Thinking of selling your business? Tell me first.
I buy businesses in Pattaya, and so do owners I know. The best ones here never get advertised: they change hands quietly, between people who trust each other. If you're thinking of selling, tell me in confidence and I'll give you a straight answer.
Shane RuddleOwner of 7 Pattaya businesses · 20 years here Confidential. Nobody hears about it without your OK.Six reasons to tell me before you list it
I'm a real buyer
I own seven businesses in Pattaya and bought most of them rather than starting them. You're talking to the person who decides and pays, not an agent collecting listings.
Your sale stays quiet
No Facebook post, no listing site, no sign in the window. Your staff, customers, landlord and competitors don't find out you're selling while you're still trading.
More than one buyer
If it isn't right for me, I know other owners here who buy businesses. With your permission, and only then, I can put it in front of the ones it suits.
A straight answer on price
I'll tell you what I'd pay and why, based on the profit, the lease and how long you've traded. The rules I use are on this site, so there are no games.
No agent, no listing fee
You deal with me directly. Nothing to sign up for, nothing to pay to find out whether there's interest.
I know how a handover works
The lease and the landlord, the Thai company, the licences, the staff. I've taken over enough businesses here to make it smooth for you and the people who work for you.
What you tell me stays with me
I know what happens when word gets out that a business is for sale: staff start looking for other jobs, the landlord gets ideas and competitors talk. So here's how I handle it.
Shane
- I read every message myself. Nobody else sees it.
- I won't tell anyone your business is for sale, including the buyers I know, unless you say yes first.
- I won't contact your staff, your landlord, your customers or your suppliers.
- I'll never post about it or name your business anywhere, on this site or off it.
- You don't have to name the business in your first message. Tell me the type, the area and the rough numbers.
- If you'd like a confidentiality agreement before you show me the books, I'll sign one.
- If you change your mind, tell me and I'll delete what you sent.
The businesses I buy
- Restaurants and bars with a track record
- Guesthouses and small hotels
- Service businesses: rentals, agencies, cafes
- Businesses with Thai customers as well as tourists
- Ones where the staff want to stay on
What I don't buy
- Walking Street venues, go-go bars and nightclubs
- Lease-only sales with no trading history
- Anything that only works with the owner behind the bar
Not sure it fits? Tell me anyway. One of the owners I know may want it.
Four steps, at your pace
- 1
Tell me the basics
The type of business, the area, roughly what it makes and what you'd like for it. No name needed yet.
- 2
I reply personally
Usually within a couple of days, with an honest view of whether it's something I'd buy.
- 3
We look at the numbers
If it's a fit, we meet and go through the accounts, the lease and the staff, in confidence.
- 4
An offer or an introduction
I make you an offer, or, if you agree, I introduce you to an owner I know who's a better fit.
Tell me about your business, in confidence
A few lines is enough to start. You don't need to name the business. It helps if you can tell me:
- Type of business and area
- How long it's been trading
- Rough profit a year
- What you'd like for it
- Years left on the lease
- Why you're selling
Looking to buy? Tell me what you want
Because owners tell me when they're thinking of selling, I often hear about good businesses before anyone else does. Tell me what you're looking for and your budget, and if I hear of something that fits, and the owner agrees, I'll put you in touch.
Already found one?
Check the dealNot sure you should buy one at all? Take the reality check.
Selling your business: what owners ask me
Do I have to tell you the name of my business?
No. Start with the type of business, the area and the rough numbers. If it sounds like a fit, I'll ask for more, and you decide when to share it.
Will you tell anyone my business is for sale?
No. I don't mention it to anyone, including the buyers I know, unless you've said yes. I never contact your staff, landlord or customers.
How do you work out what to pay?
Mostly on profit: two to four times a year's profit, depending on how long it has traded, plus the lease, the landlord and whether the staff stay. I explain the rules in my article on valuing a business.
MoreWhat if you don't want to buy it?
I'll tell you straight. If you agree, I'll pass it to an owner I know who might, and if you don't, that's the end of it.
Do you charge anything?
No. I'm a buyer, not an agent. There's no fee to tell me about your business.
What kind of businesses do you buy?
Restaurants, bars, guesthouses and service businesses with a trading history. I don't buy Walking Street venues, go-go bars or nightclubs.
Thinking of selling, even one day?
A short message now costs you nothing and stays between us.