Frequently Asked Questions

Built Equity is a flat-fee platform for business owners who want to manage their own sale with professional structure. It provides the tools, templates, and process framework to prepare, market, negotiate, and close a business sale — without paying a broker commission.

Business owners selling companies valued between $500,000 and $5 million who want to stay in control of the process. Typical sellers are organized, financially literate, and willing to lead conversations with buyers — but need a system to keep the process professional and on track.

A broker manages the sale on your behalf and charges 8–12% of the sale price. Built Equity gives you the same professional framework — valuation tools, sale materials, buyer management, document generation, due diligence organization — but you stay in control of every decision. Flat fee, no commission. For a detailed comparison, read our article on business broker vs. selling yourself.

A flat fee, paid in stages: Valuation Report $1,500, Marketing Package $1,500, Full Sale $2,950 — $5,950 total if you go all the way. No commissions, no success fees, no monthly charges. On a $2 million sale, a broker would charge $160,000–$200,000. You keep that money.

No. The platform is designed for first-time sellers. It walks you through every phase — from financial preparation and valuation through buyer management, negotiation, due diligence, and closing. Each step has guidance, templates, and AI-assisted document generation.

That is entirely within your right. There is no point of no return until a purchase agreement is signed at closing. You can pause, step back, or stop entirely at any stage. The process moves forward only when you decide it does.

A business sale typically takes 6 to 12 months from preparation to close. The timeline depends on how quickly you prepare the financials and materials, how actively you market, and how complex the deal structure is. Neither the brokered nor the owner-led path is meaningfully faster than the other.

The process has five phases: Prepare (financials, valuation, CIM, listing), Launch (go to market, distribute listing), Engage (manage buyers, qualify interest, share information), Negotiate (evaluate offers, counter, agree on terms), and Execute (due diligence, document assembly, closing). Our step-by-step guide covers each phase in detail.

Not if the process is structured properly. Your listing uses an anonymous teaser that does not identify the business by name, location, or any detail that would reveal your identity. Buyers sign a nondisclosure agreement before receiving any identifying information. You control the entire information release process.

Yes. The early stages of the process — building a financial recast, establishing a valuation range, and listing a confidential teaser — are a low-risk way to gauge buyer interest. If qualified inquiries come in, you have a signal. If they do not, you can adjust and try again later with no damage to confidentiality. Read more in our guide to getting started.

Yes. Built Equity provides the process framework, AI-generated document drafts, and deal management tools — but it does not replace legal or tax advice. You should engage a transaction attorney and a CPA with deal experience. The documents we generate are professional starting points designed for attorney review and refinement.

Business value is determined by your recast earnings — Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE) for owner-operated businesses, or EBITDA for manager-run businesses — multiplied by an industry-appropriate multiple. Built Equity includes valuation tools that help you build a recast, model different scenarios, and generate an AI valuation analysis. For a complete guide, read how to value your business.

Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE) represents the total financial benefit the business provides to a single owner-operator. It starts with net income and adds back owner salary, personal expenses run through the business, non-recurring costs, and non-cash charges like depreciation. SDE is the number buyers use to determine what they are willing to pay.

That is information, not a dead end. If there is a gap between the valuation and your goals, you can invest time addressing the factors that suppress value — cleaning up financials, reducing owner dependency, diversifying revenue, documenting operations. Knowing the number early is better than discovering it late.

Buyers look at consistent earnings, growth trajectory, customer concentration, owner dependency, recurring revenue, quality of financial records, and the defensibility of the market position. A clean financial recast and professional presentation (CIM, teaser) signal that the seller is serious and the deal is well-organized.

A Confidential Information Memorandum is the comprehensive document that tells the full story of your business to qualified buyers. It covers the business overview, financial performance, operations, management team, market position, growth opportunities, and transaction details. Built Equity generates a professional CIM from your intake questionnaire and financial data. Learn more in our guide to building a CIM that attracts buyers.

A teaser is a short, anonymous summary of the business opportunity — industry, region, revenue range, earnings range, and reason for sale. No name, no address, no identifying detail. It is what buyers see before signing an NDA. A well-written teaser attracts serious interest without compromising confidentiality.

Yes. The platform uses AI to generate your CIM, valuation report, listing teaser, and all transaction documents (APA, term sheet, allocation, disclosure schedule, non-compete, bill of sale, and promissory note). You review, edit, and approve each document before it is shared with anyone.

Your anonymous teaser is published to business-for-sale platforms and buyer channels. Buyers who express interest are screened — they sign an NDA, complete a qualification questionnaire, and you approve them before they receive the CIM or any identifying information.

Buyers submit offers through the platform with structured terms (price, payment structure, earnout, transition period, contingencies). You review offers on a side-by-side comparison table. You can accept, counter, or decline. The platform enforces one counter at a time, tracks deadlines, and logs every action to the deal thread for a clear audit trail.

After terms are agreed, the platform walks you through drafting a Letter of Intent (LOI) and getting it signed. Once the LOI is executed, due diligence begins. Built Equity guides you through each step — organizing documents, managing buyer requests, and preparing the transaction documents your attorney will need to review and finalize.

Yes. Many owners do, especially at deal sizes under $5 million. The key is having a structured process — valuation, financial preparation, sale materials, confidentiality controls, buyer qualification, negotiation framework, and due diligence organization. Without that structure, the owner-led path is significantly harder. With it, the owner-led path is a credible alternative.

Broker fees are commonly structured as 8–12% of the final sale price, or follow a tiered formula such as the Double Lehman model. Additional costs may include retainers ($5,000–$25,000), marketing fees, and minimum fee requirements. On a $2 million sale, expect $160,000–$240,000 in total broker costs. Read the full breakdown in our article on business broker fees.

A broker may be the right fit if you want full representation, have a complex multi-entity transaction, need access to institutional buyer networks (PE firms, strategic acquirers), or simply do not have the time to manage the process. The decision should be based on your situation — not the assumption that one path is inherently better.

Industry estimates consistently place the listing-to-close ratio for small businesses at 20–30%. The best brokers report close rates of 40–50%. The primary reasons deals fail — overpricing, poor financial preparation, owner dependency, and process breakdowns — are the same regardless of whether a broker is involved.

Built Equity generates: Valuation Analysis (AI-powered with SDE/EBITDA scenarios), CIM (12-section comprehensive buyer package), Listing Teaser (anonymous buyer-facing summary), Comprehensive Term Sheet, Asset Purchase Agreement, Purchase Price Allocation, Seller Disclosure Schedule, Non-Compete Agreement, Promissory Note (if seller financing), and Bill of Sale. All documents are editable, versioned, and available as HTML preview and Word (.docx) download.

Yes. Your data is stored on a dedicated server with encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS). Buyer access to documents uses watermarked secure viewing — PDFs are never served directly. Buyers see your name and email watermarked on every page. Document sharing is controlled by you at every stage, with per-buyer permissions and access logging.

Built Equity includes in-app support messaging where you can reach the Built Equity team directly. The platform also provides contextual guidance on every page — explaining what each step is, why it matters, and what to do next. AI-powered document generation handles the heavy lifting on legal and financial documents.

Yes. You can invite collaborators (attorneys, CPAs, advisors) to your deal workspace with view or edit permissions.