FOUNDER RESOURCES
Founder’s Guide to Selling Your Business
Selling your business is one of the most important financial and personal decisions you’ll ever make — and most founders only go through it once.
This guide is designed to give you clear, practical answers about valuations, deal structures, and what buyers actually look for, so you can explore your options with confidence and without pressure.
What This Guide Covers
This is not a generic “how to sell a business” article.
It’s a practical, founder-friendly walkthrough of how transactions actually work in the lower middle market — written to help you avoid surprises, understand trade-offs, and prepare well before you talk to buyers.
- Business valuation fundamentals (and common myths)
- Full sale vs. majority recap vs. minority investment
- How rollover equity really works
- What buyers diligence — and what actually matters
- Common red flags that hurt value
- How to prepare 12–36 months before a transaction
What's Inside
Valuation & Deal Structures
Understand how buyers think about EBITDA, multiples, earn-outs, rollovers, and risk — in plain English.
Founder Trade-Offs
Learn how to think about control, liquidity, timing, and your role after a transaction.
What Buyers Actually Look For
Operational, financial, and leadership factors that materially impact value and deal certainty.
Why This Guide Is Different
Written From a Founder’s Perspective
This is not a generic “how to sell a business” article.
It’s a practical, founder-friendly walkthrough of how transactions actually work in the lower middle market — written to help you avoid surprises, understand trade-offs, and prepare well before you talk to buyers.
- Practical, not theoretical
- Focused on lower middle-market businesses
- Explains options — not just outcomes
- Designed to help you think, not rush
Download The Guide
All information is kept strictly confidential. No spam. No pressure.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I sell a business?
Most founders start by clarifying goals, preparing financials, reducing key risks, and running a structured process to identify the right buyer and terms.
How long does it take to sell a business?
Many deals take 4–9 months from preparation to closing, depending on readiness, buyer fit, and diligence complexity.
What documents do I need to sell my business?
Typically: financial statements, customer concentration info, key contracts, org chart, and a clear summary of operations and growth drivers.
Do I need audited financials to sell?
Not always. Clean, credible financials are the priority. Audits can help, but many founder-led businesses sell without them.
What is the biggest reason deals fall apart?
Surprises in diligence—often around financial quality, customer concentration, legal issues, or unclear operations.
Should I run a full auction process?
It depends on your goals. A broader process can increase options, while a targeted process can reduce distraction and improve fit.