Selling your business
You built it. Here's what happens when you hand it over.
Selling a business you built is hard. There's the money, and then there's everything else: the people who've been with you fifteen years, the customers who call you by name, the pride of the thing still standing. This page is our honest answer to the questions that come with all of that.
After closing
What stays the same
- The company name, and the reputation attached to it
- Your employees, their roles, and their pay
- Your customers' points of contact
- Suppliers and partners you've worked with for years
- The location, the trucks, the way the work gets done
After closing
What changes, and how
- One of us is in the building, working alongside your team from day one
- Financial reporting gets a CPA's attention, which usually means fewer surprises, not more paperwork
- Improvements happen slowly, with the people who know the work, after we understand why things are done the way they are
- You step back on the schedule you chose, not one imposed on you
Why owners choose us
Four commitments we put in writing
Trust first, then terms
We'd rather spend the first call learning what you want for the business than talking about price. If the fit is wrong, we'll tell you before anyone signs anything.
A process that starts with a valuation formulaWe aren't going anywhere
We buy with our own capital and hold without a deadline. We think in decades. If you want to check back in five years and find the same people running it, that's the plan.
A fund that needs to sell again in year fourOperators who've done it
Between us we've scaled a business past $70 million in revenue, worked on multiple acquisitions and sales, and kept the books straight at companies large and small. We know what a Monday looks like.
An investor who has never run payrollYour legacy, protected
We care about what your name means in your town and your industry. Keeping it intact isn't a marketing promise. It's the whole reason we buy businesses like yours.
A roll-up that folds you into a brand you've never heard ofThe process
Five steps, all of them confidential
A typical sale takes three to five months from first call to closing. Here is what happens in each stage and what we'll need from you.
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Week 1
A conversation
Thirty minutes, by phone or in person. You tell us about the business and what you want next. We tell you honestly whether it sounds like a fit for us, and if it doesn't, who might be a better call.
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Weeks 1–2
Mutual NDA, then the basics
We sign a mutual non-disclosure agreement before you share anything. Then we ask for three years of financial statements and tax returns, a customer breakdown, and a short list of plain questions about the team and operations.
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Weeks 3–5
A written offer
A letter of intent that spells out price, how it's paid, and your transition, in language you don't need a lawyer to decode. We show our math. If we can't reach a number that works for you, this is where we say so.
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45–75 days
Diligence
We confirm what we've been told: financials, contracts, leases, equipment, and key customer relationships. James leads the financial review himself. We keep the list of requests short and explain why we're asking for each item.
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Day of closing
Closing and handover
You're paid at closing. Then the transition you chose begins: introductions to customers and suppliers, time with the team, and as much or as little of your involvement afterward as you wanted.
Getting ready
Thinking about selling in a year or two?
A few things that make a sale smoother and usually raise what a buyer can pay. None of them require a broker.
Clean up the financials
Separate personal expenses from the business, get three years of statements in one consistent format, and make sure tax returns match. James is happy to tell you what a buyer's accountant will look for, at no charge and with no obligation.
Make yourself less essential
The more the business runs without you for a week, the more it's worth. Document how quotes get done, who handles which customers, and how the schedule is built. Give your best people more room.
Know your customer concentration
If one customer is a third of revenue, a buyer will ask about it. Knowing the answer, and having a plan, is better than being surprised by the question.
Decide what you want next
Full retirement, part-time involvement, a year of handover, or a clean break: there's no wrong answer, but knowing yours makes every conversation with a buyer more useful.
Talk to a buyer early
You don't need to be ready to sell to have a conversation. Owners who talk to us a year or two out tend to get better outcomes, because there's time to fix the small things.
Next step
The first call is just a call. No paperwork, no pressure.
Tell us about the business. If we're not the right buyer, we'll tell you who might be.
Start a conversation
Tell us a little about the business
Or reach either of us directly. We answer every message, usually within two business days.