Buying an Accounting Practice with ProHorizons’ Guidance

You've built real skill in this profession — but starting your new practice or growing your existing one the traditional way, one client at a time, can feel slow, unpredictable, or maxed out. Acquiring the right practice can be the fastest, most reliable way to grow your income and your impact, if you know how to find the right fit and avoid the mistakes that sink deals.

With ProHorizons as your guide, you can move forward with clarity and confidence.
We understand that selling your practice can be

A Daunting Task

Buying a practice looks straightforward from the outside: find one for sale, make an offer, done. In reality, the wrong purchase can cost far more than the purchase price — a client base that doesn't fit your strengths, risk hidden in the numbers, or a transition that falls apart because expectations were never set.

At Pro Horizons, we help buyers avoid those pitfalls before they cost you — not after. You will never be left wondering what comes next. We walk with you from your first questions through closing day.

We’ve helped guide hundreds of accounting practice owners through The Acquisition Process.

The Acquisition Process

Buying a practice involves more than just reviewing numbers. It is about finding the right fit and moving through a detailed process with care. We help you avoid common mistakes and stay one step ahead from start to finish.

Personal guidance through every stage.
A clear path to closing the right deal.

  1. Exploration and Evaluation
  2. Submit Offer and Negotiate Initial Terms
  3. Due Diligence / Bank Financing
  4. Finalize Negotiations and Purchase Agreement
  5. Close the Acquisition
  6. Transition to the Clients and Business
Schedule a Free Consultation
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    John Doe
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    John Doe
    Inventor of bread slicer
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Check out our 9-hour, value-packed course designed to teach you everything you should know

Before Buying An Accounting Practice

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Discover More

Practices for Sale

Our Buying Process

Your Goals Matter Most
We Help You Make Smart, Informed Decisions
We start by understanding what kind of practice fits your goals, budget, and lifestyle. From there, we help you evaluate options, handle sensitive communications, and guide you through negotiations with care.
See The Details

Buying Process

Step 1: Register as a Prospective Buyer

Registering as a buyer and completing a prospective buyer agreement are required to move beyond this rst, critical step. During the registration process your goals and expectations—existing business structure, geographical preferences, financing available, etc —begin to take shape. Providing as much information as possible ensures that we focus on practices that are the best fit for you.

Step 2: Identify Practices to Review

Sellers have invested a tremendous amount of time and effort in building their businesses and would like to see it sold to someone who will continue to make it successful. Buyers look at the success of a practice and how it will fit their current business structure and environment. We use a screening process that looks at the key concerns of the seller and the top criteria of the buyer to come up with possible matches. In addition, we continuously update our online list of practices available.

Step 3: Review Practice Business Information

After identifying a practice, our staff will send a profile and/or a confidential Business Sales Memorandum. These documents detail all of the core aspects of the business and contain the information you need to take the next step in acquiring the practice.

Step 4: In-depth Interview

With your initial registration and buyer agreement in hand, we will follow-up to fill any gaps and gather additional information. In this step we’ll discuss in more detail everything from your current business, to qualifications, to your goals and expectations. Getting to know you and how we can work together is a top priority. During this step we will also determine your financing needs and, if necessary, perform a loan pre-qualification.

Step 5: Meet the Seller

This meeting is an important step. Remember the adage about first impressions. To a large degree, the success of your meeting will depend on your ability to connect with the seller. The seller has a lot invested, both financially and emotionally, in the practice and wants to ensure that it is turned over to someone who will take care of it.

Step 6: Prepare an Offer

If after the meeting there is sincere and mutual interest, you may decide to make an offer. To assist you in structuring your offer we have a sample Letter-of-Intent that covers all of the essential elements. When your Letter-of-Intent is prepared we will present it to the seller.

Step 7: Prepare Financing/Loan Package

Should outside financing be necessary, we will help you identify appropriate lenders. We can also assist in preparation of the loan package.

Step 8: Negotiate Additional Details

Our clients prefer that we facilitate the negotiations in consultation with both parties. We provide a buffer during potentially tense times. We insure personalities don’t get in the way of good business decisions and negotiate an agreement that is a win-win deal.

Step 9: Perform Due Diligence

You will want to perform due diligence. As in all business transactions “Caveat Emptor” applies. Therefore, it is your responsibility to perform an adequate investigation prior to closing the sale.

Step 10: Draft a Purchase Agreement

A well-written agreement that spells out everything—price, terms, etc—can be the difference between a deal that sounds good and one that is enforceable. To assist in this step, we can provide a comprehensive sample Purchase Agreement.

Step 11: Close the Transaction

With the thorough completion of the previous steps, this step can be the easiest—when the documents are signed, the funds are exchanged and the deal is completed.

Step 12: Start the Transition

The transition is the most important step. Our sample client letters will give you a start and we can help you plan conversations with the clients and staff. In addition, with our hands-on experience, we can be your sounding board when questions arise and can coordinate a successful transition for all involved.

Getting Started Is Easy

Step
1

Book a Call with Us

Let’s start with a conversation. We will explain how the process works and answer your initial questions.
Step
2

Fill Out Our Onboarding Survey

This helps us understand what you are looking for so we can focus on the opportunities that fit.

Step
3

Finding the Best Fit

Whether you have interest in a practice we represent or have found one of interest through other avenues, we will help you assess the opportunity for fit with you, your skillset, and your goals. Connecting with the right practice is the first step and then, if you wish, we can support you through each step of the buying process.

Schedule a Free Consultation
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1900 S Norfolk Street, Suite 350
San Mateo, California 94403-11
© 2025 ProHorizons. All Rights Reserved.
Licensed by the CA Dept of Real Estate under Corporate License 01933513
"ProHorizons" is a dba and registered trademark of Berry Consulting Group, Inc, a California Corporation.
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