“How long will it take to sell my business?”
It’s one of the first questions every owner asks.
Selling a company is a major life event, and knowing the timeline helps you plan personally and professionally.
This week’s newsletter breaks down what a realistic timeline looks like, and practical steps owners can take to influence the process.
We’ll cover:
- 3 insights regarding setting a timeline to sell
- 2 frameworks that outline how the process unfolds
- 1 action step to help you prepare now
3 Insights About Timeline to Sell
1. Understand The “Box Answer”
Around 9-12 months is the rough timeline I give business owners. I call it my “box answer”. This includes preparation, going to market, engaging buyers, moving through diligence, and signing the final agreement.
While every deal is unique, 9–12 months is a realistic planning horizon for prepared sellers.
2. Preparation Can Shorten the Process
Owners who come to market with clean books, a strong management team, and a clear understanding of who the right buyers might be can move faster.
In certain cases, prepared sellers close in less than nine months because buyers have fewer reasons to hesitate.
3. Clean Financials Are the Single Biggest Time-Saver
Nothing drags out a process more than messy numbers. If buyers can’t trust your financials, diligence stalls and deals often collapse.
On the other hand, sellers who’ve invested in accurate reporting can save months of back-and-forth and instill immediate buyer confidence. If there is a single lever you control that can influence time to sale, this is it.
2 Frameworks That Shape the Process
The 5 Stage Arc:
A typical sale follows five stages:
- Engagement: You hire an advisor and commit to the process.
- Preparation: Clean up financials, finalize materials, build the CIM.
- Marketing: Quietly engage strategic and financial buyers.
- Diligence: Buyers review financials, operations, contracts, and risks.
- Close: Negotiate final terms and complete the transaction.
Each stage takes time, and the more prepared you are, the smoother (and shorter) the arc becomes.
The Two-Part Timeline
Speed isn’t determined by the calendar alone. Two forces dictate how long your exit will take:
- Internal Readiness: Financials, operations, systems, and team in place.
- External Timing: Market conditions, capital availability, and industry outlook.
When both align, deals move quickly. When either is off, the process drags. The best outcomes happen when owners focus on what they can control, which is getting their business exit-ready.
List Of Our Completed Transactions
1 Action Item This Week
Create a Preparedness Checklist.
While you can’t control market conditions, you can take proactive steps to prepare your team and business for sale.
As a starting point, create a checklist of what your business needs to have in place before going to market.