Selling the business you built.Done carefully, confidentially and on your terms.
Selling a business usually happens once. JMB Advisory Services represents owners of established companies through every stage, from the first value estimate to closing, with an advisor who has founded, run and sold businesses himself.
What sell-side representation covers
A well-run sale is a sequence of decisions, each of which affects price, terms and what happens to your team after you leave.
Valuation & positioning
A grounded estimate of value, built the way buyers build theirs, and a clear story about what makes the business worth it.
Preparation
Cleaning up the financials, contracts and documentation buyers will examine, before they examine them.
Confidential buyer search
Targeted outreach to strategic and financial buyers that fit, with your identity protected until the right moment.
Negotiation & closing
Price, structure, earnouts, rollover equity, transition terms and the real estate, plus managing due diligence through to closing.
When an offer arrives first
Many owners hear from private equity or a competitor before they have decided to sell. An unsolicited offer is a starting point, not a final price. An independent advisor can confirm what the business is worth, test the market and negotiate terms that reflect it.
Don’t leave the real estate on the table
If you own the property your business operates on, it is often a second asset worth negotiating separately. Depending on your goals, a sale-leaseback or long-term ground lease can increase total proceeds or create lasting income after the business is sold. JMB has negotiated more than 100 ground lease transactions.
Questions owners ask
How long does it take to sell a business?
A well-prepared sale typically takes six to twelve months from engagement to closing: preparation and valuation, confidential marketing, letters of intent, due diligence and closing.
Do I need an advisor if a buyer has already approached me?
An approach from a buyer is the moment an advisor adds the most. Without one, you negotiate against a professional acquirer with only one offer to compare. An advisor confirms value, structures the terms and protects price through due diligence.
What size businesses does JMB work with?
JMB focuses on owner-operated businesses with roughly $500,000 to $5 million in earnings, typically in transactions from $5 million to $50 million.
Will my employees and customers find out?
Not from us. Buyers are screened and sign confidentiality agreements before they learn the name of the business.
Related services
Start with a confidential conversation
No obligation and no pitch. Tell us about the business, and we’ll tell you honestly what we see.