from the desk

Notes on selling your business.

Practical writing on valuation, deal structure, buyer behavior, and the human side of exits - from the operators running Hello Exit.

A dark operations room with server racks, monitors showing dashboards and a wall board of status checkmarks
Selling a Business

Sell My IT Company: Who Buys and Why

Who has been buying IT companies and MSPs, from private equity backed groups to larger IT firms and ESOPs, and what makes them pay more.

A desk with a dark binder, a stack of folders, two sealed envelopes and a paper tray in an office
Selling a Business

Sell My Pest Control Business: Who Buys and Why

Who has been buying pest control companies, from national pest control brands to private equity backed groups, and what makes them pay more for one.

A wall board of schedule cards above a desk with colored folders, a notebook and a potted plant by the window
Selling a Business

Sell My Landscaping Business: Who Buys and Why

Who has been buying landscaping companies, from private equity backed groups to larger landscapers and employees, and what makes them pay more for one.

A road with dashed lane markings running across a desk toward an organization chart, with blank cards and stacked blocks beside it
Selling a Business

Sell My Trucking Company: Who Buys and Why

Who has been buying trucking companies, from larger carriers and logistics firms to private equity and employees, and what makes them pay more for one.

Project folders and a job status board with colored markers on a workshop desk, with a pegboard of tools behind it
Selling a Business

Sell My Construction Company: Who Buys and Why

Who has been buying construction companies, from private equity backed contractor groups to larger contractors and ESOPs, and what makes them pay more.

A warehouse with cartons stacked on pallets and steel shelving, a pallet jack by an open loading dock, and an office behind glass
Selling a Business

Sell My Manufacturing Business: Who Buys and Why

Who has been buying manufacturers, from larger manufacturers to private equity, family offices and employees, and what makes them pay more for one.

A clinic desk with a patient intake clipboard, a stethoscope and a scheduling tablet
Selling a Business

Selling a Medical Practice: Who Buys and Why

Who buys medical practices, from private equity platforms to hospitals and payers, how those deals are structured, and what buyers pay more for.

A practice team around a table with notebooks, note cards and binders
Selling a Business

Selling a Veterinary Practice: Who Buys and Why

Who buys veterinary practices, from corporate groups backed by private equity to other veterinarians, how those deals work, and what buyers pay more for.

An organized front office desk with a four-step process board, file trays and team name cards
Selling a Business

Selling a Dental Practice: Who Buys and Why

Who buys dental practices today, from DSOs and the private equity behind them to other dentists, how DSO deals are structured, and what buyers pay more for.

A studio wall of campaign cards, channel icons and charts above a desk of planning binders
Selling a Business

Sell My Marketing Agency: Who Buys and Why

Who buys marketing agencies, from holding companies to private equity platforms, who can help you sell one, why earnouts are common, and what buyers pay more for.

Cards for search, ads, social, email and other channels wired into one customer card on an office wall
Selling a Business

Sell My Ecommerce Business: Who Buys and Why

Who has been buying ecommerce brands, from consumer companies to private equity and aggregators, and what makes those buyers pay more for one.

Shelves of client binders and file boxes in a records room
Selling a Business

Sell My Accounting Practice: Who Buys and Why

Who buys accounting and CPA practices today, why private equity has been investing in accounting firms, and what makes buyers pay more for a practice.

Rows of client cards and file folders laid out on a desk, like an agency's book of business
Selling a Business

Sell My Insurance Agency: Who Buys and Why

Who has been buying insurance agencies, from private equity backed brokers to large public brokers, and what makes those buyers pay more for one.

Monthly cards lined up on a conference table under a scheduling board, like a year of booked service visits
Selling a Business

Sell My Plumbing Business: Who Buys and Why

Who has been buying plumbing companies, from private equity backed home services groups to strategic buyers, and what makes them pay more for one.

Wall board of buyer profiles linked to a model building, with one buyer highlighted
Selling a Business

Sell My HVAC Business: Who Buys and Why

Who has been buying HVAC companies, from private equity platforms to strategic acquirers, and what makes those buyers pay more for one.

Planning room with a wall calendar, a clock and folders, where exit planning starts well before a sale
Advisors

Exit Planning Advisor vs M&A Advisor: Which Do You Need?

What an exit planning advisor does, how that differs from an M&A advisor who runs the sale, how each is paid, and when a founder needs one or both.

Owner looking over a busy fulfillment floor, the operation a buyer would value
Valuation

How to Value a Small Business for Sale

How to value a small business for sale: the earnings, revenue, comparable sales and DCF methods buyers use, what moves the multiple and how to get a range.

Founder and advisor reviewing a blank transaction plan on frosted glass
Advisors

M&A Advisor for Small Business: How to Choose the Right Path

A practical HelloExit guide to M&A advisor for small business, built for founders who want a clear next step.

Founder overlooking a well-organized small business operation from a mezzanine
Valuation

Increase Business Valuation Before Sale: What Actually Drives the Number

A practical HelloExit guide to increase business valuation before sale, including the levers founders can improve before going to market.

Sealed milestone envelopes and a key leading toward an open office doorway
Valuation

Business Exit Planning: A Practical Guide

A practical HelloExit guide to business exit planning, including the levers founders can improve before going to market.

Founder choosing among three business sale paths in a bright advisory center
Advisors

Online Business Broker: How to Choose the Right Path

A practical HelloExit guide to online business broker, built for founders who want a clear next step.

Founder reviewing SaaS exit options with an advisor in a modern office setting
Advisors

SaaS Business Broker: How to Choose the Right Path

A practical HelloExit guide to SaaS business broker, built for founders who want a clear next step.

Founder reviewing two exit path options with an advisor in a calm business setting
Advisors

Business Broker vs M&A Advisor: Which Fits Your Sale

A business broker usually sells smaller, simpler businesses; an M&A advisor runs a competitive sale for larger, complex ones. How to choose.

A buyer reviewing acquisition diligence materials and transition planning notes at a worktable
Buying a Business

How to Buy a Business: A Practical Acquisition Checklist

A practical HelloExit guide to how to buy a business, focused on diligence, fit, and buyer decision-making.

Founder reviewing SaaS exit preparation materials in a calm deal room setting
Selling a Business

How to Sell a SaaS Company: Buyers, Process and Timing

How to sell a SaaS company: who buys, what they check in revenue, retention and code, where to sell by size, the steps of a sale and how long it takes.

Buyer reviewing a SaaS acquisition diligence checklist with product, customer, finance, and transition planning materials on a desk.
Buying a Business

Buy a SaaS Business: A Practical Acquisition Checklist

A practical HelloExit guide to buy a SaaS business, focused on diligence, fit, and buyer decision-making.

Founder preparing an online business sale with organized deal documents and operational notes
Selling a Business

How to Sell Your Online Business Without Losing Leverage

A practical HelloExit guide to sell my online business, built for founders who want a clear next step.

Founder reviewing SaaS business value drivers, operating metrics, and buyer confidence signals before a sale process
Valuation

SaaS Valuation: How Buyers Value a SaaS Company

How a SaaS company is valued: the metric buyers start from, what moves the multiple, how risk changes price and terms, and what to fix before a sale.

Miniature business model with sealed bid envelopes representing a seller’s market acquisition
Buying a Business

How to Buy an Off-Market Business

How buyers can pursue off-market or lightly marketed businesses with discipline, confidentiality, and a realistic view of seller motivation.

Compass and deal folder on a moody desk for buying a business in a recession
Buying a Business

10 Principles for Buying a Business in an Uncertain Market

How buyers can think about acquisition opportunities during uncertain markets, with a focus on resilience, financing discipline, and downside protection.

Checklist with red flag tabs and misfit pieces for business buying mistakes
Buying a Business

10 Mistakes to Avoid When Buying a Business

Ten buyer mistakes that can turn a promising acquisition into a costly problem, plus practical ways to avoid them.

Organized records closet with binders and banker boxes for sale prep
Selling a Business

Selling a Business Checklist: What to Prepare

A selling a business checklist: the financial, legal, customer, operating and deal records buyers ask for, why they ask, and what to prepare first.

Empty founder office with packed box and open doorway
Selling a Business

The Emotional Journey of Selling Your Business

Selling a business is not just a financial transaction. Here is how founders can navigate identity, stress, confidentiality, and life after close.

Tax advisor table with forms coin stacks and sale agreement folder
Taxes

Understanding the Tax Implications of Buying or Selling a Business

A practical overview of the tax issues buyers and sellers should discuss before signing a business sale agreement.

Bank meeting room with acquisition financing folders and business keys
Buying a Business

How to Finance the Purchase of a Business: Your Options

A practical overview of common ways buyers finance a business acquisition, including personal capital, loans, seller financing, investors, and hybrid structures.

Buyer matching board with one highlighted candidate folder
Selling a Business

How to Find the Right Buyer for Your Business

How to identify the right buyer for your business, protect confidentiality, qualify interest, and choose fit over headline price alone.

Established business counter contrasted with empty startup blueprint area
Buying a Business

Why Buying a Business Can Be a Better Option Than Starting from Scratch

Why buying an existing business can be smarter than starting from scratch, and the risks buyers should still evaluate before closing.

Hands-only negotiation table with offer folders and pens
Selling a Business

Negotiating the Sale of Your Business: Essential Strategies

How to negotiate the sale of your business with more leverage, clearer priorities, and fewer surprises after the letter of intent.

Site inspection clipboard with red flags for business buying mistakes
Buying a Business

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Buying a Business

Five common mistakes buyers make when acquiring a business, including weak diligence, overpaying, ignoring transition risk, and underestimating working capital.

Business key and closing packet for buying a business
Buying a Business

The Ultimate Guide to Buying a Business: What You Need to Know

A practical buyer guide to evaluating, financing, diligencing, and closing a small business acquisition without confusing activity for real deal readiness.

Office corridor with seven steps leading toward a bright exit room
Selling a Business

7 Steps to Selling Your Business

A practical seven-step roadmap for founders preparing to sell, from valuation and readiness through diligence, negotiation, and transition.

Lone chair facing buyer folders for selling a business alone
Selling a Business

5 Reasons Not to Sell Your Business Yourself

Selling your business without an advisor can cost more than the fee you hoped to save. Here are the risks founders should understand before running a DIY sale process.

Company model under six spotlights representing value drivers
Selling a Business

Business Value Drivers: 6 That Raise Sale Value

How buyers value a business for sale, and the six value drivers that move the price: financials, transferability, durable revenue, growth, risk and fit.

Buyer-ready showcase with operations binder and business materials
Selling a Business

7 Strategies to Make Your Business More Attractive to Buyers

Seven ways to make your business more compelling to qualified buyers before you go to market.

Deal room folder bridge interrupted by red flag markers
Selling a Business

8 Deal Killers for Your Sell-Side Transaction

The most common reasons good sale processes fall apart, plus practical ways to reduce buyer fear before it becomes a discount or a failed deal.

Clock keys and transition folder suggesting it is time to sell
Selling a Business

8 Signs it’s Time to Sell Your Business

Eight signals that it may be time to explore a sale, and how to separate a good exit window from a temporary hard season.

Milestone envelopes and contract for earnout deal structure
Deal Structure

Earnouts 101: How They Impact Sell-Side M&A

A seller-friendly guide to earnouts, including when they help, when they are dangerous, and how to negotiate them more safely.

Website sale materials with tax forms and divided coin stacks
Taxes

Capital Gains Tax on a Business Sale

How the sale of a business is taxed: capital gains versus ordinary income, asset versus stock sales, purchase price allocation and depreciation recapture.

Back-office readiness setup with inventory shelf and operations binder
Selling a Business

How to Prepare Your Business for Sale

A founder-friendly guide to preparing a business for sale, including valuation, documentation, operations, buyer confidence, and exit readiness.

Two decision folders on office desk weighing sale versus growth
Selling a Business

How Selling Your Business Could Be the Worst Mistake You Could Possibly Make

Selling can be the right move, but not always. Here is how founders can evaluate timing, alternatives, and risk before committing to a sale process.

Startup metrics wall with gauge cards and subscription folders
SaaS

Key SaaS Metrics Buyers Care About

The SaaS metrics buyers care about most when evaluating a software business, and how founders should prepare them before going to market.

Secure data room aisle with SaaS due diligence materials
Due Diligence

SaaS Due Diligence: What Buyers Check and How to Prepare

A SaaS due diligence checklist for founders: what buyers check in financials, retention, code, contracts and handoff, and how to prepare before the LOI.

Miniature tech company towers and blank deal cards on an M&A market map
Valuation

How to Use B2B Tech Deal Comps When Selling Your Business

How founders should think about B2B technology deal comps, valuation headlines, and what public transactions do and do not prove about their own business.

Broker desk organizing buyer inquiries and NDA envelopes
Advisors

Why Do I Need a Broker to Sell My Business?

Why many founders use an intermediary to sell a business, including valuation, confidentiality, buyer qualification, negotiation, and process control.

Confidential listing package with buyer folders and locked briefcase
Advisors

Why Use a Business Broker?

What a business broker actually does for sellers, when one is worth it, and when a different advisory model may be a better fit.