Selling Your Business Without a Broker: Pros, Cons, & Steps in the Process

Transcript

Andy and JT welcome you to another episode of The Deal Board Podcast. This week, they explore what happens when a business owner tries to sell their business without a broker and why saving on commission can come with real costs. They discuss how selling a business can quickly become a second full-time job, why owners need to keep running the business during the sale process, and how taking your eye off operations can reduce value before the deal is even done. Andy and JT also break down some of the biggest risks sellers face when going it alone, mispricing pitfalls to avoid, when to share confidential financials, how to vet buyers, and how to navigate last-minute retrades. They explain how brokers help protect confidentiality, manage buyer requests, maintain deal momentum, and keep sellers focused through a transaction. Tune in to learn why selling a business may be possible without a broker, but rarely advisable when your largest asset and next chapter are on the line.

Listing of the Week:
Mike Shea from Transworld Tampa presents a pizza parlor in Tampa Bay’s Pinellas County. This local franchise brand has a strong community reputation and consistently generates around $980,000 to $990,000 in revenue. The business is positioned as a strong opportunity for a family operator, with an attractive plaza location, high road frontage, ample parking, some sit-down capacity, and takeout accounting for most sales. For more information, contact Mike Shea at [email protected] or call him at (321) 287-0349.

Deal of the Week:
Ryan Mortensen from Transworld Austin-Waco shares the sale of Rotten Apple, a land-clearing and excavation company with a strong referral-based reputation. The seller started the business after working as a rancher and building demand for excavation, road-building, pond-making, mulching, and land-clearing services across Texas. The business went to market at $3.1 million and was sold to a retired military buyer in Austin who wanted an outdoor, community-focused business with long-term family potential. The deal took 10 months to close overall, moved from letter of intent to closing in about 48 days, and was financed through an SBA loan with Bankwell. For more information, contact Ryan Mortensen at [email protected] or call him at (817) 290-5664.

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Key Takeaways

[00:00] Discover why selling without a broker can cost more than it saves.

[02:05] Learn why owners need to keep running the business during a sale.

[02:47] Explore how overpricing and unvetted buyers can stop a deal before it starts.

[07:30] Deal of the Week: Ryan Mortensen sold Rotten Apple, a Texas excavation business, to a retired military buyer through an SBA-financed deal.

[10:36] Find out why confidentiality is one of the biggest reasons to use a broker.

[13:15] Understand how due diligence can become a second full-time job.

[14:42] Hear why experience and stamina matter when getting a deal to closing.

[17:03] Listing of the Week: Mike Shea presents a Tampa Bay pizza parlor with strong local revenue, takeout sales, and family-operator potential.

[17:54] Final takeaways and closing comments.

Show Notes

Quotes:

“The most important thing you can do whilst owning your business is keep running it.” — Andrew Cagnetta [0:02:05]

“One of the number one reasons businesses do not sell is because they don’t know how to price it.” — Andrew Cagnetta [0:02:48]

“The buyer’s going to make a request to you as a seller, that you may not know when to say no to.” — JT Tatem [0:12:13]

Mentioned in This Episode

• The Deal Board Podcast
• Subscribe to The Deal Board Podcast YouTube Channel
• United Franchise Group
• Transworld Business Advisors
• Transworld on LinkedIn
• Transworld on Facebook
• Email us [email protected]
• Mike Shea at Transworld Tampa
• Mike Shea Email
• Ryan Mortensen at Transworld Austin-Waco
• Ryan Mortensen Email