How a sale works
Selling the business you built is not a transaction like any other, and we do not treat it as one. What follows is how a conversation with us usually unfolds — unhurried, and at the pace you set. It can stop whenever you wish.
I · A first conversation
We meet, with no obligation on either side. You tell us about the business; we tell you honestly whether it is the kind of company we are looking for. Most first conversations lead nowhere, and that is perfectly fine.
II · A simple indication of interest
If there is interest on both sides, we put in writing what we believe the business is worth and on what terms — in plain language, early, before you have spent weeks on it. You will not be led along only to find the price has dropped at the end.
III · Getting to know the business
We spend a short period understanding the company properly: its accounts, its customers, how the work actually gets done. We are careful with your time and your people, and we keep it as light as honesty allows.
IV · A fair price, clear terms
We agree a fair price and terms you understand. We do not engineer the numbers, and we do not load the business with debt to make our return. Usually we buy the company in full; if you would rather keep a stake or be paid over time, we can arrange that too.
V · Continuity at closing
When we complete, the team stays, the location stays, and — in almost every case — the name stays. Your people keep their jobs and, in most cases, their managers. What changes on the first day is as little as we can manage.
VI · The years after
We do not sell. The business joins a small group of companies we intend to keep for good — and whatever we promise you about the years after, we are the ones who will still be there to keep it.
Most owners we talk to are not looking to disappear. After the first few years there are three doors, and you choose: carry on running the company; join us in finding and settling the next ones; or take the time to bring your successor through properly. If none of those appeal, a seat as adviser is yours for as long as you want it. What does not happen is someone deciding, on a date fixed in advance, that there is no longer room for you.
What we look for
| Sector | Mechanical, electrical and plumbing services |
|---|---|
| Size | Roughly €300,000 to €5 million in annual earnings |
| Where | Continental Portugal |
| Situation | An owner with no clear successor — whether you want to hand over, or to keep running it with partners behind you |
| What we avoid | Turnarounds, start-ups, and anything that needs rescuing |
If your business is close to this but not exactly, write anyway. These are guides, not gates.
Common questions
What changes in my company?
As little as possible. The team, the name, and the location stay. We change nothing on the first day that we have not discussed with you, and our instinct is always to keep what already works.
What happens to my people?
They keep their jobs. The people who run the business day to day usually continue to run it. We buy companies because of the people in them, not in spite of them.
Does the name stay?
In almost every case, yes — the name above the door is part of what we are buying. If there is ever a reason to change it, we discuss it with you first.
Can I stay involved?
If you wish, for as long as it suits you — a few months or a few years. And if you would rather hand over the keys and step away cleanly, that is fine too.
What if I don’t want to stop working?
Then don’t. A good many owners we speak to have no intention of going home, and we would rather buy a company whose owner still wants to run it than one whose owner has already left. We are two more pairs of hands, not a replacement.
Is it confidential?
Yes. Every conversation is private, from the first email onward, and nothing is shared without your agreement.
Do you buy the whole company?
Usually in full. If you would prefer to keep a stake or be paid over time, we can arrange that.
How do we begin?
Write to us. A first conversation is private and carries no obligation.
If any of this is of interest, write to us at geral@grupocerne.pt — or simply call. Pedro Teixeira Duarte, +351 918 330 399. Manuel Oliveira, +351 910 736 633. A first conversation is private and commits you to nothing.