For UK buyers reading an information pack

Screen a UK business-for-sale pack before you spend a penny on due diligence.

A calm, UK-specific first pass. Start with a free one-page checklist of ten red flags, or use the full UK Deal Screen Kit for a consistent look at the pack in about 30 minutes.

Drawn from official public sources, not from a sales pitch.
A red flag is not automatically a deal-breaker.
An educational screening aid, not legal, tax or financial advice.

Get the free checklist by email

Ten UK-specific red flags, on one page, with a first check you can usually do yourself on Companies House and GOV.UK. We will send the PDF, then two short follow-up emails about how to use it. You can unsubscribe at any time.

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What is on the checklist

The ten flags, in the order they usually matter most on a typical owner-managed UK SME. The PDF gives each one a first check and a column to mark Ignore, Ask or Walk away.

Revenue or profit that cannot be evidenced
HMRC arrears and Time to Pay arrangements
Insolvency warning signs
Director history, including failed or struck-off companies
Ownership that does not match the sellers
Outstanding charges and debentures
Key-customer contracts with change-of-control clauses
Licences and accreditations tied to the owner
Pension liabilities, including defined benefit
An overdrawn director’s loan account

Who it is for

Individual buyers and searchers

People looking at UK SMEs who want a repeatable first pass of an information pack, including those who are new to reading them. You work through the pack on your own computer. You do not upload it to us.

What it is not

It is not financial, legal, tax or investment advice, and it will not tell you whether to buy a business. It is not a substitute for due diligence by a qualified accountant and solicitor. It is an educational screening aid, to help you use your time, and your advisers’ time, well.

UK Deal Screen Kit

If you want more than one page

The kit is a one-off download for a consistent first pass of a UK information pack, in about 30 minutes. No subscription, and you do not upload the pack to us.

Deal Scoring Sheet (Excel), with a Pursue / Ask questions / Walk away verdict and a worked example
The full guide to 25 ranked UK red flags, each with a first check and links to official guidance
12 copy-and-paste AI prompts, plus a note on NDAs — each also works as a manual checklist
A one-page deal memo template, with a filled-in example

Everything runs on your own computer, in Excel, Word, LibreOffice or Google Sheets and Docs. The spreadsheet has no macros.

£49 including VAT

A one-off payment. If it is not useful, email us within 14 days of purchase and we will refund you in full.

Buy the kit — £49 incl. VAT

Checkout is on Payhip. Payment is taken by Stripe through Payhip. For digital products sold to UK or EU customers, Payhip’s published terms say it acts as reseller and handles digital UK and EU VAT. The kit is an educational screening aid, not advice.

Questions

Is this legal, tax or financial advice?

No. It is an educational screening aid for a first look at an information pack. Before you make an offer, sign heads of terms, pay a deposit or commit to costs, instruct a qualified accountant and a solicitor experienced in UK business acquisitions.

Will it tell me whether to buy the business?

No. It helps you organise what you have been sent, spot UK-specific issues worth asking about, and record a first verdict: pursue, ask questions, or walk away. That verdict is only as good as the information in the pack and your own judgement.

Is it only for share purchases?

It is written for typical UK SME deals, and it flags issues that arise in both share purchases and business-and-asset purchases (for example TUPE, leases and licences). Your solicitor will advise on structure.

Do I need to upload the information pack to your site or to an AI tool?

No. Everything runs on your own computer. The AI prompts are optional. Many information packs are covered by an NDA; check yours before you put any part of a pack into a third-party tool.

What software do I need?

A spreadsheet program that opens .xlsx files (Excel, LibreOffice Calc or Google Sheets) and a word processor for the templates. No macros, no log-in, no subscription.

Can I use it on more than one deal?

Yes. It is licensed to you for use in your own acquisition search. Please do not resell, share or republish the files.

Do you offer a refund?

Yes. If the kit is not useful, email hello@candidmark.com within 14 days of purchase and we will refund you in full. You do not need to give a reason. After 14 days, we will still refund you if the files will not open or are not as described, once we have had a chance to help you get them working. This does not affect your statutory rights.

Disclaimer

The checklist and the UK Deal Screen Kit are educational screening aids published by Candidmark. They are not financial, legal, tax or investment advice and they do not tell you whether to buy a business. They are not a substitute for due diligence by a qualified accountant and a solicitor experienced in UK business acquisitions. Official rules and thresholds change; figures and descriptions were checked in November 2026, so always read the current guidance. Worked examples in the kit are invented. Neil Phillips trading as Candidmark accepts no liability for decisions made using these materials.