Almost half of UK SME leaders have considered buying another company in the last 12 months

New research from Marktlink, an independent international mergers and acquisitions (M&A) advisory firm, with a UK base in Manchester, reveals that 47% of SME leaders have considered buying another business in the past year. Of these, nearly two-thirds (64%) are planning to purchase another company in the next five years.

UK entrepreneurs are most likely to have considered buying another company in the last 12 months, when compared to the European average of 39%. 

The firm’s new Marktlink Monitor surveyed 1,066 SME entrepreneurs across the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and the Nordics with 224 respondents from UK-based SMEs. 

Despite the challenges of the last 18 months, which saw SME owners navigate rising inflation, interest rates, the on-going impact of Brexit and funding shortages, UK businesses remain optimistic. Recognising signs of improvement in economic conditions and increasing availability of growth opportunities, half (50%) of UK entrepreneurs think now is a good time to buy a company.