Your options
How to sell your business without a broker
Yes, you can sell or hand over a small business without a broker. Many owners do, especially when the buyer is a family member, an employee, or someone they've come to know. But you'll take on the work a broker would do, so it helps to know what that involves.
What a business broker does
- Estimates a price and prepares a summary of the business.
- Markets the business and screens buyers, usually while keeping your name confidential.
- Negotiates the deal and keeps it moving through due diligence and financing.
- Is typically paid a commission when the sale closes. Ask any broker for their exact terms.
What you'll handle yourself
- Know what it's worth. Start with a rough range (free estimate), then consider a professional valuation.
- Get your records in order: three or more years of financial statements and tax returns, leases, contracts, and a list of equipment.
- Find the right buyer, without letting employees, customers, or competitors find out too early.
- Agree on terms, including how you'll be paid. Many deals include seller financing.
- Hire your own attorney and accountant to draft the agreement and plan for taxes. Don't skip this.
Another way: a planned succession
Planned Succession is not a broker, and we don't list businesses for sale. We introduce owners to vetted successors who want to carry a business on, and help you plan a gradual handover where you're paid over time. There's no cost to owners, and you choose who takes over.
See how a planned succession works.
Common questions
Do I need a broker to sell my business?
No. There's no legal requirement to use a business broker. Many owners sell without one, especially when they already know the buyer. You will need your own attorney and accountant either way.
How do I find a buyer without a broker?
Start with people who already know the business: managers, employees, family, suppliers, and trusted advisors such as your accountant or banker. Some owners use online marketplaces, which means a public listing. Successor matching, which is what we do, introduces you privately to people who want to take over a business.
How do I keep a sale confidential without a broker?
Share only general information until a buyer signs a confidentiality agreement, avoid public listings that identify the business, and decide in advance when and how you'll tell employees.
Is Planned Succession a broker?
No. We don't list businesses or take a commission from owners. We introduce owners to vetted successors and help plan a gradual handover. You work with your own attorney and accountant on the agreement.