The Owner's Roadmap
7 Steps to Selling Your Business — A Complete Guide
Selling a business isn't a mystery. It's a process. Here are the seven steps, what happens at each one, and where most owners get stuck.
The Process
Seven Steps From Start to Close
Most owners only think about two steps: find a buyer and negotiate a price. What happens before and after those steps determines whether the deal closes.
Prepare Your Financials
Recast your tax returns to show true earning power. Calculate SDE and EBITDA — the numbers buyers actually use to value your business.
Understand Your Valuation
Price your business based on recast earnings and industry multiples. Too high means no interest. Too low means money left on the table.
Build Your CIM & Teaser
Create the professional documents that turn browsing buyers into serious inquiries. A blind teaser protects your identity until buyers are qualified.
Go to Market Confidentially
List on BizBuySell, BizQuest, LinkedIn, and your network — all while maintaining full confidentiality through gated access.
Screen & Engage Buyers
Qualify every buyer before sharing details. Verify identity, assess financial capacity, and execute NDAs automatically.
Navigate Due Diligence
Share financial records, contracts, and operational data through a secure vault. Stay organized so buyers stay confident.
Negotiate & Close
Evaluate offers side by side, negotiate terms, sign the LOI, and hand off to your attorney for closing.
The Hard Parts
Where Most Business Sales Fall Apart
It's rarely about finding a buyer. It's about what happens after.
Disorganized Financials
Buyers lose confidence fast when your numbers don’t add up or take weeks to produce. A clean financial recast is the foundation of every serious deal.
Confidentiality Breaks
One wrong disclosure and your employees, customers, or competitors find out. Without a structured NDA and gating process, leaks are inevitable.
Due Diligence Collapse
The buyer asked for 47 documents last Tuesday. You found 30. The deal stalled. Most sales die here — not at the negotiation table.
What This Typically Costs
Understanding the Cost of Selling Your Business
Every exit has a cost. Here’s what the options look like.
Business Broker
8–12%
of your sale price
On a $2M sale: $160K–$240K
Plus potential retainers, marketing fees, and 6–12 month exclusivity agreements
Fully DIY
$0
upfront
No cost, but no structure
Higher risk of confidentiality leaks, deal collapse, and underpricing your business
Built Equity
$5,950
flat fee
On a $2M sale: $5,950
Same structured process. You stay in control. No percentage of your sale.
Every option has trade-offs. A broker provides representation but takes a significant share. DIY saves money but risks the deal. Built Equity gives you the structure and tools at a flat fee — you provide the effort.
Free Strategy Call
Not Sure Where to Start? Let’s Talk.
Schedule a free 15-minute call with the founder. We’ll talk through your situation, where you are in the process, and what your next step should be — whether that involves Built Equity or not.
Common Questions
Questions Owners Ask Before Selling
You Know the Steps. Let’s Talk About Yours.
Every business exit is different. A 15-minute call with the founder will help you figure out where you stand and what to do next.
No commission. No percentage. Just a structured process.