 to 99
Trading
Pre-Appointment
The company specialises in providing temporary staff to certain local authorities,
which account for in excess of 75% of its annual turnover of circa £5.5 Million.
Other recreational activities
Turnover £100k to £499k
Employees 1 to 9
Post-Appointment
Leasehold operation of a 12 lane 10 pin Bowling Alley, play Area, Bar, Kitchen,
Quasar. Selby, Yorkshire. Either as going concern or asset sale. Current turnover
between 3.5k and 7.5k per week; rent 1k per week; wages 1.5k to 2.5k per week. Scope
for substantial improvement.
Manufacture of fabricated metal products
Turnover £1m to £4.99m
Employees 10 to 99
Trading
Pre-Appointment
This company is offered for sale prior to administration and is the profitable arm
of an insolvent group. The company's activities are that of the design manufacture
and installation of signage in metals and plastics for an impressive portfolio of
High Street retail names. Turnover in 2008 circa £3.5 million, with profits of £90,000.
Assets include: CNC manufacturing facilities, in-house finishing facilities, neon
sign manufacturing equipment, project management, and full maintenance facilities.
Architectural and engineering activities
Turnover £1m to £4.99m
Employees 10 to 99
Trading in an insolvency procedure
Post-Appointment
The UK based practice specialises in hotels and spas, retail and leisure - providing
masterplanning, architecture and interior design services to a range of famous brands.
Operations include working for clients and projects in the UK and Ireland, plus
several new European countries including Greece, Romania, Lithuania and Malta. It
has over 20 clients and currently employs 13 people in London. This business has
a great reputation and client base and the Joint Administrators are continuing to
service clients.
Manufacture of fabricated metal products
Turnover £1m to £4.99m
Employees 10 to 99
Trading
Post-Appointment
This Nottingham based Specialist Precision Metal Fabrication Company is offered
for sale following the appointment of Joint Administrators who are trading the Company
as a going concern whilst a purchaser is sought for the business and assets. The
Company operates within a specialist industry and also contracts precision metal
fabrication within the general marketplace both in the UK and abroad. It has recently
expanded its customer portfolio towards other niche markets such as environmental
projects and projects considerable success with this in the future. Turnover for
FY 2008 circa £2 million. Majority of sales for the “stakes with prizes” gaming
industry. Fully equipped with the latest manufacturing facilities. Offers a complete
service from design through to manufacture using CAD/CAM with a variety of file
formats. Laser profiling and CNC punch press facilities, 2.5 metre pressbrakes,
Stud, Spot, MIG and TIG welding facilities. Workforce of 20 and leasehold factory
of 15,000 sq ft.
For more postings, please
register
News snapshot
MPs Call for More Action on Pre-packs
Public confidence in the insolvency regime is being and will be further damaged
if the worst examples of pre-pack deals are not curbed, according to a report by
the Business and Enterprise select committee into the Insolvency Service.
“Prompt, robust and effective action is needed to ensure that pre-pack administrations
are transparent and free from abuse,” the report concludes. “Unsecured creditors
tend to be kept in the dark and recover even less than they would in a normal administration.
This causes particular outrage where the existing management buy back the business
and continue to trade clear of the original debts. Pre-packs of this kind fuel understandable
concerns about illegitimate, self-serving alliances between directors and insolvency
practitioners.”
The report demands that the interests of unsecured trade creditors must take a higher
priority, especially in ‘phoenix’ pre-pack administrations, and suggests that the
insolvency system, the Insolvency Service and the insolvency profession all risk
real reputational damage if the situation is not addressed.
“More worryingly,” the MPs’ report continues, “many SMEs appear to be suffering
unreasonable financial harm with no corresponding benefits to the wider economy.
Where there are good reasons for an insolvency practitioner agreeing to a pre-pack,
which there can often be, this must be explained clearly and fully. Where there
are no good reasons for entering a pre-pack, this must be exposed before the damage
is done.”
R3 Believes SIP 16 Can Work
R3 has made a robust defence of the insolvency profession’s handling of pre-packs
in response to the Business and Enterprise select committee’s report into the Insolvency
Service and has called for more time for the new Statement of Insolvency Practice
16 to take full effect.
Peter Sargent, President of the insolvency trade body, says: “The investigation
of the Insolvency Service has certainly picked up on the exaggerated claims about
the perceived dangers of pre-packs. As yet there has been no evidence of any systematic
abuse of pre-packs and there are clear benefits in pre-packs for secured creditors
and saving jobs.
“We believe that SIP 16, which came into force on January 1, will succeed in its
aims to increase transparency; and together with the Insolvency Service’s ‘policing’
of pre-packs should be given time to show that these systems and checks are working.
A survey of our members in April showed that of the 35% of insolvency practitioners
that performed a pre-pack since 1 January 2009, 99% of them said they had complied
with SIP 16.”
R3 expressed concerns to the select committee over the reduced levels of funding
for the investigation and enforcement activities by the Insolvency Service and Sargent
adds: “We know that not all reports submitted by IPs believed to merit investigation
are pursued by the Insolvency Service. Therefore reducing funding for this activity
is counterintuitive during these recessionary times where fraud is on the increase
and IPs are unmasking more incidences of fraudulent behaviour.”
A recent survey, carried out for R3 by polling company ComRes in April 2009, revealed
that more than 39% of respondents (to whom this question was applicable) had seen
an increase in the number of corporate fraud cases, and 33% had seen an increase
in personal fraud.
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Featured event
R3’s SPG Forum
15 – 16 October Warwickshire, Chesford Grange Hotel
Course directors: Fiona Monson, Armida Business Recovery LLP; Amanda Ireland, McCabe
Ford Williams
The SPG forum is a well established and popular conference in the R3 calendar. The
forum focuses on the pertinent and topical issues concerning the smaller practitioner
and includes a traditional forum debate, which always allows the key questions of
the day to be raised in what has come to be known as a very lively discussion session!
This conference is only open to R3 members from small firms.
For more information visit R3 - Association of Business
Recovery Professionals
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Brief testimonial
“Our first posting on IP-BID.com was a pre-appointment case involving a property
portfolio. I was worried that we might be inundated with timewasters but I was pleasantly
surprised at the quality of expressions of interest. Posting the business was straightforward.
It was a quick and easy way to test the market.”
Paul Whitwam, Senior Manager, Tenon Recovery
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more testimonials
Quick case study
An insolvency practitioner handling a pre-appointment case in the Midlands was up
against the clock. The primary challenge for the IP was to find a buyer/investor
before the business was pushed into administration because a bank with a substantial
loan outstanding could pull the plug at any moment and would then set its own agenda.
Through IP-BID.com the IP was able to cast the net widely and test the market quickly,
receiving a significant number of expressions of interest from serious potential
buyers within 24 hours. These expressions of interest also helped to validate further
expressions of interest from interested parties introduced by the existing management.
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more case studies