We Introduce You to a Broker, We Don't Sell Your Company
This site exists to connect owners of established companies, roughly $1M or more in yearly sales, with an experienced brokerage partner that handles sales in San Francisco and around the Bay Area.
We are not a brokerage. We don't sign listing agreements, hold deposits, write offers or advise you on price. The broker you speak with does that work, under their own agreement with you.
That separation is deliberate. You get one clear introduction instead of a dozen calls, and you decide whether anything happens after it.
What Happens in the Days After You Send the Form
The form asks for your type of business, sales range, a profit range if you know it, and how to reach you. We pass that to our partner and nobody else.
- A broker from the partner firm calls at the time of day you chose, to talk before any paperwork.
- They ask about revenue, profit, owner pay, staff, customers and your lease, then request recent statements if you are willing to share them.
- They recast the numbers and come back with a value range, the earnings measure behind it and the likely buyers.
- You decide whether to go further. Some owners take the range and wait a year or two. That is fine.
The range is a broker's market view, not an appraisal. Our business valuation page explains what it covers.
You Pay Us Nothing, and Here Is Where Our Money Comes From
There is no charge to you for the estimate or the introduction. We never bill an owner.
Our brokerage partner may pay us a referral fee for the introduction. It is paid by the partner, not added to your bill, and you are free to hire any broker you like.
A free introduction is only worth something if you know who is paying for it.
What Will the Broker Charge If You Decide to Sell?
Brokers are mostly paid a success fee at closing. According to BizQuest, about 10% is most common for businesses selling for $1M or less, with a usual spread of 8% to 15%.
BizQuest also reports minimum fees of $10,000 to $25,000. Larger deals often use a sliding scale, where the percentage drops as the price rises.
Read the engagement letter for any upfront or monthly fee, the length of the exclusive term and the tail period after it ends. Those terms matter as much as the percentage.
Keep the fee in proportion. California taxes the gain on a sale at ordinary income rates, so the tax bill is often larger than the commission. Plan that with a CPA.
Ask Every Broker About Their California License
In California, business brokers commonly hold a real estate license from the Department of Real Estate. One is needed when real property, and often a lease, is part of the deal.
Since most San Francisco companies lease their space, ask any broker you meet, ours included, which license they hold and under what name. You can confirm it with the DRE yourself.
We don't make claims about our partner's credentials on this site. Ask them directly and judge the answer.
Your Name Stays Off the Market Until a Buyer Signs an NDA
If you do list, the broker markets the company through a blind profile. It shows the industry, the general area, revenue and cash flow, but not your name, address or customers.
A buyer who wants more signs a nondisclosure agreement and is checked for the ability to pay. Only then does the buyer see the confidential information memorandum.
Staff, customers and landlords usually hear about the sale late in the process, once there is a signed deal. Our guide to selling a San Francisco business covers the full sequence.
When you are ready, use the estimate form or call (415) 555-0163. You can also send a question through our contact page.