Business transfer: find and select a buyer

Verified 06 October 2026 - Entreprendre Service Public / (Prime Minister)

Finding a buyer consists of making the divestiture project known to potential candidates, then identifying the one whose profile and project best match the company.

Step-by-step approach

Divesting your company involves choosing a buyer. It exists different types of buyer profiles, which the transferor of company may choose according to your selection criteria.

1The different profiles of the buyers

Several buyer profiles can respond to the offer of sale of the ceding :

  • Family members : the recovery can ensure continuity of company within the family. Transmission usually takes the form of a donation.
  • Friends : they can know how the company works and its working environment.
  • Employees : they already know the company's business, organization and customers, which can facilitate recovery.
  • Customers : they may wish to integrate the activity into their own company or develop their activity.
  • Suppliers : the recovery may allow them to control an additional part of their activity or secure an outlet.
  • Competitors : they may seek to expand their business, expand their customer base or strengthen their market position.
  • Third company : they may be persons or companies outside the transferor's network, seeking a company to be taken over corresponding to their project.

Warning  

Getting too close to a competitor too soon can be risky (dissemination of confidential information) in the event that the assignment does not succeed.

2The selection criteria for the buyer

The transferor may define upstream the characteristics sought in the future buyer, in accordance with its expectations and the needs of the company:

  • personal criteria : family situation, age, personality of the purchaser
  • professional criteria : knowledge of the market, company development strategy, previous professional situation
  • financial criteria : acceptance of the proposed price, financial contribution, investment alone or with others

Each criterion may be more important from one company manager to another.

Example :

For example, an executive may have certain expectations about the future of his company. In this case, he will probably consider the occupational criterion as the determining criterion. Conversely, if the satisfaction of its employees is its priority, the transferor will undoubtedly pay more attention to his personal criteria, and in particular to the personality of the purchaser.

Depending on the sector and the size of the company to be transmitted, it may be necessary to define a minimum of technical skills essential for recovery. This is the case, for example, for the industrial and engineering sectors that require particular expertise.

In order to publicize its offer to sell, the transferor must draw up an announcement of sale sufficiently complete and attractive to trigger among the candidates for the takeover the desire to contact him.

Conversely, a vague and unsubstantiated announcement may put off potential buyers of the company.

To enhance the value of the sale announcement, the description of the company to be transmitted must be based on the following information :

  • Geographical location
  • Sector of activity
  • Development potential
  • Type of clientele
  • Staff of the company
  • Commercial area
  • Cost of rental property
  • State of competition
  • Condition of equipment and equipment
  • Seniority of the company
  • Reason for disposal (retirement, new opportunity)
  • Minimum contribution required for recovery

Please note

Of overly precise information can immediately identify the company. An assignment announcement must remain anonymous. It is important to maintain confidentiality company so as not to worry customers and suppliers.

It is important to highlight the strengths of the company : a loyal clientele, a stable team, specific know-how, a recognized positioning in its market or a clearly identified development potential. The purpose of the sale announcement is not immediately to sell but to create a first level of trust.

In order to immediately capture the buyer, the title of the ad right be factual and enable rapid identification of the activity proposed.

Example :

Titles like « PME: titleContent profitable industrial with recurring customers ’ or ‘ Business B2B specialized with loyal customer portfolio » increase the chances of attracting good profiles.

Conversely, titles such as « Nice deal to seize », « Company with high potential ’ or ‘ Very good opportunity » do not provide enough concrete information to attract suitable profiles.

Please note

It is important to remain accurate and factual andavoid an overly emotional tone by trying to tell the story of the company: the goal is not to sell immediately, but to initiate a first qualified exchange.

Once the sale offer has been prepared, it may be distributed to potential buyers. Multiple channels can be used to broaden its visibility and touch profiles corresponding to the transmission project.

1Mobilize your professional and personal environment

The transferor may first inform its professional and personal network of its proposed sale and rely on the word of mouth. In particular, it may inform its suppliers, partners, colleagues, professional customers, employees of the company or other contacts that may know a buyer.

The professionals who accompany the company, in particular the chartered accountant, the lawyer, the notary or the banking institution, may also be informed of the project. Their knowledge of the company and their professional network can help to identify potential buyers or to direct the transferor to a suitable device.

2Choosing a transmission network

When the personal and professional network does not identify a buyer, or for broaden research, several networks propose to disseminate divestiture offers.

The choice depends in particular onactivity of the company, of its size, of its location and the buyer profile sought.

Some networks are generalist, while others target particular companies or sectors:

Generalist transmission networks

1. Transenterprise, network of CCI: titleContent and CMA: titleContent makes it possible to disseminate offers in many sectors, including crafts, trade, industry, services and tourism:

Post a company sale announcement on the Transentreprise platform (CCI and CMA)

2. The C.R.A (association of transferors and business purchasers) is primarily aimed at VSE: titleContent and PME: titleContent and offers opportunities in several sectors, including industry, company services, BTP: titleContent, the second work and the trade:

The support of the C.R.A to the transfer of company (transferor service)

Association C.R.A (Assignors and Buyers)

Pour en savoir plus

The C.R.A. proposes a personalized support for the sale of a company (mentoring of a C.R.A. delegate, day of exchanges with experts, publication of an announcement on the C.R.A. website).

For this, it is necessary to join the C.R.A :

Please note

There areother general marketplaces especially private as SmeDisposal specializes in the sale and purchase of companies, businesses and franchises or Fusacq positioned on the sale and acquisition of TPE-PME and the purchase and sale of businesses and commercial premises (via Place des commerces).

Specialist Transmission Networks

The choice of a specialized network may make it possible to directly reach buyers who are looking for company in a specific sector or type of activity.

Several networks can also be used when reaching different audiences:

  • Transmibat : platform proposed by the French Building Federation
  • Hairstyle ad : free marketplace of the National Union of Hairdressing companies (UNEC)
  • Entrepreneurship craft : national stock exchange specializing in the sale and resumption of craft activities
  • Trade announcements : commercial real estate advertising platform dedicated to craftsmen and traders, specializing in connecting sellers and buyers
  • Disposal of trade : announcements of the ICF L'Argus magazine, which lists businesses of all types

Please note

For an agricultural activity, the Chamber of Agriculture proposes specific transmission devices, in particular the Point Accueil Transmission (PAT) and the Installation Departure Directory (RDI), which makes it possible, in particular, to connect sellers and takeover candidates:

Filing an announcement of the transfer of an agricultural or rural company in the Installation Departure Directory (RDI)

For find all general and sectoral marketplaces :

Find a company take-back-transmission announcement exchange

France Num

Pour en savoir plus

3Submit the draft terms of transfer

Once the network is chosen, the divestiture project can be deposited directly with this network, according to its distribution methods.

It is also possible to go through the Bourse de la Transmission de Bpifrance. The function « Disseminate my divestiture project » allows you to fill in all the information relating to the disposal project and then choose a partner network from Fusacq, Transentreprise, CessionPME, Fusacq, etc.:

Disseminate my divestiture project or my takeover project

Please note

It is therefore not necessary to submit the same offer twice with Bpifrance and the partner network. When the offer is disseminated by a partner network and integrated into the Transmission Exchange, it can thus benefit from visibility on both devices.

After the offer has been circulated, the transferor may review applications, meet candidates and select the most suitable profile to its transmission project.

1Collect and review applications

Initially, the interested buyers can contact with the assignor. These first exchanges allow present the draft terms of sale, to answer the first questions and to gather the necessary information on the candidate and his takeover project.

In particular, the following should be examined:

  • sound profile and professional experience
  • its motivations and the reasons for his interest in the company
  • sound project for the company (business continuity, development, diversification, etc.)
  • its ability to respond to buyer profile sought and to the defined terms of sale

2Meet the candidates

Candidates corresponding to the desired profile can then be met in order to deepen their recovery project. These exchanges allow us to better appreciate their experience, their motivations, their vision of the company and their capacity to lead the project.

In particular, the transferor may deepen:

  • theexperience and skills of the candidate in relation to the activity
  • sa motivation and its involvement in the project
  • his vision of the development and continuity of the company
  • sound funding plan and its ability to raise the funds needed for recovery
  • the conditions under which it envisages the takeover and transition with the transferor

Please note

Several meetings may be necessary to allow the transferor and the candidate to clarify their expectations and verify the compatibility of their projects.

3Select the buyer

The transferor may compare the candidates with regard to the criteria defined before the buyer is found and the conditions envisaged for the transfer. The choice may take into account the candidate's experience and skills, the soundness of his project, his financial capacity and his compatibility with the prospects of the company.

Once a candidate has been selected, the discussions can be deepened in order to prepare the rest of the transfer. Before communicating sensitive information about the company, it is possible to have a confidentiality agreement. This agreement specifies in particular the information covered, the persons authorized to access it, the conditions of their use and the duration of the confidentiality obligation.

Once the agreement has been signed, the information necessary for the study of the takeover can be provided gradually, depending on the progress of the exchanges (detailed financial data, contracts, customer files, commercial conditions, know-how, etc.).

Please note

The confidentiality agreement obliges the applicant to maintain the secrecy of the information provided and not to disclose them to third parties without the consent of the assignor. It is recommended that only the necessary information be provided at each stage of the negotiation.

These exchanges then confirm the suitability of the candidate with the project and begin to specify the terms of the sale (scope of the operation, price, payment terms, guarantees, support of the buyer).

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