Selling your Company

Selling a business is likely the largest financial transaction of your life, and most owners only do it once. The buyers you'll face — strategic acquirers, private equity groups, search funds, experienced individuals — do it for a living. This page walks through what the process actually looks like, what it costs, how long it takes, and where a broker earns their fee.

Why Work With a Business Broker

• Accurate pricing. We value your company the way buyers, bankers, and strategic acquirers will — not based on what you hope it's worth. A business priced correctly from day one sells faster and holds its number through diligence.

  Confidentiality. Employees, customers, suppliers, and competitors should not learn your business is for sale until you decide they should. We market anonymously and control every disclosure.

  A qualified buyer network. We maintain relationships with strategic buyers, private equity groups, search funds, and CPA referral networks, and we list on targeted platforms like BizBuySell. More qualified eyes on the deal means better offers.

  Negotiation leverage. An intermediary lets you stay above the fray. We push on price, structure, and terms so the relationship between you and your eventual buyer stays intact for the transition.

  You keep running your business. The worst thing that can happen during a sale is a revenue dip caused by a distracted owner. We manage the marketing, buyer screening, diligence, and closing details so your numbers stay strong through the finish line.

  Higher close rates. Most owner-managed sale attempts stall in diligence or die at the bank. A managed process, with organized financials and pre-screened buyers, closes more often — and usually at a better number.

How We Value Your Business

Valuation starts in the first meeting, and it's more than a multiple on a napkin:

• Cash flow first. We build your Seller Discretionary Earnings (SDE) from tax returns — not from memory, not from an internal P&L alone. SDE is the number buyers, and more importantly their lenders, will underwrite.

• The buyer's debt matters. Even if your business is debt-free, most buyers will finance a significant portion of the purchase price. If the cash flow can't service that debt with room to spare, the price isn't financeable — and a price that can't get financed isn't a real price.

• Three lenses. We look at value the way a financial buyer, a bank, and a strategic acquirer each would, because your best offer can come from any of the three.

• Cash Flow Analysis: Discuss cash flow, including Seller Discretionary Earnings (SDE), providing insights into financial health.

How a Broker Increases What you Walk Away With

• Preparation. We identify the addbacks, one-time expenses, and operational cleanup that move your SDE — and your price — before the business ever goes to market.

• Professional marketing. A well-built blind teaser and confidential information memorandum put your business in front of the right buyers, framed the way sophisticated acquirers expect to see it.

• Organized diligence. Deals die from delay. When financials, contracts, and records are staged and ready, diligence moves fast and buyers don't get cold feet — or find excuses to retrade the price.

• Deal structure. Price is only half the outcome. Cash at close, seller notes, earnouts, escrows, and tax treatment determine what you actually keep. We model the net-to-seller on every offer so you compare deals on what hits your account, not the headline number.

• Exit timing and buyer selection. The right buyer at the right time, under the right structure, is worth more than the highest first offer.

Confidentiality: How We Protect Your Business While Marketing It

A leaked sale process can rattle employees, invite competitor mischief, and spook customers. Our process is built to prevent that:

• NDAs before names. No buyer learns your company's identity before signing a nondisclosure agreement.

• Blind marketing. Teasers and listings describe the opportunity — industry, size, financial profile — without identifying the company, its customers, or its location.

• Buyer screening. We verify financial capability and relevant experience before releasing confidential information. Curiosity-seekers and competitors on fishing expeditions don't get past the front door.

• Controlled access. Sensitive details are released in stages, to people with a legitimate need to know, through a secure data room.

• Managed communication. All buyer contact runs through us until it makes sense for you to meet directly — and we prepare you before you do.

Documents You’ll Need

Sellers who show up prepared close faster and defend their price better. Here's what to expect:

Up front:

• Financial statements — balance sheets, income statements, cash flow statements, and 3+ years of tax returns

• Contracts and agreements with customers, suppliers, and employees

• Intellectual property — trademarks, patents, trade secrets

• Legal and entity documents — incorporation records, licenses, leases

• Environmental and safety compliance records, where applicable

• Employee documents — agreements, benefits summaries, org structure

During due diligence:

• A secure data room where buyer access is logged and controlled

• Business plans and marketing materials

• Buyer–seller meetings, prepared and moderated

• Financial review with the buyer's CPA

• Legal review with the buyer's counsel

• Representations and warranties in the purchase agreement

• Reasonable follow-up requests specific to the buyer's underwriting

Questions Buyers Will Ask You

Expect every serious buyer to dig into:

Valuation and financial health

1. How was the asking price determined?

2. Can you provide detailed financial statements and tax returns?

3. Are there outstanding debts, lawsuits, or liabilities?

Operations and market position

4. What makes this business defensible?

5. Who are the main competitors?

6. Where is the growth, and why haven't you pursued it?

7. How is the supply chain structured, and how concentrated is it?

People

8. Who are the key employees, and will they stay?

9. What training and transition support will you provide?

Compliance

10. What licenses, regulations, or industry requirements apply?

Owners who answer these confidently — with numbers, not adjectives — get better offers. Preparing you for these conversations is part of our job.

Testimonials - What Clients are saying

Testimonial 1: "Jim demonstrated, with his perseverance and professionalism, how to successfully manage the sale of our company Comercializadora del Midwest (CDM Foods), overcoming all the typical challenges of a negotiation of this magnitude. After months of hard work, we happily closed the sale of our company. We are grateful to Jim for his dedication and effort, as he not only captured the client's interest in our company but also helped us achieve our ultimate goal: selling our company to a client who met all our expectations. We highly recommend Jim for his seriousness, extensive experience, and deep respect for both parties involved in the process. 

Roberto Gomez, President & Founder, Roberto Sold to Lipari Foods (Press Release)

• Testimonial 2: "Jim made the process of selling my business easier than I could have ever expected. As a small business owner, the idea of selling something you have put everything into for several years can be daunting. Jim helped me through every aspect of the process from understanding what to expect, getting the most return on my investment, and helping me through some of the unexpected hurdles and concerns along the way. If you are considering selling your business don't try to do it on your own and I highly recommend Jim/ Playbook!

Darren Seefeldt, President & Founder, Good Steward Management, (Website)

• Testimonial 3: “Jim Peddle represented the seller in the sale of an event rental and design company. Through Jim’s marketing efforts, I became aware of this opportunity and became a potential buyer. Even though Jim represented the seller, he was great to work with for me, the buyer, as well. Jim provided excellent communication facilitation between me and the founders of this family owned business. His experience, guidance and advice was helpful to both parties in recognizing and arriving at what I believe we both considered a fair price for the company…I would highly recommend Playbook and Jim Peddle. I will certainly be contacting him if I ever need his services in the future.”

Steve Piper, CEO & President, Elegant Presentations - Google‍ ‍Review

• Testimonial 4: “Jim represented the seller of a business my client was buying. He did a great job of helping move the process along, was timely in responding to requests and was an excellent representative for his client.”

Markus May, Attorney - Google Review

• Testimonial 5: “Jim did a great job selling my business. He has a hands on approach and doesn't push the work off to others like most business brokers. Jim and I had great ongoing communication regarding the process and status of the deal throughout. Within about 30 days I had the first offer and we closed with the first offer buyer rather quickly. I highly recommend Jim to anyone looking to sell their business."

Kim M., Business Owner & Seller