Martin's ambitious roll-up strategy for accountancy firms includes a unique model where he charges businesses to help them become worth buying.

GUEST

Martin — Entrepreneur building a £400m financial services group through accountancy acquisitions.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Martin came to Jonathan Jay's course as a sceptic and left ready to move fast. Within days of finishing, he had acquired his first accountancy firm — and a second between Christmas and New Year. His strategy has since evolved into a sophisticated pipeline model: for businesses that want more than he can fairly pay, Martin charges a monthly consulting fee and takes an option to buy in three years, helping them reach the value they're seeking while generating referral income along the way.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

▸ Speed of action after learning the process is a hallmark of successful acquirers — Martin had two deals done within a week of finishing the course.

▸ Buying your own accountant can be a dual win: you get a great business model AND recruit the MD you wanted.

▸ For businesses priced far above what they're worth, an option-to-purchase combined with paid consultancy creates a win-win: the seller gets help, you get referral income and a pipeline deal.

▸ Accountants typically value their own businesses on gross recurring fees (0.8–1.5x turnover) rather than profit multiples — understand this going in.

▸ Integrating mortgage, insurance and pension referrals into acquired accounting firms is where the real profit sits.

▸ A business that's been consulted and developed before acquisition arrives de-risked, with transition work already done.

DEAL HIGHLIGHT

Martin has built a pipeline of 14 businesses he is actively preparing for acquisition, charging them monthly consultancy fees while holding an option to buy at a pre-agreed price — creating income today and a de-risked acquisition tomorrow.

"What if we just start buying up accountants? How hard can it be?"

Learn more: www.dealmakers.co.uk