SEVEN STAGES
Go to Is it actually time to sell?
1
Deciding
Is it actually time to sell?
Go to The year before you go to market
2
Getting Ready
The year before you go to market
Go to How buyers really get found
3
Going to Market
How buyers really get found
Go to You've been handed an LOI
4
The LOI
You've been handed an LOI
Go to Where deals get re-traded
5
Diligence
Where deals get re-traded
Go to The paperwork that decides what you keep
6
Closing
The paperwork that decides what you keep
Go to Nobody prepares you for the year after
7
After
Nobody prepares you for the year after

Selling a Business — Stage 1: Deciding

Is it actually time to sell?

What's actually happening

The structural work of this stage is underway. Documents are moving between parties, expectations are being set, and the timeline is shifting.

Where your broker is right now

They are managing the high-level relationship with the buyer, pushing to keep momentum, and staying out of the operational weeds. They aren't reading the 80-page agreements.

What this costs you if it goes wrong

You lose leverage, you accept terms that claw back your purchase price later, or the deal collapses completely.

What I'd be doing here

I sit with you, read the documents, explain exactly what the terms mean for your post-close reality, and tell you where to push back.

Related Insights for this Stage

The average multiple is not your multiple

There is a widely cited number for what middle-market companies sell for. It is real, it is well sourced, and it describes a set of transactions that probably does not include yours.

Are you in this stage right now?

If you are navigating deciding and need a second set of eyes on the details, let's talk.

Start a conversation