# How Do I Find Owner-Run Companies That Are Ready to Sell?

> A GTM play for Revnu for M&A advisers, private equity and search funds. Revnu reads filed company accounts and the officers and shareholders register to find profitable owner-run companies whose owner is near retirement with no successor on the board, then writes to the owner about what comes next.

Canonical: https://revnu.com/docs/play-owners-ready-to-sell
Last updated: 2026-11-08

The best acquisition targets aren't for sale yet. They're profitable, owner-run companies whose owner is in their sixties or seventies with no one lined up to take over. Revnu reads the public record to find them: filed accounts for turnover, profit and debt, and the officers and shareholders register for who owns the company, how old they are and who else is on the board.

## Why it works

Every owner sells eventually, and most start thinking about it years before they call an adviser. The public record tells you who is close: a sole shareholder aged 68, a profit trend that has peaked, no next generation among the directors. Reach them first, with numbers from their own accounts, and you're the adviser or buyer they already know when they decide.

## How to run it

1. **Describe the target.** Give the profit or turnover range, staff, sector, region and owner profile, such as "£1m+ profit, owner 55+, three shareholders or fewer".
2. **Find the companies.** Revnu works through published rankings, sector lists and the company register for the region and sector you name.
3. **Read the filings.** For each company, Revnu reads the latest filed accounts for turnover, operating profit, net assets, cash and debt, and the trend over recent years.
4. **Read the owners.** From the officers and shareholders register, Revnu notes who owns the company, each owner's age, and whether a next generation sits on the board.
5. **Find the owner.** A checked email and, where public, a phone number for the owner-director.
6. **Write to the owner.** A short, respectful note about their options, built on their own numbers, never a pitch.

## The prompt

> Find UK owner-run companies in [region or sector] with operating profit of about [£1m] or more, [30+] staff, and an owner aged [55] or over who holds most of the shares. For each one, note turnover and profit for the last two years, net assets, debt, each owner's age and shareholding, and whether anyone from the next generation is a director. Find the owner's email and phone. Write a short, respectful email about their options for the future of the business.

[Try this in Revnu](https://revnu.com/sign-up?prompt=Find%20UK%20owner-run%20companies%20in%20%5Bregion%20or%20sector%5D%20with%20operating%20profit%20of%20about%20%5B%C2%A31m%5D%20or%20more%2C%20%5B30%2B%5D%20staff%2C%20and%20an%20owner%20aged%20%5B55%5D%20or%20over%20who%20holds%20most%20of%20the%20shares.%20For%20each%20one%2C%20note%20turnover%20and%20profit%20for%20the%20last%20two%20years%2C%20net%20assets%2C%20debt%2C%20each%20owner%27s%20age%20and%20shareholding%2C%20and%20whether%20anyone%20from%20the%20next%20generation%20is%20a%20director.%20Find%20the%20owner%27s%20email%20and%20phone.%20Write%20a%20short%2C%20respectful%20email%20about%20their%20options%20for%20the%20future%20of%20the%20business.)

Each lead keeps its numbers and sources on its **Signals** tab: turnover trend, profit, net assets, owner age and succession. Your first sequence waits for your approval in **Review**.

## Run it every week

> Every Monday, find 10 new owner-run companies that fit our target in a region we haven't covered yet, read their latest accounts and owners, and add them to the Ready to Sell campaign.

Set it up as a [workflow](https://revnu.com/docs/recurring-work.md) once and it runs on its own. See [recurring work with workflows](https://revnu.com/docs/recurring-work.md) and the [workflows API](https://revnu.com/docs/workflows.md).

## Related

[Intent signals library](https://revnu.com/docs/intent-signals.md), [growing companies from filed accounts](https://revnu.com/docs/play-filed-accounts-growth.md), [local businesses play](https://revnu.com/docs/play-local-businesses.md) and [all GTM plays](https://revnu.com/docs/play-overview.md).

## Frequently asked questions

### Which countries does this work in?

Anywhere companies file accounts and owners on a public register. In the UK, Companies House publishes filed accounts, directors, shareholders and each director's month and year of birth, which makes this play especially strong there.

### How does Revnu know the owner's age?

From the public officers register, which shows each director's month and year of birth. Revnu works out the age and notes it on the lead.

### How does Revnu judge succession?

It reads who else is a director and a shareholder. A sole owner with no family member or senior manager on the board reads as "no successor". A son or daughter on the board reads as a family succession, which changes the conversation.

### What should the first email say?

Not "do you want to sell?". Talk about options: growth capital, a partial sale, a management buyout, or a full sale when the time is right. Mention one number from their own accounts so it's clear you did the work.

### Can I include a phone number?

Yes. Ask for phone numbers and Revnu adds the owner's where one is public, so you can call the owners who don't reply.