Thinking about selling your business?
We're a private investment group that buys small and medium-sized businesses and runs them for the long term. If you're planning to retire, step back, or simply move on, we'll give you a straight answer and a fair deal — in confidence.
No brokers. No fees to you. No obligation. Every enquiry is treated in strict confidence.
What we're looking for
- ✓ Established, profitable small and medium-sized businesses
- ✓ Cork, anywhere in Ireland, or Europe
- ✓ Any sector — if it works without you in the room, we're interested
- ✓ Owners who want a real handover, not a fire sale
Most owners come to us at a turning point
You've built something that works. The question is what happens next.
Retirement
You're ready to step away and want the business — and your people — in safe hands.
No successor
There's no family member or manager lined up to take it on.
Time to step back
You want to reduce your hours or your risk without simply shutting the doors.
A partner is leaving
Co-founders want different things and you need to buy out or exit cleanly.
Burnout
The business is sound but you're done carrying it. A clean handover beats a slow decline.
De-risking
Most of your wealth is tied up in the company and you'd like to take some off the table.
Established businesses that already work
We're currently buying small and medium-sized businesses — profitable, with a track record and a team that keeps running when the owner isn't in the room.
A good fit looks like
✓ Trading for several years with steady, real profits
✓ Based in Cork, elsewhere in Ireland, or in Europe
✓ Any sector — services, manufacturing, distribution, trades, B2B, established online
✓ A capable team and reasonably tidy books
✓ An owner who wants a genuine handover, not a fire sale
Probably not for us
✓ Pre-revenue start-ups or pure ideas
✓ Businesses that only work with the current owner in the chair
✓ Deep turnarounds with no underlying profit
✓ Property-only or passive holding companies
Not sure if you fit? Tell us a little and we'll give you an honest view either way.
A simple, confidential process
Most conversations move from first call to completion in weeks, not months.
A short, confidential call
Tell us about the business and what you want out of an exit. No documents needed yet, no commitment.
Sign an NDA and share the basics
We agree confidentiality in writing, then look at high-level numbers — revenue, profit, how the business runs.
An indicative offer
If it's a fit, we come back quickly with an indicative structure and price so you can decide whether to proceed.
Due diligence and terms
We verify the picture with our advisors and agree final terms. You'll always know where things stand.
Completion and handover
Legals complete, you're paid to the agreed schedule, and we take on the business — keeping the name and the team.
The deal is built around what matters to you
The first question we ask is simple: what matters more — how much you get, or when you get it? Your answer shapes everything else.
Full cash-out
A clean exit at completion where that's the priority, structured to what the business can support.
Staged payments
A strong headline price paid over an agreed schedule — often the best total outcome for the seller.
Earn-out
Part of the price linked to the business performing as expected over the next year or two.
Stay on, or don't
Hand over the keys on day one, or stay involved for a transition period — your call.
Partial sale
Sell most of the business, keep a minority stake, and take real weight off your shoulders.
Seller financing
Where it gets you a better price or a faster close, we can agree vendor terms with proper security.
Long-term owners, not asset-strippers
CorkCity.com is a private investment group. We buy good businesses and hold them — improving them steadily rather than flipping them or breaking them up. When we acquire a company, the name stays, the team stays, and customers shouldn't notice much beyond things running a little more smoothly.
Every deal is done with experienced legal and financial advisors on our side, which means we can move quickly and give you certainty. We work directly with owners — no brokers in the middle, and no fees charged to you.
✓ Direct and discreet
You deal with the people making the decision, and nothing leaves the room.
✓ We keep it running
Same name, same people, continuity for your customers and staff.
✓ Certainty of close
Advisors lined up and funding in place before we make an offer.
Common questions
Is this really confidential?
Yes. Early conversations are informal and off the record, and we'll sign an NDA before you share anything sensitive. We don't advertise deals, contact your staff, customers or suppliers, or tell anyone we're talking.
Do I need a broker?
No. We work directly with owners. You're welcome to take your own legal and tax advice — you should — but there's no broker or introducer, and we don't charge you a fee.
What size of business do you buy?
Small and medium-sized businesses. The key things are that it's genuinely profitable and doesn't depend entirely on you. If you're unsure, just ask.
What happens to my staff and the company name?
Both stay. We buy businesses to run them, so continuity matters to us as much as it does to you. Existing employment terms are honoured.
How do you pay — is it all cash up front?
It depends on what you want. We can structure a clean cash exit, staged payments, an earn-out, or a mix. We'll walk you through the trade-offs so you can choose.
Which areas do you cover?
We're based in Cork and buy across Ireland and Europe.
How long does it take?
From first call to completion is usually a matter of weeks, depending on how quickly information comes together and how complex the business is.
I'm only thinking about it — is it too early to talk?
No. Plenty of owners talk to us a year or more before they're ready. An early conversation costs nothing and helps you plan.
Start a confidential conversation
Tell us a little about your business. We'll come back to you personally, usually within a day.
Get in touch