A Dorset business coach is launching a new way for small business owners to find a buyer when they are ready to retire, rather than closing down.

Simon Ellson has teamed up with chartered certified accountant Ross Bugden FCCA to create FairExchange, which goes live on 1 November 2026.

The idea was inspired by one of Ross’s clients, who ran a business with his wife and was preparing to close it so they could retire. They had spent 12 years building its reputation and customer base but did not believe they had anything to sell.

Simon and Ross valued the business together, found a buyer and, within 12 months, helped him and his wife sell it for £275,000.

The founders believe other owners could be overlooking the value of businesses they have spent years building. A May 2025 survey of 250 UK small business owners by Capital on Tap found that 79% had no exit strategy in place.

Simon, a Dorset Chamber member who works with business owners across the county and hosts the Dorset Business Matters podcast, said:

“If I’m thinking about moving house, I can open Rightmove on a Sunday night and see what’s available. So why, if I’m thinking about buying a business, is it difficult to see what’s out there?

“And if I’ve spent 30 years building a decent business and want to retire, why should getting it in front of buyers be complicated or expensive?”

FairExchange lets owners list their business from £100 a month and sell directly to buyers, rather than handing over a share of the sale price as many brokers charge, with vetted solicitors, accountants and business coaches on hand to help. It is aimed at smaller firms, from engineering businesses and agencies to manufacturers and retailers.

Ross said:
“There are good businesses all over the UK where an owner has built something genuinely valuable but has no clear idea how to find the next owner. At the same time, there are people actively looking for exactly those opportunities.

“The two sides often never meet. FairExchange creates that meeting place.”
The founders also hope to encourage aspiring entrepreneurs to consider buying an existing business, alongside starting one from scratch.

Simon added:
“I love start-ups, but why does entrepreneurship always have to mean starting with nothing? Somebody has spent 30 years building a perfectly good business and wants to retire.

Somebody else wants to own a business. Putting those two people together seems pretty sensible to us.”

Owners, buyers and advisers can register ahead of launch at fairexchange.co.