The Main Street Exits blog
Practical, plain-English guides for owners thinking about selling, now or later.
What is my business worth? How buyers actually price a main street business
How SDE, add-backs and multiples work, why two businesses with the same profit sell for different prices, and how to get a number you can trust.
Selling to an SBA-financed buyer: what owners need to know
How SBA 7(a) financing affects your sale: lender valuations, the buyer's equity injection, seller notes on standby, your transition period and how to prepare.
Preparing a business for sale: start three years out, and don't list until this checklist is done
Plan your sale about three years ahead. Clean books, tax returns that match, SOPs, contracts, key people and a ready-to-list checklist, from a business broker.
Owner-dependent businesses sell for far less. Here is why, and how to fix it.
If your business needs you to run, buyers see a job, not an asset. How owner dependence cuts your multiple, how buyers spot it, and how to fix it before you sell.
How to prepare your business for sale: a 1 to 3 year plan
The steps that raise your sale price and make your business easier to buy, laid out year by year for owners planning an exit.
How confidentiality works when you sell your business
Blind listings, NDAs, buyer screening and staged disclosure. How to sell a business without your employees, customers or competitors finding out.
10 mistakes that kill business sales (and how to avoid them)
Overpricing, messy books, owner dependence, lease problems, leaks and more. The most common reasons business sales fall apart, and what to do instead.