A confidential sale, handled start to finish.
Selling a business is usually the biggest financial decision an owner makes. We run the whole process so you can keep running the company while it happens.
Everything a sale needs.
- Valuation. We review three years of financials, recast earnings for one-time and owner-specific expenses, and set a price range grounded in how buyers and lenders actually price deals.
- Buyer package. A confidential information memorandum that tells the business's story and answers the questions buyers ask first.
- Confidential marketing. Blind listings that describe the business without naming it. Identifying details go only to screened buyers who sign an NDA.
- Buyer screening. We check financial capacity, experience, and seriousness before a buyer gets your numbers or your time.
- Negotiation. Price is one part of a deal. We negotiate structure too: cash at close, seller financing, earnouts, working capital, and your transition period.
- Diligence and closing. We manage document requests, keep the buyer's lender moving, and coordinate attorneys and accountants through closing.
Earnings, not revenue, set the number.
Most small businesses are priced as a multiple of seller's discretionary earnings (SDE): net profit plus the owner's salary, benefits, and one-time or personal expenses run through the business. Larger companies are usually priced on EBITDA, which assumes a paid manager in the owner's seat.
The multiple depends on risk. Two businesses with the same earnings can sell for very different prices depending on how much rests on the owner, how concentrated the customers are, and how clean the records look.
| Factor | Raises the multiple | Lowers it |
|---|---|---|
| Owner role | Team runs daily operations | Owner does the selling and the key work |
| Customers | No customer over ~10% of revenue | One or two accounts carry the business |
| Revenue | Recurring or contracted | Project-based, lumpy |
| Records | Clean books, documented processes | Cash handling, undocumented systems |
| Trend | Steady or growing earnings | Declining last two years |
The right buyer depends on the business.
Individual buyers are often career-changers or former executives looking to own and run a company, frequently with SBA financing.
Strategic buyers are competitors or companies in adjacent industries that want your customers, team, or territory.
Search funds and private equity look for established businesses with solid earnings and a team that can run without the owner.
We figure out which group fits your business and goals, then market to them directly.
Owner-run businesses across industries.
We work with established, profitable businesses where the owner has built something a buyer can step into. These are the industries we see most.
Don't see yours? Ask us.
What to have ready.
You don't need all of this for a first call. It's what we'll ask for once we start on a valuation.
- Three years of business tax returns
- Profit and loss statements and balance sheets, including year to date
- Your lease and any real estate details
- A list of major equipment and assets
- An employee list with roles and tenure
- Key customer and vendor contracts
Thinking about selling?
A 15-minute confidential call is the easiest place to start.