In this piece in association with BusinessesForSale.com, we look at a selection of exciting UK businesses for sale, review what makes them ideal purchases and what type of person or business owner would benefit the most from acquiring them.

Beautiful village pub and restaurant for sale

If you have a background in catering and want to escape city life, this charming pub in Fife, Scotland, could be an ideal purchase.

Location

Limekilns, Fife

Asking price

£575,000

Turnover

Available on request

Property

Freehold

Who’s it good for?

Someone who is interested in food and drink. Someone with a background and experience in catering. Someone looking to escape city life. A family who are looking to relocate.

The industry

According to the Scottish Beer and Pub Association, there are approximately 4,900 pubs in Scotland, approximately 3,150 of which are independent free trade.

The industry also employs almost 60,000 people and contributes over £1.7 billion to the Scottish economy every year.

Statistics also show a continued high level of investment in the industry, with £148 million provided in capital investment.

The business

This beautiful detached stone built pub, restaurant and accommodation is in the beautiful and historic village of Limekilns on the northern shores of the Forth.

The village is situated approximately 2.5 miles south of Dunfermline town centre and is easily accessible from the main motorway meaning that Edinburgh is just half an hour away.

This area of Fife has recently seen a boost in tourist numbers due to the filming of the American TV series, Outlander.

The Ship Inn is currently run by a husband and wife team with the assistance of part time staff. In the 15 years that they have owned it, they have built up an exceptional business, with repeat customers and an impressive turnover.

The pub and restaurant are located on the ground floor while the owner’s accommodation is spread across the ground, first and second floors.

Aside from the perfect waterfront location, this is one of the most attractive aspects of this sale. The private owner’s accommodation that accompanies the business is of an excellent quality and sizeable enough to accommodate a family.

Offering excellent home cooked meals and a warm, relaxing atmosphere, this traditional village pub attracts both holidaymakers and locals and with its 4.5 stars on Google and 5 stars on TripAdvisor you can certainly see why.

This could be the perfect opportunity to purchase a successful and well-regarded business – could it be for you?

Find more pubs for sale in Scotland here.

Boat trips and hire business in Skipton for sale

Here’s a great lifestyle business with real potential for expansion.

Location

Skipton, North Yorkshire

Asking price

£480,000 (furniture and fixtures included)

Turnover

£230,000

Property

Leasehold

Who’s it good for?

Someone looking for a fun lifestyle business. Someone looking for a business with potential for expansion. Someone who loves boats, water sports or being out on the water.

The industry

Boating tourism (including inland boat hire, coastal charter, sailing, water sports tuition, marinas, moorings and passenger boat trips) accounts for approximately 20 per cent of UK marine industry revenue, according to British Marine.

Research in collaboration with Visit Britain in 2015 also showed that approximately 5 million domestic holidays taken in the UK involved boating activity, in turn contributing over £1.7 billion to the economy.

The business

Skipton, the traditional, North Yorkshire market town, is surrounded by beautiful countryside with the Leeds/Liverpool Canal running through it.

It was also voted ‘The Best Place to Live in Britain’ in 2014 and crowned the winner of the 2009 ‘Great High-street of the Year’ award.

The town is full of independent shops and unique small businesses, just one of them being this boat hire business, that is conveniently located at the heart of the Skipton Canal Basin.

The area is also home to numerous tourist attractions such as the Carlisle Railway, Skipton Open Air Market, the 900-year-old Skipton Castle and the famous Skipton Waterway Festival.

Included in the sale price is four boats, including two wide beam trip boats which are larger than the standard narrow boat with room for 50-56 people. These larger boats have on board galleys, a bar, toilets and central heating. The other two boats are the more traditional narrow boats, which are hired out on a day-to-day basis.

There is a booking office on the quayside that deals with all bookings. This office is fitted with a kitchen which is used for catering for the boats. The business also has secure leases with the Canal And River Trust.

With an impressive 4-star accolade on trip advisor and 4.6 on Google, this successful business has built up a good reputation through its chartered trips, day boat hire, guided tours and special cruises.

With a genuine reason for the sale, the current owners are looking to retire. There is plenty of scope for further development as the current owners have run it as a lifestyle business on a seasonal basis.

The business hours can be flexible to suit the new owner’s requirements, however, there is also the possibility for new owners to extend the opening hours and operate out of season to increase profits.

Beachfront apartments, surf school and café for sale

Take a look at this attractive hospitality offering based in one of the top tourist destinations in Britain.

Location

Torpoint, Cornwall

Asking price

£1,250,000

Sales revenue

£100,000

Property

Freehold

Who’s it good for?

The business would benefit from someone who is hands-on and looking to run a lucrative and exciting business.

Alternatively, it could also suit someone looking to enjoy a more relaxing and quiet lifestyle. Also known as ‘The Forgotten Corner of Cornwall’ the beach is frequently empty outside the busy summer period, bar a couple of dog walkers and dedicated surfers.

The industry

Cornwall has consistently been voted as one of the top tourist destinations in Britain. Attracting approximately 4.3 million staying visitors and 14.7 million day visitors, tourism generated £2.6 billion of business turnover and supported 53,000 jobs in 2014.

According to Visit Cornwall, 40 per cent of all staying guests were staying in self-catering accommodation and the most popular activities undertaken by visitors were eating and drinking, shopping and going for short walks.

Surfing has evolved over the years, becoming a multi-million-pound industry according to Surfers Against Sewage, who suggest that the indirect economic impact of surfing in the UK may be as much as £4.95 billion.

The business

Located in North East Cornwall, this unique business is positioned at the base of Tregonhawke cliff on the beach.

It is a lifestyle business that includes beautiful beachfront apartments, a substantial 3 bedroomed owner’s residence, a surf school and a seasonal café.

Originally established in 1956, the café business was taken over by the current owner in 2005, who opened a holiday lets business and a surf shop and school.

The holiday apartments are currently split into one, two and three-bedroom residences, with the smaller apartments let for most of the year as self-catering apartments.

Currently, the café is only open for ten weeks of the year (not including the occasional sunny weekend in the colder months), so its annual turnover of £25,000 has not been fully exploited and could benefit from extended opening.

With its reputation as one of the best surf beaches on the South Coast, and it’s 5 miles of golden sands, the area itself attracts holidaymakers from all over the UK, as well as overseas. The growing demand of holiday lets in the area has grown massively, and the competitive price at which the owner lets the properties could be increased by the new owners.

Bookings are currently managed by both an agency and the current owner and occupancy rates for the apartments are high. They are ever increasing due to repeat customers and recommendations.

The surf school is a concession that is open throughout the year, however, it is particularly busy in the summer months and generates a lot of custom for the café and apartments. The school itself is a sublet and the owner pays a percentage of his profits to the owners.

The current owner is looking to sell the business to focus on other priorities. Could this be the right business for you?

View more holiday businesses for sale here.

Specialist vegan restaurant in Bournemouth for sale

Here’s a chance to purchase a vegan restaurant on the South coast.

Location

Bournemouth

Asking price

£80,000

Turnover

Available on request

Net profit

Available on request

Property

Leasehold

Who’s it good for?

A vegan, vegetarian or someone who has knowledge of a plant-based diet. Someone with good customer service skills; someone looking to relocate to the seaside.

The industry

Veganism is now one of ‘Britain’s fastest-growing lifestyle movements’ according to the Vegan Society and the number of vegans in the UK has risen by 360 per cent in the last ten years.
Last year, records showed that some 542, 000 people over the age of 15 have adopted a plant-based diet. A number representing over 1 per cent of the UK population and has risen from 150,000 in 2006.

Couple that with the fact that the restaurant sector is booming and you’re on to a winner. The restaurant sector has recovered well from the economic turmoil of the past 9 years and Brits are spending more than ever on eating out at the UK’s 56,000 plus restaurants.

Despite consumers tightening their belts when it comes to grocery and goods shopping, it appears they are increasingly willing to spend more on eating out with an average spend that’s £580 more per household than six years ago.

The business

With its popular central location in Westbourne, approximately 1 ¼ miles from Bournemouth and five miles from Poole, this well-presented recently refurbished vegan restaurant is a great opportunity for any business buyer.

Fully-equipped and fitted throughout, the restaurant has space for 40 covers, a private dining area, kitchen, wash up room external seating area and garden. The sale also includes the owner’s two-bedroom self-contained accommodation above the restaurant.

Specialising in organic, locally sourced, raw and plant-based foods inspired by a trip to Bali, the restaurant has built up an excellent reputation with 4 and a half stars on Google and Tripadvisor – the reviews focusing on the relaxing atmosphere, creative design and wholesome food.

The restaurant has been established for approximately eight years and is currently operated by the owners.

The restaurant is open five days and five evenings a week and closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, so there is scope for new owners to expand on these trading hours.

Beautiful Italian restaurant in Richmond for sale

Click here to take a look at this wonderful opportunity to buy a beautiful restaurant in Richmond.

Location

Richmond, London

Asking price

£130,000 (inc fixtures and fittings)

Sales revenue

£100k – £200k

Cash flow

Under £50k

Property

Leasehold

Who’s it good for?

A people person with a passion for Italian food. Someone with great communication skills and customer service. A good multitasker and problem solver.

The industry

The restaurant sector is booming and the eating out market is worth over £40 billion. Statistics show that British consumers are choosing to dine at independent restaurants more than ever before.

According to Savills’ report Casual Dining in the UK 2016, Italian remained the most numerous and popular of all casual dining cuisines, accounting for 45 per cent of all branded restaurants.

The business

This family-run Italian restaurant is situated in the heart of affluent Richmond. Established for five years, the owners are having to give the business up due to personal circumstances.

Nestled away on a picturesque pedestrianised street just off Richmond’s main shopping area, the restaurant is housed within a characterful three storey grade II listed building that’s approximately 400 years old.

Within proximity to Richmond Theatre and Richmond Green, Paved Court is a lovely community orientated area where almost all of the businesses are independently owned.

The business has an A3 food and alcohol licence allowing the restaurant to serve alcohol until midnight and food until 2 am – there is also scope to offer a takeaway service.

Tastefully decorated with neutral colours and feature wallpaper, the building has retained a lot of its charm.

Due to the building’s status as a listed building, expansion potential is limited, however, there are currently 40 covers spread over two floors and outside seating which is a sufficient number for the area. There is also a stock room on the top floor and a and a guest bathroom.

The restaurants trading hours are currently between 11 am and 10 pm Tuesday to Sunday, so there is further potential for the new owners to open the restaurant 7 days a week and open earlier to cater on weekends for breakfast and brunch.

With a reasonable rent of £22,000 per annum negotiable remaining lease of 9 years, this business is a rare opportunity for someone who has the time and the enthusiasm to invest in the restaurant sector.

The current owner says ‘my partner and I haven’t reached the full potential of the restaurant due to very difficult personal circumstances’ adding ‘for the right person, the sky is the limit.’
They are also happy to offer their advice and experience to the new owners.

Contemporary Florist in Leeds for sale

Here, we present the opportunity to purchase a contemporary florist in Leeds.

Location

Leeds, West Yorkshire

Asking price

£39,950

Turnover

£83,000

Net profit

£21,000

Property

Leasehold

Who’s it good for?

Someone who’s enthusiastic about the industry and who doesn’t mind getting up early to go to the flower market (trading hours are usually between 4 am and 10 am). Someone with a creative mind and a good eye for detail, who also doesn’t mind getting their hands dirty.

Someone willing to work weekends and special occasions – say goodbye to a day off on Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day!

You’ll have to be a people person to be a florist and empathy is key – your customers will likely include excited brides/grooms, grieving family members or nervous first dates.

The industry

Flowers play an important role in many of the key events in our lives, from births to marriages and romances to apologies and deaths.

But they are no longer just for special occasions. The UK’s cut flower and indoor plant market is now worth approximately £2.2 billion, representing an average spend per person, per year of £36. Elton John once spent a whopping £34,000 in a month!

The business

Are you looking for a business that’s cheerful, creative and smells amazing? Or a business with demand all year round?

This modern independent florist is situated in a popular suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire. Priding itself on its visually stunning arrangements, seasonal and handmade products and excellent customer service, this shop boasts a loyal customer base and a strong turnover.

Established in 2007, the business has demonstrated year-on-year growth and an impressive annual turnover of £75,000.

Beautifully decorated and fully equipped, the business is ready to occupy immediately with no further work required.

With a number of corporate clients, this florist works with businesses by furnishing offices and providing plants and flowers for events and communal spaces.

However, there is plenty of room for expansion and increased revenue by expanding the product offering into gifts, homewares and add-on products such as candles, jewellery and cards. The new owners could also branch out into supplying weddings.

Currently, the business only advertises on Facebook, so, there is plenty of scope for greater promotion to attract more customers through other social media outlets and local blogs.

The new owners could also look into setting up an online store and supplying a delivery service in the local area.

People are never going to stop being born, getting married or having birthdays, so buying a florist is a pretty failsafe option. And this is a truly unique opportunity for an enthusiastic new buyer to purchase a profitable florist business and grow it further.

Further reading on UK businesses for sale

If you are interested in other UK businesses for sale, take a look at these other options on the market.