Usually our fees are paid by the seller, but in some cases the buyer pays the commission. Business valuation is a mix of art and science. Please see our section on business valuation for a detailed description of the process. Although business owners sometimes liken selling their business to selling real estate, there are many differences. The sale of a business needs to be carefully structured to consider the tax consequences for both buyer and seller.
Sellers are justifiably very concerned with maintaining confidentiality.
No good can come from customers or employees finding out about a pending sale before the owner wants them to find out. Even with a signed confidentiality agreement we stage the release of information based on the level of seriousness and commitment demonstrated by the prospective buyer. This is a very tough one to answer. We have sold companies in as little as a few weeks. In other cases, it can take as long as six months.