Published 13 November 2026.
Licensing old business records is new to most owners, and a cautious reaction is a good one. You don’t have to decide anything in order to ask. The first look is free, sellers pay nothing, and a short description is enough. How we’re paid.
Will this cost me anything?
No. You pay no fees to McKays — not to enquire, not if we introduce a buyer, and not if a deal goes ahead. Our introduction fee is paid by the buyer, and they confirm it in writing before we introduce you. There is a full page on fees.
Do I lose my records?
Not by enquiring, and not automatically if a deal goes ahead. With a licence, you usually keep your records and the buyer gets an agreed copy. Whether something is a sale or a licence, and what you keep, is written into your agreement with the buyer. See what to settle in a written licence.
Is this legal?
It can be, and it isn’t automatic. You can only license what you’re entitled to grant, and UK data protection law applies where personal data is involved. Those are real constraints, which is why a first look talks through rights and restrictions, and why we say so if it isn’t a fit. See are you free to license these records? and UK data protection. That is general information, not a legal opinion on your archive.
What happens to names and other personal details?
You and the buyer agree that, in writing, before anything is shared. McKays does not take the files or run the clean-up. Sensitive material is usually left out. Removing names alone is often not enough. See preparing records.
How long does it take?
You’ll hear back from us within a week. After that, it varies with the records and the people who need to agree. We can’t promise a timescale for a completed deal, because we don’t control it. If you have a deadline — a server switch-off, a closing date — tell us.
What if it isn’t a fit?
We’ll tell you straight. No charge, no obligation. A fit check you can run in your browser, which sends nothing, is there if you want a private first pass.
We’ve already had an approach. Are we too late?
No. You’re entitled to take advice and to compare. Don’t send logins or files while you do. See if someone has offered to buy your company’s data.
The company is closing, or already in a formal procedure.
The question is who has authority to decide. That is usually the directors while the company is trading, the office-holder once one is appointed, and not the former directors once a company is dissolved. See digital records when a company closes.
What could they be worth?
There’s no price list. Value depends on the years you have, how well the records link together, how specialist the work is, and what you’re free to license. We don’t value an archive from an enquiry. Published third-party figures, with their limits, are on market evidence, and the factors are discussed in what affects the value of a business archive.
A longer FAQ, including where we work and how to refer a business, is on the FAQ page. All of these notes are in the guides.
This page is general information, not legal advice. It isn’t a ruling on any case. Please speak to your own adviser about your situation.
Sellers pay nothing. The first look is free. How we’re paid.