Cómo vender su negocio

Al enviar este formulario, acepto la Política de privacidad y doy mi consentimiento para el procesamiento de mis datos personales como se describe en ella.

Cómo vender su negocio

Al enviar este formulario, acepto la Política de privacidad y doy mi consentimiento para el procesamiento de mis datos personales como se describe en ella.

Lograr el éxito mediante el trabajo en equipo y el liderazgo

Somos su especialista líder mundial en ventas comerciales y continuaremos liderando el camino con sistemas innovadores y creativos para permitir que cada persona con mentalidad emprendedora cree y construya su futuro a través de los negocios.


  1. Programe una cita para reunirse con un profesional de ventas comerciales de First Choice.
  2. Reúna los documentos solicitados por su Broker de Negocios FCBB para su reunión.
  3. Durante su reunión, se le harán una serie de preguntas exhaustivas para ayudarnos a desarrollar una imagen más clara de su negocio y el enfoque que adoptaremos para obtener el interés del comprador en SU negocio.
  4. Determine la valoración/precio de mercado de su negocio utilizando los métodos de valoración probados de FCBB, incluidos ingresos y gastos discrecionales.
  5. Acuerdo de cotización que autoriza a FCBB a representarlo en la venta de su negocio.
  6. Aprobación previa del vendedor del listado de marketing/publicidad y posibles términos ofrecidos.
  7. Agente comercial de FCBB para gestionar las consultas de los compradores y el proceso de precalificación de los compradores, incluida la firma del NDA (acuerdo de confidencialidad) por parte del comprador.
  8. FCBB Business Broker para organizar reunión entre comprador y vendedor.
  9. Broker de Negocios FCBB para ayudar en la redacción y/o presentación de ofertas y posteriores negociaciones contractuales.
  10. FCBB Business Broker para gestionar el cronograma desde la aceptación de la oferta hasta el cierre (transferencia de propiedad al Comprador)

Lograr el éxito mediante el trabajo en equipo y el liderazgo

Somos el especialista líder mundial en ventas comerciales y continuaremos liderando el camino con sistemas innovadores y creativos para permitir que cada persona con mentalidad emprendedora cree y construya el futuro a través de los negocios.


  1. Programe una cita para reunirse con un profesional de ventas comerciales de First Choice.
  2. Reúna los documentos solicitados por su Broker de Negocios FCBB para su reunión.
  3. Durante su reunión, se le harán una serie de preguntas exhaustivas para ayudarnos a desarrollar una imagen más clara de su negocio y el enfoque que adoptaremos para obtener el interés del comprador en SU negocio.
  4. Determine la valoración/precio de mercado de su negocio utilizando los métodos de valoración probados de FCBB, incluidos ingresos y gastos discrecionales.
  5. Acuerdo de cotización que autoriza a FCBB a representarlo en la venta de su negocio.
  6. Aprobación previa del vendedor del listado de marketing/publicidad y posibles términos ofrecidos.
  7. Agente comercial de FCBB para gestionar las consultas de los compradores y el proceso de precalificación de los compradores, incluida la firma del NDA (acuerdo de confidencialidad) por parte del comprador.
  8. FCBB Business Broker para organizar reunión entre comprador y vendedor.
  9. Broker de Negocios FCBB para ayudar en la redacción y/o presentación de ofertas y posteriores negociaciones contractuales.
  10. FCBB Business Broker para gestionar el cronograma desde la aceptación de la oferta hasta el cierre (transferencia de propiedad al Comprador)

Preguntas frecuentes de los vendedores

¿Por qué debería utilizar un Business Broker para vender mi negocio?


Los propietarios de empresas que han vendido una empresa en el pasado probablemente le dirán que es un proceso largo y estresante. Vender su propia empresa puede dañar el valor de la misma, ya que le quita la atención de la operación diaria de la misma en un momento crítico en el que debería estar aumentando o al menos manteniendo su negocio actual. Cuando un corredor de negocios lo ayuda en el proceso, puede obtener más beneficios que solo por el precio obtenido. Los corredores de negocios lo ayudarán a valorar adecuadamente su empresa, llegar a los compradores que ya tienen, llegar a una mayor cantidad de nuevos compradores, permitirle continuar administrando su empresa en lugar de quitarle la atención, mantener la confidencialidad y, lo más importante, ayudarlo con el cierre de su transacción en función de su experiencia y capacitación. El error más común que cometen los vendedores potenciales es comparar la venta de su empresa con la venta de una casa. A diferencia de los agentes inmobiliarios, mantenemos su listado completamente confidencial y trabajamos con usted en cada paso del camino hasta que vendemos su empresa.



¿Por qué First Choice Business Brokers (FCBB)?


Con una experiencia inigualable desde 1994, oficinas en todo Estados Unidos y algunos de los corredores de negocios más capacitados de la industria, First Choice es la "opción clara" cuando se trata de elegir un corredor de negocios para que lo represente. Nuestros corredores de negocios son expertos en el campo de la valoración de empresas, ventas de empresas, marketing de empresas y negociaciones de compra/venta para satisfacer tanto a compradores como a vendedores.



¿Cómo se mantiene confidencial mi negocio en venta?


A diferencia de la venta de una casa o incluso de un edificio comercial, las empresas no tienen un cartel de "se vende". Las ventas de empresas deben mantenerse confidenciales; todos los compradores deben firmar un acuerdo de confidencialidad del comprador (NDA) antes de que se proporcione información detallada sobre su empresa. Esto ayuda a evitar que los empleados, proveedores, clientes y competidores descubran que está vendiendo su empresa.



¿Cómo se publicitará mi negocio?

Con First Choice Business Brokers, su empresa aparecerá en los sitios web mejor calificados específicamente para su área, así como en sitios nacionales e internacionales. Se pueden emplear otros medios publicitarios según el tipo de negocio.



¿Cómo sé cuánto vale mi negocio?

Los métodos probados de valoración y comercialización de FCBB colocarán a su empresa en la mejor posición posible para vender. Los profesionales de ventas de First Choice Business son algunos de los profesionales más capacitados de la industria.



¿Cuánto tiempo tardaré en vender mi negocio?

Una empresa con un precio adecuado suele venderse en aproximadamente 90 días, pero este plazo puede variar en gran medida en función de los ingresos de su empresa (y de lo fácil que sea demostrarlos), el tipo de empresa, las condiciones ofrecidas y la zona en la que se encuentra su empresa. Su profesional de ventas de empresas local de First Choice le proporcionará más información sobre su mercado local.



¿Los compradores visitarán mi negocio?

Después de que un comprador haya firmado un NDA (confidencialidad del comprador), revisado la información inicial y expresado un mayor interés en su negocio, su profesional de ventas comerciales de FCBB programará una reunión para que el comprador vea su negocio en un momento que sea apropiado para su tipo de negocio.



¿Cómo escriben los compradores las ofertas para comprar mi negocio?

La mayoría de los compradores que estén interesados en su negocio estarán representados por un agente comercial profesional que los ayudará a redactar una oferta que exprese su precio, términos, contingencias (si las hubiera) y solicite documentación adicional (si la hubiera). Luego, su agente comercial de FCBB y/o el agente del comprador le presentarán la oferta para su aprobación.



¿Quién atenderá todas las llamadas de consulta sobre la venta de mi negocio?

Su profesional de ventas comerciales de primera elección está capacitado para tratar con consultas entrantes (a menudo de personas que solo buscan información) y ayudar a determinar cuáles de esos compradores podrían estar listos para pasar al siguiente nivel.



¿Quién se encargará de las negociaciones sobre la venta de mi negocio?

Su profesional de ventas comerciales de First Choice está capacitado para ocuparse de las negociaciones de venta de su empresa. Su agente comercial de FCBB lo ayudará a navegar por todo el proceso; lo acompañaremos en cada paso del camino.



¿Cuánto tiempo tendré que capacitar a la persona que compre mi negocio?

Este es un punto negociable, pero hemos descubierto que la mayoría de los compradores piden 30 días. Algunos tipos de empresas solo requieren una o dos semanas de capacitación, mientras que otras empresas más complicadas pueden requerir un período de familiarización más prolongado. Si se requiere un período más largo, a menudo descubrimos que los vendedores negocian una tarifa de consultoría por períodos de capacitación más prolongados.



Después de vender mi negocio ¿puedo abrir otro en algún momento en el futuro?

Todos los compradores le pedirán que firme un compromiso de no competir dentro de un área y/o período de tiempo determinado.



¿Necesitaré financiar parte del precio de compra del negocio?

No existe ningún requisito de que usted "lleve papeles" en su negocio, sin embargo, en el mercado actual es muy común que los compradores soliciten algún tipo de Nota de Transporte del Vendedor que en realidad abre su negocio a un grupo más grande de compradores.



¿Cuándo debo notificar a mis empleados que estoy vendiendo el negocio?

Si bien es posible que tenga una relación cercana con sus empleados, se ha demostrado una y otra vez que el mejor momento para informarles a sus empleados es cuando los presenta a los nuevos propietarios. Esto puede resultarle difícil emocionalmente, pero la experiencia dicta que el silencio es la mejor práctica. La excepción a esta regla sería si un empleado "clave" forma parte de la negociación para que el comprador lo mantenga en su puesto después de que se complete la venta. En este caso, es posible que se requiera un aviso previo a esta persona y solo a ella. Su agente comercial de First Choice lo guiará a través del momento adecuado para esta parte tan importante del negocio. ¡El momento lo es todo!



¿Mi agente comercial de primera elección calificará al comprador verificando su crédito?

First Choice no verifica el crédito de los compradores; sin embargo, durante el proceso de oferta y aceptación, usted puede solicitar que el comprador le proporcione una copia de su informe crediticio. Esto no se le pide al comprador con frecuencia, ya que el propietario o arrendador probablemente obtendrá un informe crediticio para su revisión.

Entradas recientes

A Strong Business but a Modest Multiple

Por Kim Santos • 16 de junio de 2025
When Sean McAuliffe sold his company, he had a lot going for him. His distribution business was generating nearly $19 million in revenue. Margins were healthy. Growth was solid. And yet, when it came time to sell, his company was valued at around four times EBITDA, a relatively modest value for a $19 million company. The reason? Sean didn’t fully control his supply chain—and buyers noticed. Dependency Makes Buyers Nervous Sean’s model was simple. He bought car key fobs from suppliers in Asia and sold them to locksmiths across the U.S. It was a classic distribution play: source cheap, sell smart, and manage relationships. Sean executed well. He even created his own brand, Keyless to Go, and FCC-registered his products—moves that set him apart from competitors. But despite these efforts, Sean was still reliant on third-party suppliers. He didn’t own the factories. He didn’t control manufacturing. His business was exposed to the decisions of vendors half a world away. In today’s environment—where tariffs and geopolitical tensions can change the cost and availability of overseas goods almost overnight—relying on foreign suppliers feels riskier to acquirers than ever. This kind of dependency is exactly what The Value Builder System™ measures through the Switzerland Structure—one of the eight key drivers of company value. The Switzerland Structure assesses whether your business is overly dependent on any one customer, employee, or supplier. Buyers pay a premium for companies that aren’t beholden to any single relationship. Why Monopoly Control Drives Value Contrast that with businesses that own their brand, control their production, or have proprietary products. Companies with a defendable moat—what we call Monopoly Control—are 40% more likely to have received a written offer to acquire their business, according to analysis of more than 80,000 business owners who have completed their Value Builder Score report. When you control your product and customer experience, you influence your valuation upward—giving buyers fewer reasons to discount your business. The Takeaway for Owners Sean still built a great business. His execution created life-changing wealth. But if he had owned the supply chain or had exclusive manufacturing rights, he likely would have commanded a higher multiple.  The takeaway for business owners: Building a valuable company isn’t just about revenue and profit. It’s about creating a business that can thrive without being dependent on any one customer, employee, or supplier.

How to Double Your Chances of a Premium Acquisition Offer

Por Kim Santos • 21 de abril de 2025
Value Builder Analytics, drawing on proprietary data from over 80,000 business owners, found that companies that can run without the owner for at least three months are twice as likely to receive an acquisition offer above 6x EBITDA. The concept is simple. The execution? Not so much. Take Kristie Shifflette for example. She was an early master franchisee with Orangetheory Fitness, a one-hour, coach-led workout that uses heart rate zones to boost calorie burn during and after exercise. When she opened her first location, she did it all—marketing, hiring, payroll, and even handling construction headaches. It worked but only because she was working constantly. As she expanded, things started to break. With two locations, she was stretched. At three, it became clear: The model only worked when Kristie was the model. She knew she needed to change. Kristie stopped focusing on being in the business and started focusing on building the business. From Operator to Owner Kristie started documenting everything. From pre-sale processes to day-to-day studio operations, Kristie developed detailed playbooks that codified exactly how her Orangetheory locations should run—without her. She created a compensation structure for studio managers that gave them ownership over their results: modest base salaries paired with meaningful bonuses tied to net member growth and total revenue. Top-performing managers could double their pay, and they were treated like mini-CEOs with full responsibility for their studio’s performance. By the time she sold her business, Kristie had built a company with 13 locations generating well north of $10 million in annual revenue. Some of her top-performing studios, like the Chapel Hill location, were bringing in revenue of $2 million a year, with EBITDA margins around 40%.  Kristie’s story includes an important lesson: Make yourself less essential, and your business becomes more valuable. If you’re still the one opening the door in the morning and locking up at night—literally or metaphorically—it’s worth asking: What would break if I stepped away for 90 days? Start there. Whether it’s building a playbook, empowering your team, or simply learning to let go, taking even one step toward reducing your involvement makes your company not just more valuable but more enjoyable to own.

Why Imperfections in Your Business Don’t Make It Unsellable

Por Kim Santos • 14 de abril de 2025
For business owners considering their endgame, learning what makes a company valuable can feel overwhelming. Buyers prioritize factors like recurring revenue, a differentiated product or service, and a leadership team that operates independently from the owner. If a business doesn’t check every box, it can seem as though selling is perpetually just out of reach. But perfection is not a prerequisite for a sale. While improving the key drivers of value is important, an imperfect business can still be highly desirable to the right buyer. In fact, some acquirers actively look for businesses with fixable flaws because they see an opportunity to increase value. Blake Hutchison on Why Imperfections Can Be to an Acquirer’s Advantage Blake Hutchison, CEO of Flippa, has witnessed thousands of business acquisitions. Flippa is an online marketplace where business owners can buy and sell companies, particularly small to mid-sized digital businesses. The platform connects sellers with buyers looking for opportunities to grow or optimize an acquisition. In a recent Built to Sell Radio interview, Hutchison explained that many business owners assume their company won’t attract buyers because it has shortcomings. In reality, most acquirers aren’t looking for perfection—they’re looking for potential. Many buyers have a strategic advantage, whether it’s a strong distribution network, operational expertise, or access to capital, that allows them to take an imperfect business and make it more valuable. A prime example of this is the acquisition of PetCoach. How PetCoach Turned an Imperfection into a Selling Point PetCoach, co-founded by Brock Weatherup, was a two-sided marketplace designed to connect pet owners with veterinarians. The challenge for any marketplace business is keeping both sides in balance—generating enough demand from pet owners while ensuring there are enough veterinarians to meet that demand. PetCoach had built a strong product, but it lacked a broad distribution channel to acquire pet owners at scale. Without a solution, growth would remain limited. Instead of seeing this as a dealbreaker, Weatherup positioned it as an opportunity for the right buyer. That buyer was Petco. With more than 1,500 locations across the U.S., Mexico, and Puerto Rico, Petco had access to millions of pet owners. By acquiring PetCoach, Petco could instantly expand its offerings while solving PetCoach’s biggest challenge. Weatherup didn’t need to fix the scalability issue before selling. He needed to find an acquirer for whom the business’s weakness was actually a competitive advantage. Your Business Has Value—Even if It’s Not Perfect This doesn’t mean business owners should ignore the fundamentals of value creation. Strengthening factors like recurring revenue, customer retention, and operational efficiency will always increase a company’s attractiveness. However, not every issue needs to be resolved before an exit.  Instead of viewing imperfections as obstacles, business owners should consider how an acquirer might perceive them: A company struggling with customer acquisition may be a great fit for a buyer with an established customer base. A business with inefficient operations might attract an acquirer with expertise in streamlining processes. A company overly dependent on its owner could be appealing to a buyer with a strong leadership team ready to step in. As Blake Hutchison explains, acquirers are often looking for businesses where they can add value. The key is to position the company in a way that highlights its strengths while framing its imperfections as untapped potential. The right acquirer won’t see weaknesses as dealbreakers—they’ll see them as opportunities.

A Strong Business but a Modest Multiple

Por Kim Santos • 16 de junio de 2025
When Sean McAuliffe sold his company, he had a lot going for him. His distribution business was generating nearly $19 million in revenue. Margins were healthy. Growth was solid. And yet, when it came time to sell, his company was valued at around four times EBITDA, a relatively modest value for a $19 million company. The reason? Sean didn’t fully control his supply chain—and buyers noticed. Dependency Makes Buyers Nervous Sean’s model was simple. He bought car key fobs from suppliers in Asia and sold them to locksmiths across the U.S. It was a classic distribution play: source cheap, sell smart, and manage relationships. Sean executed well. He even created his own brand, Keyless to Go, and FCC-registered his products—moves that set him apart from competitors. But despite these efforts, Sean was still reliant on third-party suppliers. He didn’t own the factories. He didn’t control manufacturing. His business was exposed to the decisions of vendors half a world away. In today’s environment—where tariffs and geopolitical tensions can change the cost and availability of overseas goods almost overnight—relying on foreign suppliers feels riskier to acquirers than ever. This kind of dependency is exactly what The Value Builder System™ measures through the Switzerland Structure—one of the eight key drivers of company value. The Switzerland Structure assesses whether your business is overly dependent on any one customer, employee, or supplier. Buyers pay a premium for companies that aren’t beholden to any single relationship. Why Monopoly Control Drives Value Contrast that with businesses that own their brand, control their production, or have proprietary products. Companies with a defendable moat—what we call Monopoly Control—are 40% more likely to have received a written offer to acquire their business, according to analysis of more than 80,000 business owners who have completed their Value Builder Score report. When you control your product and customer experience, you influence your valuation upward—giving buyers fewer reasons to discount your business. The Takeaway for Owners Sean still built a great business. His execution created life-changing wealth. But if he had owned the supply chain or had exclusive manufacturing rights, he likely would have commanded a higher multiple.  The takeaway for business owners: Building a valuable company isn’t just about revenue and profit. It’s about creating a business that can thrive without being dependent on any one customer, employee, or supplier.

How to Double Your Chances of a Premium Acquisition Offer

Por Kim Santos • 21 de abril de 2025
Value Builder Analytics, drawing on proprietary data from over 80,000 business owners, found that companies that can run without the owner for at least three months are twice as likely to receive an acquisition offer above 6x EBITDA. The concept is simple. The execution? Not so much. Take Kristie Shifflette for example. She was an early master franchisee with Orangetheory Fitness, a one-hour, coach-led workout that uses heart rate zones to boost calorie burn during and after exercise. When she opened her first location, she did it all—marketing, hiring, payroll, and even handling construction headaches. It worked but only because she was working constantly. As she expanded, things started to break. With two locations, she was stretched. At three, it became clear: The model only worked when Kristie was the model. She knew she needed to change. Kristie stopped focusing on being in the business and started focusing on building the business. From Operator to Owner Kristie started documenting everything. From pre-sale processes to day-to-day studio operations, Kristie developed detailed playbooks that codified exactly how her Orangetheory locations should run—without her. She created a compensation structure for studio managers that gave them ownership over their results: modest base salaries paired with meaningful bonuses tied to net member growth and total revenue. Top-performing managers could double their pay, and they were treated like mini-CEOs with full responsibility for their studio’s performance. By the time she sold her business, Kristie had built a company with 13 locations generating well north of $10 million in annual revenue. Some of her top-performing studios, like the Chapel Hill location, were bringing in revenue of $2 million a year, with EBITDA margins around 40%.  Kristie’s story includes an important lesson: Make yourself less essential, and your business becomes more valuable. If you’re still the one opening the door in the morning and locking up at night—literally or metaphorically—it’s worth asking: What would break if I stepped away for 90 days? Start there. Whether it’s building a playbook, empowering your team, or simply learning to let go, taking even one step toward reducing your involvement makes your company not just more valuable but more enjoyable to own.

Why Imperfections in Your Business Don’t Make It Unsellable

Por Kim Santos • 14 de abril de 2025
For business owners considering their endgame, learning what makes a company valuable can feel overwhelming. Buyers prioritize factors like recurring revenue, a differentiated product or service, and a leadership team that operates independently from the owner. If a business doesn’t check every box, it can seem as though selling is perpetually just out of reach. But perfection is not a prerequisite for a sale. While improving the key drivers of value is important, an imperfect business can still be highly desirable to the right buyer. In fact, some acquirers actively look for businesses with fixable flaws because they see an opportunity to increase value. Blake Hutchison on Why Imperfections Can Be to an Acquirer’s Advantage Blake Hutchison, CEO of Flippa, has witnessed thousands of business acquisitions. Flippa is an online marketplace where business owners can buy and sell companies, particularly small to mid-sized digital businesses. The platform connects sellers with buyers looking for opportunities to grow or optimize an acquisition. In a recent Built to Sell Radio interview, Hutchison explained that many business owners assume their company won’t attract buyers because it has shortcomings. In reality, most acquirers aren’t looking for perfection—they’re looking for potential. Many buyers have a strategic advantage, whether it’s a strong distribution network, operational expertise, or access to capital, that allows them to take an imperfect business and make it more valuable. A prime example of this is the acquisition of PetCoach. How PetCoach Turned an Imperfection into a Selling Point PetCoach, co-founded by Brock Weatherup, was a two-sided marketplace designed to connect pet owners with veterinarians. The challenge for any marketplace business is keeping both sides in balance—generating enough demand from pet owners while ensuring there are enough veterinarians to meet that demand. PetCoach had built a strong product, but it lacked a broad distribution channel to acquire pet owners at scale. Without a solution, growth would remain limited. Instead of seeing this as a dealbreaker, Weatherup positioned it as an opportunity for the right buyer. That buyer was Petco. With more than 1,500 locations across the U.S., Mexico, and Puerto Rico, Petco had access to millions of pet owners. By acquiring PetCoach, Petco could instantly expand its offerings while solving PetCoach’s biggest challenge. Weatherup didn’t need to fix the scalability issue before selling. He needed to find an acquirer for whom the business’s weakness was actually a competitive advantage. Your Business Has Value—Even if It’s Not Perfect This doesn’t mean business owners should ignore the fundamentals of value creation. Strengthening factors like recurring revenue, customer retention, and operational efficiency will always increase a company’s attractiveness. However, not every issue needs to be resolved before an exit.  Instead of viewing imperfections as obstacles, business owners should consider how an acquirer might perceive them: A company struggling with customer acquisition may be a great fit for a buyer with an established customer base. A business with inefficient operations might attract an acquirer with expertise in streamlining processes. A company overly dependent on its owner could be appealing to a buyer with a strong leadership team ready to step in. As Blake Hutchison explains, acquirers are often looking for businesses where they can add value. The key is to position the company in a way that highlights its strengths while framing its imperfections as untapped potential. The right acquirer won’t see weaknesses as dealbreakers—they’ll see them as opportunities.

A Strong Business but a Modest Multiple

Por Kim Santos • 16 de junio de 2025
When Sean McAuliffe sold his company, he had a lot going for him. His distribution business was generating nearly $19 million in revenue. Margins were healthy. Growth was solid. And yet, when it came time to sell, his company was valued at around four times EBITDA, a relatively modest value for a $19 million company. The reason? Sean didn’t fully control his supply chain—and buyers noticed. Dependency Makes Buyers Nervous Sean’s model was simple. He bought car key fobs from suppliers in Asia and sold them to locksmiths across the U.S. It was a classic distribution play: source cheap, sell smart, and manage relationships. Sean executed well. He even created his own brand, Keyless to Go, and FCC-registered his products—moves that set him apart from competitors. But despite these efforts, Sean was still reliant on third-party suppliers. He didn’t own the factories. He didn’t control manufacturing. His business was exposed to the decisions of vendors half a world away. In today’s environment—where tariffs and geopolitical tensions can change the cost and availability of overseas goods almost overnight—relying on foreign suppliers feels riskier to acquirers than ever. This kind of dependency is exactly what The Value Builder System™ measures through the Switzerland Structure—one of the eight key drivers of company value. The Switzerland Structure assesses whether your business is overly dependent on any one customer, employee, or supplier. Buyers pay a premium for companies that aren’t beholden to any single relationship. Why Monopoly Control Drives Value Contrast that with businesses that own their brand, control their production, or have proprietary products. Companies with a defendable moat—what we call Monopoly Control—are 40% more likely to have received a written offer to acquire their business, according to analysis of more than 80,000 business owners who have completed their Value Builder Score report. When you control your product and customer experience, you influence your valuation upward—giving buyers fewer reasons to discount your business. The Takeaway for Owners Sean still built a great business. His execution created life-changing wealth. But if he had owned the supply chain or had exclusive manufacturing rights, he likely would have commanded a higher multiple.  The takeaway for business owners: Building a valuable company isn’t just about revenue and profit. It’s about creating a business that can thrive without being dependent on any one customer, employee, or supplier.

How to Double Your Chances of a Premium Acquisition Offer

Por Kim Santos • 21 de abril de 2025
Value Builder Analytics, drawing on proprietary data from over 80,000 business owners, found that companies that can run without the owner for at least three months are twice as likely to receive an acquisition offer above 6x EBITDA. The concept is simple. The execution? Not so much. Take Kristie Shifflette for example. She was an early master franchisee with Orangetheory Fitness, a one-hour, coach-led workout that uses heart rate zones to boost calorie burn during and after exercise. When she opened her first location, she did it all—marketing, hiring, payroll, and even handling construction headaches. It worked but only because she was working constantly. As she expanded, things started to break. With two locations, she was stretched. At three, it became clear: The model only worked when Kristie was the model. She knew she needed to change. Kristie stopped focusing on being in the business and started focusing on building the business. From Operator to Owner Kristie started documenting everything. From pre-sale processes to day-to-day studio operations, Kristie developed detailed playbooks that codified exactly how her Orangetheory locations should run—without her. She created a compensation structure for studio managers that gave them ownership over their results: modest base salaries paired with meaningful bonuses tied to net member growth and total revenue. Top-performing managers could double their pay, and they were treated like mini-CEOs with full responsibility for their studio’s performance. By the time she sold her business, Kristie had built a company with 13 locations generating well north of $10 million in annual revenue. Some of her top-performing studios, like the Chapel Hill location, were bringing in revenue of $2 million a year, with EBITDA margins around 40%.  Kristie’s story includes an important lesson: Make yourself less essential, and your business becomes more valuable. If you’re still the one opening the door in the morning and locking up at night—literally or metaphorically—it’s worth asking: What would break if I stepped away for 90 days? Start there. Whether it’s building a playbook, empowering your team, or simply learning to let go, taking even one step toward reducing your involvement makes your company not just more valuable but more enjoyable to own.

Why Imperfections in Your Business Don’t Make It Unsellable

Por Kim Santos • 14 de abril de 2025
For business owners considering their endgame, learning what makes a company valuable can feel overwhelming. Buyers prioritize factors like recurring revenue, a differentiated product or service, and a leadership team that operates independently from the owner. If a business doesn’t check every box, it can seem as though selling is perpetually just out of reach. But perfection is not a prerequisite for a sale. While improving the key drivers of value is important, an imperfect business can still be highly desirable to the right buyer. In fact, some acquirers actively look for businesses with fixable flaws because they see an opportunity to increase value. Blake Hutchison on Why Imperfections Can Be to an Acquirer’s Advantage Blake Hutchison, CEO of Flippa, has witnessed thousands of business acquisitions. Flippa is an online marketplace where business owners can buy and sell companies, particularly small to mid-sized digital businesses. The platform connects sellers with buyers looking for opportunities to grow or optimize an acquisition. In a recent Built to Sell Radio interview, Hutchison explained that many business owners assume their company won’t attract buyers because it has shortcomings. In reality, most acquirers aren’t looking for perfection—they’re looking for potential. Many buyers have a strategic advantage, whether it’s a strong distribution network, operational expertise, or access to capital, that allows them to take an imperfect business and make it more valuable. A prime example of this is the acquisition of PetCoach. How PetCoach Turned an Imperfection into a Selling Point PetCoach, co-founded by Brock Weatherup, was a two-sided marketplace designed to connect pet owners with veterinarians. The challenge for any marketplace business is keeping both sides in balance—generating enough demand from pet owners while ensuring there are enough veterinarians to meet that demand. PetCoach had built a strong product, but it lacked a broad distribution channel to acquire pet owners at scale. Without a solution, growth would remain limited. Instead of seeing this as a dealbreaker, Weatherup positioned it as an opportunity for the right buyer. That buyer was Petco. With more than 1,500 locations across the U.S., Mexico, and Puerto Rico, Petco had access to millions of pet owners. By acquiring PetCoach, Petco could instantly expand its offerings while solving PetCoach’s biggest challenge. Weatherup didn’t need to fix the scalability issue before selling. He needed to find an acquirer for whom the business’s weakness was actually a competitive advantage. Your Business Has Value—Even if It’s Not Perfect This doesn’t mean business owners should ignore the fundamentals of value creation. Strengthening factors like recurring revenue, customer retention, and operational efficiency will always increase a company’s attractiveness. However, not every issue needs to be resolved before an exit.  Instead of viewing imperfections as obstacles, business owners should consider how an acquirer might perceive them: A company struggling with customer acquisition may be a great fit for a buyer with an established customer base. A business with inefficient operations might attract an acquirer with expertise in streamlining processes. A company overly dependent on its owner could be appealing to a buyer with a strong leadership team ready to step in. As Blake Hutchison explains, acquirers are often looking for businesses where they can add value. The key is to position the company in a way that highlights its strengths while framing its imperfections as untapped potential. The right acquirer won’t see weaknesses as dealbreakers—they’ll see them as opportunities.

Preguntas frecuentes de los vendedores

¿Por qué debería utilizar un Business Broker para vender mi negocio?


Los propietarios de empresas que han vendido una empresa en el pasado probablemente le dirán que es un proceso largo y estresante. Vender su propia empresa puede dañar el valor de la misma, ya que le quita la atención de la operación diaria de la misma en un momento crítico en el que debería estar aumentando o al menos manteniendo su negocio actual. Cuando un corredor de negocios lo ayuda en el proceso, puede obtener más beneficios que solo por el precio obtenido. Los corredores de negocios lo ayudarán a valorar adecuadamente su empresa, llegar a los compradores que ya tienen, llegar a una mayor cantidad de nuevos compradores, permitirle continuar administrando su empresa en lugar de quitarle la atención, mantener la confidencialidad y, lo más importante, ayudarlo con el cierre de su transacción en función de su experiencia y capacitación. El error más común que cometen los vendedores potenciales es comparar la venta de su empresa con la venta de una casa. A diferencia de los agentes inmobiliarios, mantenemos su listado completamente confidencial y trabajamos con usted en cada paso del camino hasta que vendemos su empresa.



¿Por qué First Choice Business Brokers (FCBB)?


Con una experiencia inigualable desde 1994, oficinas en todo Estados Unidos y algunos de los corredores de negocios más capacitados de la industria, First Choice es la "opción clara" cuando se trata de elegir un corredor de negocios para que lo represente. Nuestros corredores de negocios son expertos en el campo de la evaluación de negocios, ventas de negocios, marketing de negocios y negociaciones de compra/venta para satisfacer tanto a compradores como a vendedores.



¿Cómo se mantiene confidencial mi negocio en venta?


A diferencia de la venta de una casa o incluso de un edificio comercial, las empresas no tienen un cartel de "se vende". Las ventas de empresas deben mantenerse confidenciales; todos los compradores deben firmar un acuerdo de confidencialidad del comprador (NDA) antes de que se proporcione información detallada sobre su empresa. Esto ayuda a evitar que los empleados, proveedores, clientes y competidores descubran que está vendiendo su empresa.



¿Cómo se publicitará mi negocio?

Con First Choice Business Brokers, su empresa aparecerá en los sitios web mejor calificados específicamente para su área, así como en sitios nacionales e internacionales. Se pueden emplear otros medios publicitarios según el tipo de negocio.



¿Cómo sé cuánto vale mi negocio?

Los métodos probados de valoración y comercialización de FCBB colocarán a su empresa en la mejor posición posible para vender. Los profesionales de ventas de First Choice Business son algunos de los profesionales más capacitados de la industria.



¿Cuánto tiempo tardaré en vender mi negocio?

Una empresa con un precio adecuado suele venderse en aproximadamente 90 días, pero este plazo puede variar en gran medida en función de los ingresos de su empresa (y de lo fácil que sea demostrarlos), el tipo de empresa, las condiciones ofrecidas y la zona en la que se encuentra su empresa. Su profesional de ventas de empresas local de First Choice le proporcionará más información sobre su mercado local.



¿Los compradores visitarán mi negocio?

Después de que un comprador haya firmado un NDA (confidencialidad del comprador), revisado la información inicial y expresado un mayor interés en su negocio, su profesional de ventas comerciales de FCBB programará una reunión para que el comprador vea su negocio en un momento que sea apropiado para su tipo de negocio.



¿Cómo escriben los compradores las ofertas para comprar mi negocio?

La mayoría de los compradores que estén interesados en su negocio estarán representados por un agente comercial profesional que los ayudará a redactar una oferta que exprese su precio, términos, contingencias (si las hubiera) y solicite documentación adicional (si la hubiera). Luego, su agente comercial de FCBB y/o el agente del comprador le presentarán la oferta para su aprobación.



¿Quién atenderá todas las llamadas de consulta sobre la venta de mi negocio?

Su profesional de ventas comerciales de primera elección está capacitado para tratar con consultas entrantes (a menudo de personas que solo buscan información) y ayudar a determinar cuáles de esos compradores podrían estar listos para pasar al siguiente nivel.



¿Quién se encargará de las negociaciones sobre la venta de mi negocio?

Su profesional de ventas comerciales de First Choice está capacitado para ocuparse de las negociaciones de venta de su empresa. Su agente comercial de FCBB lo ayudará a navegar por todo el proceso; lo acompañaremos en cada paso del camino.



¿Cuánto tiempo tendré que capacitar a la persona que compre mi negocio?

Este es un punto negociable, pero hemos descubierto que la mayoría de los compradores piden 30 días. Algunos tipos de empresas solo requieren una o dos semanas de capacitación, mientras que otras empresas más complicadas pueden requerir un período de familiarización más prolongado. Si se requiere un período más largo, a menudo descubrimos que los vendedores negocian una tarifa de consultoría por períodos de capacitación más prolongados.



Después de vender mi negocio ¿puedo abrir otro en algún momento en el futuro?

Todos los compradores le pedirán que firme un compromiso de no competir dentro de un área y/o período de tiempo determinado.



¿Necesitaré financiar parte del precio de compra del negocio?

No existe ningún requisito de que usted "lleve papeles" en su negocio, sin embargo, en el mercado actual es muy común que los compradores soliciten algún tipo de Nota de Transporte del Vendedor que en realidad abre su negocio a un grupo más grande de compradores.



¿Cuándo debo notificar a mis empleados que estoy vendiendo el negocio?

Si bien es posible que tenga una relación cercana con sus empleados, se ha demostrado una y otra vez que el mejor momento para informarles a sus empleados es cuando los presenta a los nuevos propietarios. Esto puede resultarle difícil emocionalmente, pero la experiencia dicta que el silencio es la mejor práctica. La excepción a esta regla sería si un empleado "clave" es parte de la negociación para que el Comprador lo mantenga en su puesto después de que se complete la venta. En este caso, es posible que se requiera un aviso previo a esta persona y solo a ella. Su agente comercial de First Choice lo guiará a través del momento adecuado para esta parte tan importante de la venta comercial: ¡el momento lo es todo!



¿Mi agente comercial de primera elección calificará al comprador verificando su crédito?

First Choice no verifica el crédito de los compradores; sin embargo, durante el proceso de oferta y aceptación, usted puede solicitar que el comprador le proporcione una copia de su informe crediticio. Esto no se le pide al comprador con frecuencia, ya que el propietario o arrendador probablemente obtendrá un informe crediticio para su revisión.

Entradas recientes

A Strong Business but a Modest Multiple

Por Kim Santos • 16 de junio de 2025
When Sean McAuliffe sold his company, he had a lot going for him. His distribution business was generating nearly $19 million in revenue. Margins were healthy. Growth was solid. And yet, when it came time to sell, his company was valued at around four times EBITDA, a relatively modest value for a $19 million company. The reason? Sean didn’t fully control his supply chain—and buyers noticed. Dependency Makes Buyers Nervous Sean’s model was simple. He bought car key fobs from suppliers in Asia and sold them to locksmiths across the U.S. It was a classic distribution play: source cheap, sell smart, and manage relationships. Sean executed well. He even created his own brand, Keyless to Go, and FCC-registered his products—moves that set him apart from competitors. But despite these efforts, Sean was still reliant on third-party suppliers. He didn’t own the factories. He didn’t control manufacturing. His business was exposed to the decisions of vendors half a world away. In today’s environment—where tariffs and geopolitical tensions can change the cost and availability of overseas goods almost overnight—relying on foreign suppliers feels riskier to acquirers than ever. This kind of dependency is exactly what The Value Builder System™ measures through the Switzerland Structure—one of the eight key drivers of company value. The Switzerland Structure assesses whether your business is overly dependent on any one customer, employee, or supplier. Buyers pay a premium for companies that aren’t beholden to any single relationship. Why Monopoly Control Drives Value Contrast that with businesses that own their brand, control their production, or have proprietary products. Companies with a defendable moat—what we call Monopoly Control—are 40% more likely to have received a written offer to acquire their business, according to analysis of more than 80,000 business owners who have completed their Value Builder Score report. When you control your product and customer experience, you influence your valuation upward—giving buyers fewer reasons to discount your business. The Takeaway for Owners Sean still built a great business. His execution created life-changing wealth. But if he had owned the supply chain or had exclusive manufacturing rights, he likely would have commanded a higher multiple.  The takeaway for business owners: Building a valuable company isn’t just about revenue and profit. It’s about creating a business that can thrive without being dependent on any one customer, employee, or supplier.

How to Double Your Chances of a Premium Acquisition Offer

Por Kim Santos • 21 de abril de 2025
Value Builder Analytics, drawing on proprietary data from over 80,000 business owners, found that companies that can run without the owner for at least three months are twice as likely to receive an acquisition offer above 6x EBITDA. The concept is simple. The execution? Not so much. Take Kristie Shifflette for example. She was an early master franchisee with Orangetheory Fitness, a one-hour, coach-led workout that uses heart rate zones to boost calorie burn during and after exercise. When she opened her first location, she did it all—marketing, hiring, payroll, and even handling construction headaches. It worked but only because she was working constantly. As she expanded, things started to break. With two locations, she was stretched. At three, it became clear: The model only worked when Kristie was the model. She knew she needed to change. Kristie stopped focusing on being in the business and started focusing on building the business. From Operator to Owner Kristie started documenting everything. From pre-sale processes to day-to-day studio operations, Kristie developed detailed playbooks that codified exactly how her Orangetheory locations should run—without her. She created a compensation structure for studio managers that gave them ownership over their results: modest base salaries paired with meaningful bonuses tied to net member growth and total revenue. Top-performing managers could double their pay, and they were treated like mini-CEOs with full responsibility for their studio’s performance. By the time she sold her business, Kristie had built a company with 13 locations generating well north of $10 million in annual revenue. Some of her top-performing studios, like the Chapel Hill location, were bringing in revenue of $2 million a year, with EBITDA margins around 40%.  Kristie’s story includes an important lesson: Make yourself less essential, and your business becomes more valuable. If you’re still the one opening the door in the morning and locking up at night—literally or metaphorically—it’s worth asking: What would break if I stepped away for 90 days? Start there. Whether it’s building a playbook, empowering your team, or simply learning to let go, taking even one step toward reducing your involvement makes your company not just more valuable but more enjoyable to own.

Why Imperfections in Your Business Don’t Make It Unsellable

Por Kim Santos • 14 de abril de 2025
For business owners considering their endgame, learning what makes a company valuable can feel overwhelming. Buyers prioritize factors like recurring revenue, a differentiated product or service, and a leadership team that operates independently from the owner. If a business doesn’t check every box, it can seem as though selling is perpetually just out of reach. But perfection is not a prerequisite for a sale. While improving the key drivers of value is important, an imperfect business can still be highly desirable to the right buyer. In fact, some acquirers actively look for businesses with fixable flaws because they see an opportunity to increase value. Blake Hutchison on Why Imperfections Can Be to an Acquirer’s Advantage Blake Hutchison, CEO of Flippa, has witnessed thousands of business acquisitions. Flippa is an online marketplace where business owners can buy and sell companies, particularly small to mid-sized digital businesses. The platform connects sellers with buyers looking for opportunities to grow or optimize an acquisition. In a recent Built to Sell Radio interview, Hutchison explained that many business owners assume their company won’t attract buyers because it has shortcomings. In reality, most acquirers aren’t looking for perfection—they’re looking for potential. Many buyers have a strategic advantage, whether it’s a strong distribution network, operational expertise, or access to capital, that allows them to take an imperfect business and make it more valuable. A prime example of this is the acquisition of PetCoach. How PetCoach Turned an Imperfection into a Selling Point PetCoach, co-founded by Brock Weatherup, was a two-sided marketplace designed to connect pet owners with veterinarians. The challenge for any marketplace business is keeping both sides in balance—generating enough demand from pet owners while ensuring there are enough veterinarians to meet that demand. PetCoach had built a strong product, but it lacked a broad distribution channel to acquire pet owners at scale. Without a solution, growth would remain limited. Instead of seeing this as a dealbreaker, Weatherup positioned it as an opportunity for the right buyer. That buyer was Petco. With more than 1,500 locations across the U.S., Mexico, and Puerto Rico, Petco had access to millions of pet owners. By acquiring PetCoach, Petco could instantly expand its offerings while solving PetCoach’s biggest challenge. Weatherup didn’t need to fix the scalability issue before selling. He needed to find an acquirer for whom the business’s weakness was actually a competitive advantage. Your Business Has Value—Even if It’s Not Perfect This doesn’t mean business owners should ignore the fundamentals of value creation. Strengthening factors like recurring revenue, customer retention, and operational efficiency will always increase a company’s attractiveness. However, not every issue needs to be resolved before an exit.  Instead of viewing imperfections as obstacles, business owners should consider how an acquirer might perceive them: A company struggling with customer acquisition may be a great fit for a buyer with an established customer base. A business with inefficient operations might attract an acquirer with expertise in streamlining processes. A company overly dependent on its owner could be appealing to a buyer with a strong leadership team ready to step in. As Blake Hutchison explains, acquirers are often looking for businesses where they can add value. The key is to position the company in a way that highlights its strengths while framing its imperfections as untapped potential. The right acquirer won’t see weaknesses as dealbreakers—they’ll see them as opportunities.