A clear roadmap from preparation to closing
Selling a business is a process, not an event. Most of what determines the outcome happens before a buyer ever sees the company. Here's how we work, and where the costs begin.
Step 1: Initial Consultation
No charge
We learn about the business, your goals, and your timeline. You'll get an honest read on where things stand — what a buyer would see today and whether now is the right moment. If you'd do better waiting, we'll say so.
Step 2: Financial Cleanup
Priced separately. The work is yours.
This is where most of the difference gets made. We reconcile the books, convert cash to accrual where needed, document add-backs so they can be supported, and organize what a buyer's team will ask for.
The goal is a financial record that answers questions before anyone asks them. Stop here and you're left with better books either way.
Step 3: Business Valuation
Priced separately. The work is yours.
We determine a realistic value range and explain what's driving it. A private equity firm building a platform, an individual buyer using SBA financing, and a competitor across town will each do different math on the same business.
You'll also see what's holding the number down — sometimes the most valuable outcome is learning that a year of work would change the result.
Step 4: Marketing Materials
Priced separately. The work is yours.
This is what serious buyers read first, and it usually decides whether you get a call back. We build a package covering financial performance, operations, competitive position, and growth — supported by the numbers from step 2, so it holds up when someone starts checking.
Step 5: Marketing & Buyer Outreach
Refundable retainer begins.
We take the company to market confidentially, manage inquiries, and qualify buyers. We stay in regular contact with active buyers and know what they're looking for, so outreach is targeted rather than broadcast. Public listing sites are a last resort.
The retainer is refundable at closing.
Step 6: Offers & Letter of Intent
Price is the headline, but it isn't what you take home. We compare offers on cash at close, seller financing, earn outs, working capital, escrow, transition obligations, and taxes — so you can see what each one actually means.
Then we negotiate the structure of the LOI, not just the number.
Step 7: Business Valuation
This is where the work from step 2 pays off. The buyer's team examines the financials, contracts, customers, and operations in detail.
Because the records were built to be examined, most questions already have documented answers. Adjustments become a conversation rather than a concession — you're negotiating from prepared ground. We coordinate requests and keep the timeline from drifting.
Step 8: Closing & Transition
Success fee at closing, minus retainer
We work alongside your attorney, CPA, and lender to coordinate closing, then stay available afterward. Most sales involve some handoff period, and it helps to have someone who knows the deal.
Start where it makes sense.
Each stage stands on its own. Begin at the cleanup and stop there. Get a valuation and decide the timing isn't right. Nothing requires an exclusive agreement.
The first conversation is free, and so is the second. We start charging when the work starts.