Everything sellers ask us on the call, answered right here, so you walk in knowing exactly what you will get out of it. Read it in five minutes; bring the questions that matter most to you.
Selling a business takes 6 to 9 months of working closely with your advisor: your real numbers, your employees, your timeline, your name on the line. The consultation exists so you can meet the person you would be trusting with that, ask anything, and decide if the relationship is right. You will leave with an honest read on your number and a clear next step, whether or not that step is with us.
A working idea of what the business generated in revenue and profit over the last 12 months. Rough numbers are fine - no documents needed for the call.
When you would ideally sell, and why: retirement, a new venture, health, burnout, a number that changes your life. The why shapes the right strategy more than anything else.
Buyer demand, deal structure, taxes, confidentiality, timing - nothing is off the table. The list below is what most sellers start with.
These are the real questions from real consultations. We answer them here the same way we answer them on the call, so you can spend your 45 minutes on the specifics of your business.
Yes, free. It is a 45-minute Zoom call with a BridgeBook exit specialist, and booking it locks a $2,500 credit toward our success fee if you ever sell with us (on top of the $1,000 credit from your valuation report - $3,500 total). There is no obligation to list, no retainer, and no pitch script. We only get paid if we sell your business, so the call is where we both find out if a sale makes sense.
On the call we walk through your number together: where your business sits inside its industry sold-comp range and which specific drivers (growth trend, owner involvement, customer concentration, provable books) move you toward the top or bottom of it. Our calculator gives you the starting range; the call is where it gets specific to your business. Fair warning: we quote honest numbers, not inflated ones designed to win your listing.
Success fee only, when your business sells. The fee is tiered: 10% on the first $1,000,000 of sale price, sliding down to 3% above $7,000,000. No upfront fees, no retainer, no marketing charges. If we do not sell your business, you pay nothing.
Most sales take 6 to 9 months from going to market to closing: preparation and packaging, confidential marketing, buyer qualification, offers and negotiation, then due diligence and closing. Clean books and a decisive seller shorten it; surprises in diligence are what stretch it.
Your business is marketed with a blind profile: industry, size, and financial summary with no name or identifying details. Buyers must sign an NDA and be qualified before they see anything more, and your employees, customers, and competitors do not find out. Confidentiality is also why the consultation itself is one-on-one.
It depends on size and industry: individual operators and funded searchers dominate under roughly $2,000,000; strategic acquirers and private equity platforms become active above that, especially in healthcare and recurring-revenue services. On the call we tell you which buyer pool fits your business and what those specific buyers care about.
No. A large share of consultations end with "you are 12 months of preparation away from a much better exit - here is the plan." If waiting is the better move for you, that is what we will say. The credit stays on file for when you are ready.
None. A rough idea of your last 12 months of revenue and profit is all the preparation the numbers need. The document work (P&L, tax returns, add-back schedule) comes later, only if you decide to move toward a sale, and we walk you through it.
The usual killers: financials that do not hold up in diligence, heavy customer concentration, the owner being the business, and slow responses once a buyer is at the table. All four are fixable before you go to market, which is exactly why talking 6 to 12 months early pays.
Deal structure (asset sale vs stock sale, allocation, seller financing) meaningfully changes what you keep after tax. We cover the structures buyers will propose and what they mean for you, and we coordinate with your CPA on the specifics - we do not replace tax advice, we make sure you know which questions to ask.
Book the free 45-minute Zoom consultation and lock a $2,500 credit toward your success fee ($3,500 total with your valuation report credit). No obligation to list. We'll sell your business, or you pay nothing.