The business takeover market is likely to experience a resurgence in activity over the coming months, as state subsidies come to an end. Several buyout platforms, recently joined by the databases of chartered accountants and commercial court clerks, are listing companies to be taken over.
The Chamber of Trades and Crafts platform
The Entreprendre platform of the Chambre des métiers et de l'artisanat (Chamber of Trades and Crafts) features over 5,000 ads from the craft sector. It includes a large number of businesses that have been weakened by the health crisis, such as hairdressers, caterers, printers and event organizers.
These companies are in difficulty, but can still be sold, as they remain viable, thanks in part to various government support schemes. Over the next 10 years, 300,000 of the 1.7 million businesses in the craft sector will need to be taken over, i.e. possibly 30,000 a year.
To convince the managers of companies eligible for takeover, the Chambre des métiers et de l'artisanat (CMA) contacts them and offers them a pre-diagnosis and support.
The Fusacq marketplace
Fusacq is a private marketplace listing 1,600 ads for SMEs and VSEs to be acquired. This database is expanded by direct ads, or ads placed by various professionals such as consulting firms, lawyers and investment banks.
Managers of companies to be sold don't pay to be visible on the platform: it's the people interested in buying them who have to pay a certain amount in order to have access to the contact details.
Damien Noël, founder and CEO of the Fusacq marketplace, notes that since the start of the pandemic, the number of businesses up for sale has fallen, while the number of potential buyers has risen. However, with the gradual disappearance of state aid, the number of businesses to be taken over is likely to increase over the coming months.
Reprise, the platform for accountants
Launched in February 2020 by the Ordre des experts-comptables, the Reprise platform enables buyers to register free of charge. They cannot, however, make direct contact with the managers of the companies to be sold: the chartered accountants act as intermediaries, and are keen to learn about the buyers' plans first.
The platform currently lists fewer than 200 advertisements, put online by chartered accountants when they are informed by their clients of their plans to sell their businesses.
Infogreffe, the marketplace for court registries
The Infogreffe.fr website is not new: it already enabled company directors to carry out a number of formalities, and listed a certain amount of information on companies registered with the Registre du Commerce et des Sociétés (RCS).
There is now also an Infogreffe marketplace dedicated to company buyouts. Buyers must first take out a paying subscription, before being able to consult the sale offers. These are automatically put online as soon as the commercial court opens receivership proceedings.
All data is anonymous, and buyers can communicate with agents via a secure messaging system.