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Let’s be honest... selling your business isn’t just paperwork and a payout. It’s personal.
For a lot of owners we talk to, this place isn’t just where they made a living... it’s where they built something real. Relationships. Routines. A reputation they’re proud of. And walking away from that? It’s a lot harder than people think.
I’ve sat across from owners and managers who could recite every employee’s birthday and every customer’s first order. This isn’t just a business to them... it’s part of who they are.
So yeah... handing that off? It’s not just a financial decision. It’s a gut-check.
Sure, price matters. Of course it does. But what I’ve learned, and what a lot of buyers still miss, is that trust matters more. I’ve lost deals even when I came in with the top number. And I’ve been invited back into deals where I wasn’t the highest bidder, but I was the one who actually listened.
Because sellers aren’t just picking a buyer... they’re picking a future for their people. The guy who fixes the trucks. The woman who’s been running the books since day one. The team that stuck around during the slow years and still showed up early.
If a buyer doesn’t get that, they’re already behind.
I’ve had conversations that didn’t lead to anything right away. No LOI, no term sheet. Just two people talking about what might come next. And that’s okay... because sometimes what a seller needs isn’t a deal, it’s a little space. A little honesty. Someone to say, “Hey, this doesn’t need to be figured out today.”
No pressure. No pitch. Just a conversation. I’ve learned not to rush that.
Here’s something I say a lot, and I mean it every time... this isn’t a roll-up. I’m not trying to squeeze every penny out of the bottom line. That’s not why I do this. I’m looking for businesses that are built right. With care. With character. With customers who come back not because they have to, but because they want to.
And when I find one, I want to carry it forward... not repackage it or gut it for short-term gain. That means keeping people in place when it makes sense. That means preserving relationships. And yeah, sometimes it means doing things the slower way... the right way.
I send over bios, proof of funds, a breakdown of how I’d run things... usually before anyone asks. Not because I’m trying to impress anybody, but because I know what it feels like to not have enough information.
I don’t hide behind advisors or stack meetings with ten people. If you’re talking to me, you’re talking to the person who’s actually going to own it, run it, and show up on Monday morning. And if it’s not a fit? No hard feelings. I’d rather walk away with respect than force something that doesn’t work.
Look, selling your business is never going to be 100% easy. But it can feel a whole lot better when you know the person on the other side of the table gets it. You’re not just selling a company. You’re picking who carries it forward.
That’s a big decision. It deserves someone who’s gonna take it seriously. And if that’s you someday, I’d be honored to have that conversation... even if it’s just coffee at first.
