Common questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What owners across Pittsburgh and the surrounding counties ask us most often about valuation, fees, timing, and confidentiality.
These are the questions owners ask on a first call, answered the way we would answer them on the phone. Where an answer needs more room than a paragraph, the long version is in the guide to selling a business in Pittsburgh.
If your question is about a specific business rather than the process in general, the answer usually turns on your own figures. We cover Pittsburgh and the counties around it, listed on the service areas page.
What does a business broker actually do?
Values the business, prepares the marketing documents, finds and qualifies buyers, runs the negotiation, and manages diligence to closing. The two things that are hard to replicate yourself are a competitive process, which is what moves price, and a buffer between you and a buyer you will later have to hand the business to.
How much does it cost?
A success fee: a percentage of the transaction, paid out of the proceeds at closing, on a tiered scale that steps the percentage down as the value rises. Nothing is payable if the business does not sell. Ask us for the percentage, how it tiers, and whether a minimum would apply at your likely sale price. We will tell you before you commit to anything.
Do I have to list to get a valuation?
No. A valuation is a separate piece of work and carries no obligation. Many owners get one years before they intend to sell, which is the right time to get one.
How is my business valued?
Earnings are recast to seller's discretionary earnings, then a multiple is applied based on your sector, your size, and the risk factors specific to your business. Revenue multiples are only a sanity check.
How long will it take?
Six to twelve months from listing to closing for a healthy business, plus one to three months of preparation before that. Diligence alone runs thirty to ninety days.
Will my employees find out?
Not unless you tell them. The business is marketed as a blind profile, buyers sign a non-disclosure agreement, and financial detail is released only after proof of funds. The common approach is to tell the team after the purchase agreement is signed.
What if I already have a buyer?
Then you may not need a full brokerage engagement. What you probably do need is a valuation so you can judge the offer, and a transaction attorney. Tell us the situation and we will say honestly which of those applies.
Will I have to finance part of the sale?
Often, yes. Taking part of the price as a note paid over time is common in privately held business sales, and it is frequently what makes a bank loan approvable. It tends to support a higher headline price. Refusing it narrows the buyer pool.
What if my books are a mess?
Say so early. Messy books are common and mostly fixable, but they have to be fixed before going to market, not during diligence. A buyer who finds a discrepancy at week eight reprices. One who was told at week one does not.
Do you sell franchises or handle appraisals for court?
No. We broker the sale of owner-operated businesses. Litigation and matrimonial appraisals are a different discipline with a different standard of report.
Not ready to sell yet? That is fine. Most owners we talk to are not.
A first conversation costs nothing and commits you to nothing. You will come away knowing what your business is worth and what, if anything, you would want to fix before going to market.
