Season 8 | Ep11 The road to a successful MBO: Lessons from Chris Peace’s £Million exit

What does life look like on the first day after selling your business? In this week’s episode of The RAG Podcast, I’m joined by Chris Peace, founder of Peace Recruitment, a specialist construction and engineering recruitment agency based in Scotland.Chris recently exited his business through a vendor-initiated management buyout (VIMBO) – a unique process that allows founders to sell their companies to their teams without the need for external financing or debt.In this candid conversation, Chris shares:💡 How he structured the VIMBO process to ensure a smooth transition for the business.⚙️ The key considerations founders need to plan for when preparing to sell.📈 The benefits of this approach for boutique agencies looking to empower their teams.💪 The impact of coaching on leadership, team happiness, and business growth.🔑 Insights into his leadership journey, the challenges of letting go, and his plans for life beyond Peace Recruitment.Whether you’re dreaming of your next chapter or seeking a stress-free exit strategy, this episode offers actionable advice and real-life inspiration for boutique recruitment owners.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Chris Peace and his journey02:51 The vendor-initiated management buyout process06:05 Early career and entry into recruitment12:13 Launching Peace Recruitment21:02 Growth and challenges in business29:03 Coaching and personal development33:52 Translating personal skills online34:21 The journey of building a brand35:19 Evolving leadership styles36:15 Authenticity in leadership37:38 Coaching and empowering teams39:02 Vision and business growth40:58 Navigating business offers42:51 Leadership structure for exit45:18 Impact of COVID on business48:40 Personal struggles during crisis49:36 Management buyout process52:29 Structuring the buyout55:15 Tax implications of selling a business57:40 Future plans and new ventures__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasYour memory isn’t perfect. So Atlas remembers everything for you. Atlas is an end-to-end recruitment platform built for the AI generation. It automates your admin so you can focus on the business tasks that matter. How many conversations do you have every day? With clients. Candidates. Your team. Service providers.Now how many of those conversations can you recall with 100% accuracy? How many hours a week do you spend making notes to try and retain as much as possible? And how much is still getting lost along the way? Traditional CRM systems weren’t built for the type of recruitment business you’re running right now. They were built to rely on the structured, tagged, categorised, and formal data you could feed it. Manual processes that needed you to input specific information based on specific questions and answers. But what about all the other conversations you’re having every single day? Atlas isn’t an ATS or a CRM. It’s an Intelligent Business Platform that helps you perform 10X better than you could on your own. How? By removing all your low-value tasks, acting as your perfect memory, and providing highly relevant recommendations to impact your performance. Learn more about the power of Atlas – and take advantage of the exclusive offer for The RAG listeners – by visiting https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/ __________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoReady to find 25+ warm leads within