How to sell your business
Selling a business well is mostly about preparation. The owners who get the best price start early, clean up their numbers, and go to market with a story a buyer can believe. Here are the steps.
1. Prepare before you go to market
Clean up your financials, document how the business runs without you, and reduce owner-dependence. The goal is a business a buyer can picture owning — and running — from day one.
2. Get a defensible valuation
Know your number before anyone else names one. A well-documented valuation anchors the negotiation and shows you which gaps to close first.
3. Find and qualify buyers
The best outcomes come from a managed process with competitive tension — several qualified buyers, not one. This protects both price and your leverage.
4. Survive due diligence and close
Most deals that collapse, collapse in due diligence. Running sell-side diligence yourself first means the problems get fixed on your terms, not discovered as price reductions.
FAQ
How do I sell my business?
Prepare the business (clean financials, reduce owner-dependence), get a defensible valuation, run a managed process to find qualified buyers, then survive due diligence and close. Starting early is what protects the price.
How long does it take to sell a business?
From a prepared start, most private-business sales take 6–12 months to close — faster when the business is already clean and buyer-ready.
Want this done for you?
Our Sell-Side Advisory service turns this into a defensible result.