RESOURCES

The U.S. small business transaction market reached a period of stabilization in 2025, with deal volume holding steady and sale prices continuing an upward trend. Total enterprise value reached $7.95 billion, marking a 3% increase from 2024. While quarterly swings reflected broader economic uncertainty — transactions dipped in Q1 and Q2 amid inflationary pressures, then rebounded 8% in Q3 as owners moved to capitalize on strong valuations — the overall picture shows a market i

Nicole Rizzo and her husband, David Rizzo, are among the growing ranks of “corporate refugees" turning to sometimes surprising jobs. The couple bought Die Cleaning Equipment, a Phoenix aluminum business. Credit...Jesse Rieser for The New York Times Younger would-be chief executives are increasingly seeking profits—and freedom from the 9-to-5—by pivoting from corporate jobs into often unglamorous small-business niches.  When Nicole Rizzo saw the “For Sale” listing for Die Cl

Strategic Negotiation: Essential Tactics for Deal Success Negotiation can evoke a range of feelings: some people thrive on it, others dread it, and many fall somewhere in between. Regardless of your stance, the ultimate goal remains the same: to emerge successfully from the negotiation. Mastering effective negotiation methods and tactics can give you an edge where others might falter. The objective is to close deals effectively. Here are three negotiation strategies that have

This article is contributed by Ritchie Taylor, JD with the law practice of Manning Fulton and Skinner , Raleigh N.C. For most, the sale of a business is a new experience that requires sellers to learn many entirely foreign processes in a very short amount of time. The many steps to selling your business can be long and tedious, and chief amongst those steps in terms of length and tedium is due diligence.  To those unfamiliar, due diligence is the process by which buyers attem

One of the most critical questions for prospective buyers, investors, and lenders is understanding a business’s true income. However, it should come as no surprise that the party most invested in uncovering this information is the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Why is determining a business’s real income so difficult? While financial records should provide a clear picture, business owners often engage in practices ranging from minor adjustments to outright fraud in order to

While brokerage professionals are working to sell your business, it’s important for you to keep running things in a smooth and seamless manner. In countless cases, sellers have made the mistake of letting things slide simply because they are distracted while trying to sell. You’ll want to make sure things remain the same, as prospective buyers will otherwise start to become nervous. Be sure to keep the premises in tip top condition. Things such as operating hours and inventor

Investment firms are buying and bundling contractors, leaving some workers and customers worse off. At 9 a.m. on a Tuesday in late October, as Nathan Hendricks drove to a cabinet installation job in Elk Grove, Calif., he got a call from his office. His employer, Reborn Cabinets, had shut down. All its workers were supposed to return their company vehicles and iPads by the following day. He was not entirely surprised. The company had changed a lot since Audax Group, a private

When it comes to mergers and acquisitions (M&A), myths and misconceptions can be costly, especially since significant amounts of money are involved during these transactions. Many business owners, especially those new to the process, may fall prey to these common myths, which can undermine their chances of success. Understanding these misconceptions and how to deal with them is key to navigating the M&A landscape. The Negotiation Ends After Signing the LOI So, your Letter of

As the saying goes, the best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today. But many business owners may not know what to do TO prepare. Recently UBS Investor Watch looked at business owners who now face headwinds from higher interest rates, inflation and political uncertainly.

Deciding to sell your business and getting ready for the process to sell your business, takes time. But how much time and how and when to get the process going?

That depends. We break down the median time based on market data of different businesses to understand what drives the timeline of typical business sales.