Not a Broker
There are two deliberate decisions I made when building this practice that I believe let me serve you better.
The first is that I'm not a business broker. I'm an advisor who provides coaching, consulting, and execution support for M&A transactions. A traditional business broker has one product: end-to-end management of a full transaction. If that's not what you need, they can't help you.
I can work with you at any stage, in whatever capacity is most useful. Maybe you're not sure selling is the right move and you need someone to think it through honestly with you. Maybe you need to tighten up your business operations before you take it to market. Maybe you have a deal in motion and just need someone to manage the process and negotiations so you don't give away leverage. You shouldn't have to hire for more than you need or go without support because you don't need the whole package.
The second decision is how I get paid. I charge on a project or retainer basis. I don't work on commission. That changes the nature of the advice you get from me in ways that matter quite a bit.
The standard business broker charges a commission — typically 10% or more on smaller deals. On the surface, that sounds like aligned incentives: they only get paid when you get paid. But that commission structure creates problems at almost every stage of the process.
On whether they'll work with you. Start with whether a broker will work with you at all. Brokers chase deal size. If your business is at the lower end of the market, you're competing for their attention against larger listings with bigger paydays. Many high-volume brokers will take your listing and wait, knowing most businesses listed for sale never sell. If yours doesn't, they move on. You don't have that option.
On honest advice. If they do take you on, there's a more fundamental problem: they will never tell you not to sell. Some owners are genuinely better served by a different path, whether that's restructuring the business, bringing on a manager, or simply staying the course and extracting more value before going to market. A broker working on commission has no business model for that conversation.
If selling isn't right for you, you won't hear it from someone whose livelihood depends on a transaction.
On preparation. Brokers also have little incentive to do the preparation work that actually gets businesses sold. Getting buyer-ready — cleaning up the financials, building recurring revenue, documenting operations — requires significant upfront effort that isn't compensable under a commission model. Most brokers won't do it. They'll list what you bring them and hope for the best.
On deal terms. And even once a deal is in motion, your interests and your broker's interests aren't fully aligned. A faster close at a lower number is often better for the broker than a longer process that maximizes your outcome. You want the best deal. They want a done deal.
I charge for my time. That's it.
That means I have no incentive to steer you toward a sale you shouldn't do, rush a process that needs more time, skip the preparation work that actually gets deals done, or push you to accept terms that aren't in your interest. If the honest answer is "you're not ready yet," I'll tell you. If it's that "this deal isn't good enough," I'll tell you that too.
The goal isn't a closed transaction. It's the right outcome for you, whether that's a sale, better preparation for one down the road, or the realization that selling isn't the right move at all. That's the kind of advice you can only get from someone who's not being paid just to close.
Schedule a free discovery call. No pitch, no pressure. Just an honest conversation about where you are and whether I can help.
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