What Will Your Business Really Be Worth When the Time Comes to Sell?
Let the Next Chapter in Your Story Begin with Us
Confidential M&A Guidance for Business Owners Planning Their Exit
Our business brokerage and M&A advisory services guide you through every phase...
At Lion Business Advisors, we help you sell your business with clarity, discretion and strategy. You’ve built your business through hard work, long hours, and smart decisions. But now you’re asking yourself:
- – What is my business really worth?
- – How do I protect confidentiality while finding the right buyer?
- – What would a serious buyer pay, and how do I pick an advisor who won’t let me down?
These are more than questions. They’re the stakes. At Lion Business Advisors, we help you sell your business with clarity, discretion and strategy. backed by business brokerage expertise, M&A advisory experience, and advanced valuation tools.
The Full Lifecycle of Your Exit
With Intelligence and Integrity
Below is the journey we guide you through when you’re preparing to sell your business. It’s designed to make your exit not just possible, but optimized.
1. Intake & Strategic Alignment
- We begin by listening: your goals, legacy, timing, concerns.
- We capture the story of your business — what makes it unique, what potential buyers value.
- We define the roadmap: sale timing (12-36 months), value expectations, confidentiality boundaries, and your personal readiness.
2. AI-Enabled Business Valuation
- We apply advanced data-models and market benchmarking to estimate a defensible value range.
- You receive a clear business valuation report that supports your pricing decisions and buyer communications.
- Because you’re working with a valuation specialist and business broker in one firm, you’re positioned from day one to avoid the “too low” sale.
3. Readiness Review & Packaging
- We examine operations, financials, owner dependency, documentation, and contracts.
- Using our proprietary readiness checklist, we identify risk areas, and fix them before the market sees them.
- A clean, packaged business attracts more serious buyers and avoids surprise hurdles in diligence.
4. Strategic Pricing & Marketing Plan
- Using your valuation and readiness findings, we establish a strategic asking range.
- We build a marketing plan tailored to your industry, size, geography and buyer profiles.
- Our use of secure AI-driven buyer targeting helps locate and appeal to the right buyers quickly while maintaining your confidentiality.
5. Buyer Targeting & Screening
- We develop a finely segmented buyer list, drawing on our network of private equity firms, strategic acquirers, and owner-operators.
- All buyer leads are vetted for financial capability, track record, intent and fit.
- Your identity remains anonymous until you choose to be revealed. Confidential business sale integrity is upheld.
6. Negotiation & Deal Structure
- When buyers emerge, we manage the offer analysis with you, price, structure, terms, earn-outs, and transition.
- Our dual lens (AI insight + advisor judgment) helps you weigh multiple offers and choose what aligns with your goals.
- We guide negotiation of key issues: closing timeline, staff retention, transition role, and confidentiality clauses.
7. Due Diligence Management
- We anticipate what buyers will ask and prepare your data-room accordingly.
- With secure data-room protocols and pre-qualified buyers, we reduce surprise delays and protect your team and operations.
- Our goal: a smoother diligence phase so you stay focused on running your business.
8. Closing & Transition
- We help coordinate closing logistics, escrow, asset transfer, and employment/transition agreements.
- We support you through the hand-off, your legacy, business continuity, and next chapter.
- Our process is built so you can exit on your terms, knowing you chose a partner who managed the transition deliberately.
Real-World Proof of Outcomes
Case 1: Central Texas HVAC Business
Challenge: Owner was concerned about confidentiality (didn’t want employees to know) and worried he’d leave money on the table.
What We Did: Conducted a comprehensive valuation, identified $400K in add-backs the owner hadn’t considered, prepared a clean financial package, and targeted three strategic buyers and two private equity firms.
Outcome: Sold at $9.5M (18% above initial estimate) within seven months. The buyer was a regional HVAC consolidator who valued the customer contracts and recurring maintenance revenue.
Case 2: Specialty Fabrication Business
Challenge: Inconsistent documentation, owner-dependent operations, and no clear sense of market value.
What We Did: Completed a sellability assessment, helped the owner document SOPs, and used AI-enabled buyer matching to identify three qualified buyers in the industrial manufacturing space.
Outcome: Received three competing offers. Sold at 22% above the initial valuation estimate. The owner transitioned over 6 months and retired with confidence.
These kinds of results come when you don’t just list your business, you prepare it, package it, and position it for the right buyer under the right terms.
Not Sure If You’re Ready to Sell?
Take our 15-Minute Sellability Assessment and get instant insights into your business’s readiness for sale.
Why Choose Lion Over Other Business Brokers?
Most brokers list your business and wait. We prepare it, package it, and position it.
You’re not handed a template and a prayer. You’re assigned an experienced M&A advisor who knows your industry, understands your goals, and manages every phase of the sale with precision.
We don’t just find buyers, we qualify them, vet their financials, and ensure they’re serious before they ever see your business details.
And because we’re valuation specialists and business brokers in one firm, you’re not guessing at your asking price. You’re defending it with data.
This is the difference between selling your business and selling it right.
Recognized Expertise You Can Trust
- M&A Advisors of the Year 2023 (Acquisitions International)
- #1 Business Broker in Austin (Austin Business Awards Program)
- Top 10 M&A Consulting Firm (Financial Services Review)
- Certified Business Intermediaries (CBI) on staff
- Members: IBBA, TABB, EPI & AM&AA
When you work with Lion, you’re working with a team that’s been vetted, certified, and recognized by the industry’s leading organizations.
What You Gain When You Work With Us
- A defensible business valuation you can rely on.
No guesswork. No inflated expectations. Just market-backed data. - A well-prepared business that avoids surprise deal breakers.
We fix the gaps before buyers see them. - Access to a vetted network of buyers who match your business and goals.
Strategic acquirers, private equity, and qualified owner-operators. - A hands-on advisor who guides you, not just a listing service.
You’re assigned an experienced M&A professional, not a junior associate. - Confidence that your legacy, timing, and next chapter are respected.
This is your life’s work. We treat it that way.
- A defensible business valuation you can rely on.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to sell my business?
For most seller-represented engagements in this market, from listing to close falls in the 7-9 month range, once readiness is achieved. Preparation sometimes takes 12-36 months, depending on business complexity and owner objectives.
Is confidentiality really protected?
Yes. We use controlled data rooms, require buyer NDAs, and maintain anonymity during buyer outreach. Your team, customers and operations continue without disruption.
What fees should I expect?
Fees vary by deal size, structure and services. We will clearly outline our advisory fee, estimated closing costs, and deliverables before you commit. You remain in control.
How do you use AI in the process?
Our AI tools support valuation benchmarking, buyer-behavior modelling, and outreach efficiency. They do not replace human judgment — your advisor oversees everything, interprets the data, and guides the strategy.
How much control do I retain?
You stay in the driver’s seat. You approve the buyer list, review terms, select your preferred deal structure, and define your transition. We manage the process so you can run your business without constant interruption.
What if my business isn’t ready to sell yet?
That’s exactly why we start with a Sellability Assessment. Most businesses need 6-18 months of preparation to maximize value. We’ll identify the gaps, prioritize the fixes, and guide you through the prep work so you’re positioned for the best outcome when you’re ready.
Let’s Get Started
What’s Your Business Really Worth?
Get your confidential valuation and exit readiness assessment. No obligation. No pressure. Just clarity.
Schedule a 20-Minute Exit Planning Call
Let’s discuss your timeline, concerns, and what a successful exit looks like for you.
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