Selling a Recruitment Agency in Australia: What Drives Value and How to Exit Well
Thinking of selling your recruitment agency in Australia? Here's what drives value, who the buyers are, how deals are structured, and how to prepare for a strong exit.
Know what your business is worth, build its value, and exit on your terms.
Work with senior advisers with 100+ years of combined experience.
- Australian Financial Services Licence 700378
- Registered Business Valuer
- Member, Australian Institute of Business Brokers
Exit Advisory Group is a boutique Australian M&A advisory and business brokerage for established businesses in the lower to mid-market. With one senior team, you can find out what your business is worth today, grow that value with the VALUE360™ framework, and sell when the time is right. The firm is led by Simon Bedard, a Registered Business Valuer and National Chair of the Australian Institute of Business Brokers.
Reliability
Results
Know-how
Results
Know-how
$1.5B+
In transactions
our team has advised on
100+
Years combined experience
in business sales, valuations & exit planning
10 years
Operating in M&A
Exit Advisory Group was established in 2016
- 2024 WinnerBusiness Consulting (Bx)
- 2024 Regional FinalistNSW Business Awards
- 2025 FinalistAustralian Business Champions
How we help
Three ways we help business owners move forward
Whether you are years from an exit or ready now, the work starts with an honest number and a plan.
Business Valuations
What's your business actually worth?
Before you sell, grow, or bring in investors, you need a real number — not a guess. We look at your financials, your market, and what similar businesses have sold for, then show you where the value sits today and how to build it before you go to market.
Learn more
Business Sales
A sale that's run properly, start to finish
Most owners sell a business once. We run the whole process for you — pricing it right, quietly finding genuine buyers, and negotiating terms that work in your favour — all the way through to settlement, with your confidentiality protected the entire time.
Learn more
Exit & Succession
Leave on your terms, when you choose
There's usually more than one way out — a sale, handing over to your team, or stepping back over a few years. We help you weigh the options early, so when the time comes the business, your people, and your proceeds are all looked after.
Learn moreHow Exit Advisory Group works with you, from growth to exit
Wherever you are (growing, preparing to exit, or ready to sell), we meet you there and guide the next step. Here's the path we'll walk with you.
Stage 1
Growth
Build transferable value with the VALUE360™ framework.
Stage 2
Exit planning
Map your options, timing and readiness.
Stage 3
Sale or succession
Run a confidential, competitive process to the right buyer or successor.
Stage 4
Transition
Hand over cleanly, protecting the deal, your staff and customers.
Stage 5
Successful exit
Leave on your terms, with the result you've worked for.
Growing business value
VALUE360™
VALUE360™ is Exit Advisory Group's proprietary five-dimension framework for growing what your business is worth: building the transferable value that survives the owner's departure and that buyers pay a premium for.
- Financial PerformanceEarnings quality, margins and stability.
- Growth SystemRepeatable demand and market position.
- Fulfilment SystemDelivery, IP and scalability.
- People & LeadershipA team that runs it without you.
- Operating SystemSystems, data and risk readiness.
Meet Simon Bedard, Managing Director of Exit Advisory Group
- Registered Business Valuer
- National Chair, Australian Institute of Business Brokers
- Author, Exit Like an Expert
- Host, Buy Grow Sell Podcast
Simon Bedard has guided hundreds of Australian owners through the biggest financial decision of their lives. As Managing Director of Exit Advisory Group, he works directly with owners to clarify their end game and build the road map to get there, whether that's growing value or a business sale. Simon is National Chair of the Australian Institute of Business Brokers (AIBB), a Registered Business Valuer, and author of Exit Like an Expert, and leads the senior team behind every engagement.
Brooks Australia: sold 45% above the owner's expectation.
How we've helped Australian business owners
Testimonials
What our clients say
Simon Bedard and the Exit Advisory Group team did a brilliant job assisting me in the sale of my consulting business. I couldn't be happier with the result, delivered through their depth of understanding, and complete professionalism throughout.
Paul Nelson
Founder & MD, Fuller Brand Communications
We worked closely with Mark Levitt, a Principal Adviser at Exit Advisory Group. He was fantastic and really took the time to understand our business. We couldn't have done it without him. Exit Advisory Group has an efficient process and was able to put our business in front of very targeted strategic acquirers. Their team provided an extremely professional approach and genuine care for their clients. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to exit their business.
Samantha Lamond
CEO, Energy360
Exit Advisory Group are true professionals when it comes to guiding people on how to get ready for a business sale. Their advice and support were instrumental throughout the different stages of our business journey. From our business valuation to exit, we felt we were in very capable hands. We will definitely use them again for our next business venture.
Emily Heeley
Business owner
Read. Listen. Watch.
The Exit Like an Expert book, podcast and YouTube channels. Practical strategies and real conversations with owners who have grown and exited their companies.
Read · the book
Exit Like an Expert
Simon Bedard's guide to selling your business for what it's actually worth.
- “A masterclass with relevance to advisers, investors and business owners.” Suvir Varma, Advisory Partner, Bain & Company
- “The handbook on how to successfully sell a business.” Warren Hogan, Economist, EQ Economics
Listen · the podcast
Buy Grow Sell
Real conversations with owners who have grown and exited their companies.
- “A must-listen. The go-to resource – a wealth of insights, interviews and inside information from owners who've lived and breathed the process.” Apple Podcasts, listener review
Watch · YouTube
Exit Advisory Group on YouTube
Conversations, expert interviews and short explainers on valuations, exits and building business value.
Latest insights
Practical guidance on business value, succession and the exit – from the Exit Advisory Group team.
How Recruitment & Staffing Firms Are Valued (Perm, Temp and Contract)
How recruitment agency valuation really works in Australia: adjusted EBITDA, net fee income, why perm and contract books differ, and what moves the multiple.
Selling a SaaS or Technology Business in Australia: A Founder's Guide to Exit
How SaaS and tech businesses are valued, sold and structured in Australia, the metrics that drive value, the buyer types, and how to prepare for a clean exit.
Recognised expertise in supporting business owners
Simon Bedard and Exit Advisory Group are regularly quoted and published on business value, succession and the exit, from national press to the floor of the NSW Parliament.
Australian Financial Review · Sep 2025
Forget property, we bought a 'boring' business to get wealthy
Forbes Business Council · Jan 2024
Key Person Risk: What Is It Costing Your Business?
SmartCompany · May 2026
Why most business owners fail to sell their business — and how to fix it
Yahoo Finance · May 2026
The quiet retirement crisis for the Australian economy
Financial Standard · Apr 2026
Why advisers should enter the world of exit planning
Ticker News · Apr 2026
Global uncertainty & how it's impacting valuations
Common questions from owners
Straight answers to what owners ask us most, before the first conversation.
How much does it cost to work with Exit Advisory Group?
Every engagement is scoped to your business, so we discuss fees privately in an initial, no-obligation conversation rather than publishing a price. You'll always know exactly what's involved before you commit. There are no surprises.
Will my staff, customers or competitors find out I'm exploring a sale?
No. Confidentiality is central to how we work. We approach buyers under confidentiality agreements and release sensitive information only in stages, so the people around you aren't alerted before you're ready.
How long does it take to sell a business in Australia?
A well-prepared sale typically takes six to twelve months from launch to settlement, depending on size, complexity and market conditions. Preparing before going to market is usually what makes the biggest difference to both speed and price.
When should I start planning my exit?
Ideally three to five years before you want to leave. The earlier you start, the more time you have to build value, reduce reliance on you as the owner, and shape the business into something buyers compete for.
What size businesses do you work with?
We specialise in established Australian businesses in the lower to mid-market. Many clients sit between roughly $3 million and $100 million in value, but we're happy to talk if you're above or below that range.
Do I have to sell straight away?
No. Much of our work is helping owners build a more valuable, less owner-dependent business first, so you can choose when and how to exit, from a position of strength.
Let's start a conversation
Whether you want to know what your business is worth today or plan the exit you have in mind, start with a confidential, no-obligation conversation. No pitch, no pressure.