How It Works: From First Lunch to Closed Sale in 90–120 Days
Most owners have never sold a business before — and the fear of the unknown is exactly what bad buyers and slow processes feed on. So here is our entire process, in plain English, with nothing hidden.
Step 1 — Let’s grab lunch (Week 1)
You’ll meet Brian — not an analyst, not a call center. We’ll talk about how you built the business, what makes it work, who your key people are, and what you want retirement to look like. If you’d like an NDA signed before we talk numbers, we’ll sign one happily.
What you need to prepare: nothing.
Step 2 — A fair, straightforward offer (Weeks 2–3)
If we’re both interested, we’ll ask your CPA for about three years of financials and tax returns. Within roughly two weeks you’ll have a written offer — and we’ll walk you through exactly how we got to the number: your earnings, the multiple, and why. No lowballing, no “we’ll fix it in diligence.”
Step 3 — Quiet due diligence (Days 20–80)
Our small team confirms the facts: financials, key contracts, the lease, licenses, equipment. We do this quietly and respectfully. Your employees, customers, and competitors will not know anything is happening until you decide it’s time.
Step 4 — Closing (Days 90–120)
Cash at close, with clean and conservative terms. We're family-led, and we structure each purchase conservatively — our own capital first, alongside sensible financing (including SBA-backed loans) where it strengthens the deal. Whatever the mix, we walk you through exactly how your deal is funded and where it stands, at every step — never an eleventh-hour surprise, which is the most common reason small-business sales fall apart.
Step 5 — Transition on your terms
This is where we’re most different. We plan the handoff together: how and when to tell your employees (we’ll be there with you if you want), how to introduce key customers, and how long you’d like to stay involved — a few weeks, a few months, or longer. Your name stays on the door. Your people keep their jobs. Your standards stay the standard.
“Customers should feel the business getting better — never feel it changing hands.”— Brian D. Ward
Questions owners ask about the process
What happens in the first meeting?
Just a conversation — usually lunch or coffee somewhere private in Orange County. We want to understand your business, your team, and what you want retirement to look like. You don’t need to bring anything, and nothing is signed except an NDA if you’d like one.
How do you decide what to offer?
We look at your last three years of owner earnings (SDE or EBITDA), how transferable the business is, your team, customer mix, and industry. Then we show you the math. Owners consistently tell us the transparency is what surprised them most.
How long does it really take?
Most of our deals run 90–120 days from first conversation to close. Some take longer — license transfers, landlord consents, or larger deals that bring in capital partners can add time. The difference with us: you'll know which kind of deal yours is in the first few weeks, not month eight. We'd rather give you an honest calendar than a marketing number.
Do I have to stay on after closing?
Only as long as you want. Most owners stay between a few weeks and six months to hand off relationships. Some enjoy staying involved part-time; others are fishing by month two. We build the transition around you.
How do you fund your acquisitions?
We’re family-led: our own capital comes first, and where it strengthens a deal we use conservative financing, including SBA-backed loans — the same tools careful owners use to grow. What we never do is load a company with debt it can’t comfortably carry, and we’re open with you about how your deal is funded at every step.
Step one is just lunch.
Tell us a little about your business. We’ll reply personally within one business day and find a time that works.
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