These are the questions we hear most from owners thinking about a sale, now or a few years from now. Tap a question to see the answer. If yours is not here, ask us below or start with a confidential conversation.
Questions Owners Ask About Selling
For a prepared company in the $2 million to $40 million range, most sales close within six to twelve months of going to market. The time before that matters just as much. Owners who start with a valuation and a preparation period usually move faster and run into fewer surprises in due diligence.
It depends on your earnings, how much the business depends on you, customer concentration, and the buyers active in your industry right now. Only the market sets the final price, but a formal business valuation gives you a number built to hold up when buyers, lenders and their advisors test it.
Not from us. Buyers see a blind profile first and sign a confidentiality agreement before they learn your company’s name. We screen every buyer, and you decide when and how your team is told, usually close to or after closing.
Start with your number, then work on what buyers pay for: clean, consistent financials, a team that can run the business without you, a healthy customer mix, and documented processes, leases and contracts. Deals are won or lost before a company goes to market, and preparation is where you protect your price.
Depending on your industry and size, buyers include strategic acquirers in your field, private equity groups, family offices and qualified individual buyers. Part of our work is finding the right fit for you, your price and your people, not just the first offer.
Most buyers pay with a combination of their own funds, bank or SBA financing, and a portion paid over time by the seller. Seller financing shows buyers and lenders that you believe in the business, often widens the pool of buyers, and can support a stronger price. We help you weigh the terms.
Serious buyers submit a letter of intent outlining price and terms. Once you accept, the buyer completes due diligence, the attorneys prepare the purchase agreement, and financing is finalized before closing. We stay with you through each step and keep the process moving.
How the deal is structured, such as an asset sale or a stock sale and how the price is allocated, can make a real difference in what you keep. We work alongside your CPA and attorney early so the structure fits your goals. We do not give tax or legal advice ourselves.
Most buyers ask for a transition period so customers, employees and vendors stay confident. The length and your role are negotiated as part of the deal, and can range from a few weeks of training to a longer consulting arrangement.
We value and prepare your business, market it confidentially, screen and qualify buyers, negotiate terms, and guide you through due diligence and closing. We do not replace your attorney or CPA. We coordinate with them so every part of the transaction is covered.
No. Many owners call us three years before they plan to sell. The best time to understand your options is before you need them, and a confidential conversation commits you to nothing.
Want to go deeper? Read our articles for sellers under Insights, or walk through the full sale process in the Selling Tutorial.
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