Insights by topic
Ownership & succession
Explore leadership continuity, employee ownership and the implications of a business sale.
Understand your next step.
Owner-friendly guides to the decisions before and after a sale.
All business owners
Majority vs. full business acquisition: what changes for the owner?
Compare a majority sale with a full acquisition through control, cash proceeds, retained ownership and your role after closing.
All business owners
Business valuation: why the headline multiple is only a starting point
Understand how earnings, operating dependencies and deal terms affect the value discussion when you are considering selling your business.
All business owners
Selling your business confidentially: what to share and when
Protect sensitive information during a business-sale discussion with staged disclosure, clear permissions and appropriate professional advice.
All business owners
Business-sale letter of intent: questions to ask before signing
Understand the purpose of an acquisition letter of intent and the price assumptions, exclusivity and next steps owners should review.
All business owners
Financial records to organize before selling your business
Prepare financial information that is consistent and explainable before a buyer reviews your business, without sharing sensitive files prematurely.
All business owners
Working capital in a business sale: what owners should understand
Learn why inventory, receivables and operating liabilities matter in a business sale, and why the agreed definition affects the transaction.
All business owners
Rollover equity: take value off the table and share in future growth
Explore how selling a majority stake can provide cash today and retained equity for future growth, with lessons from the COVID-19 shutdowns.
All business owners
Asset sale vs. equity sale: what business owners should ask
Understand the practical questions behind an asset sale or an ownership-interest sale, including contracts, liabilities and tax review.
All business owners
The seller’s transition after a business sale: defining your role
Clarify responsibilities, decision authority and the handover before agreeing to stay involved after selling your business.
All business owners
Employees and customers during a business sale: planning the transition
Plan who communicates an ownership change, when they do it, and how the business maintains continuity for employees and customers.
All business owners
Selling a business with real estate: separate decisions, connected economics
Consider the property, lease terms and operating business together when a potential acquisition involves owner-held real estate.
All business owners
Business-sale timeline: what moves a transaction forward or holds it up?
Understand the stages of a business acquisition and the information, approvals and decisions that influence timing before closing.
All business owners
Considering employee ownership? Start with your goals
An ESOP conversation should begin with what you want for yourself, the business and its employees.
All business owners
Selling your business: what buyers will want to understand
A buyer’s review is a chance to understand the business behind the numbers. Owners benefit from knowing what that conversation is for.
All business owners
Thinking about selling your business? Start with these decisions
A business sale should reflect your priorities, readiness and expectations for the next chapter.
Medical & healthcare
Considering a dental group partnership? Questions for practice owners
Look beyond the offer and understand what a proposed ownership change could mean for your practice.
All business owners
Succession planning: deciding what comes next for your business
Consider your future role and the business’s leadership needs before choosing an ownership route.
All business owners
How acquisition financing can affect your business sale
For business owners, the financing behind an offer matters because it can affect certainty, timing and the business after closing.
All business owners
When a business sale depends on SBA financing
Understand the business questions behind an SBA-financed offer without relying on a generic lending formula.
Trades & home services
Selling your trades business to a larger group: what to consider
For HVAC, plumbing, electrical and other service owners, a group acquisition is an operating transition as well as a financial decision.
Medical & healthcare
Selling a veterinary practice: questions beyond the price
Consider the future of the team, the client experience and your own role alongside the financial proposal.
All business owners
Seller financing: what owners should understand before agreeing
Receiving part of a sale price over time can change your risk after you no longer control the business.
All business owners
Why buyers ask questions about your business’s earnings
A financial review seeks to understand what the reported results mean for the business going forward.
All business owners
Employee ownership: is it the right succession conversation?
Consider the ongoing business responsibilities of an ESOP alongside your goals for a transition.
All business owners
Choosing a buyer: questions about the business after the sale
Evaluate the specific buyer’s plans and commitments, rather than relying on a label.
Trades & home services
Selling your HVAC business: what to prepare for a buyer conversation
Understand how service mix, maintenance agreements, team continuity and your preferred transition shape an HVAC business sale.
Trades & home services
Selling your plumbing business: planning the next chapter
Prepare a plumbing business sale around your service mix, team, customer relationships and preferred retirement or transition timetable.
Trades & home services
Selling an electrical contracting business: preparing for a smooth transition
Understand how project commitments, customer relationships, qualified personnel and your future role affect an electrical contractor acquisition.
Trades & home services
HVAC maintenance agreements in a business sale: more than a contract count
Understand how renewal behavior, service obligations and delivery capacity help explain maintenance revenue during an HVAC acquisition.
Trades & home services
Contractor licensing when selling a business: questions to resolve early
Understand why contractor licensing, qualifying personnel and ownership changes need early review during a trade-business acquisition.
Trades & home services
Selling a contracting business: what shapes the timeline?
Understand the stages of a trade-business sale and how records, licenses, project commitments and transition decisions affect progress.