For a well-prepared business, plan on roughly six to nine months from the day you list to the day you get paid. Some deals move faster and some take a year or more. The timeline is driven less by the market than by how ready your financials are on day one.
The stage-by-stage timeline
| Stage | Typical time | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation | Weeks 1 to 4 | Valuation, normalizing earnings, gathering documents, building the marketing package |
| Marketing | Months 2 to 4 | Confidential outreach, buyer calls, offers |
| LOI and diligence | Months 4 to 6 | Letter of intent, due diligence, SBA underwriting |
| Closing | Final weeks | Legal, licensing, funding |
Want a real number on your business?
I do confidential, no-pressure valuations for owners of trades and service businesses. No obligation to sell.
Book a 20-minute callWhat makes it faster
- Three years of clean books that tie to your tax returns.
- Provable add-backs, documented rather than remembered.
- A business that runs without you, so diligence does not uncover surprises.
- Realistic pricing from a real valuation, not a number you hoped for.
What causes delay
The single biggest delay I see is financials that are not ready. When the books do not tie out, buyers slow down, SBA underwriting stalls, and some buyers walk. Licensing is the second, a Nevada contractor license transfer can gate the close if it is not planned early.
The takeaway
If you want to sell next year, the work starts now. Clean up the books, reduce your dependence on the business, and get a real valuation so you are ready when a buyer is. That preparation is exactly what shortens the timeline.
Want a real number on your business?
I do confidential, no-pressure valuations for owners of trades and service businesses. No obligation to sell.
Book a 20-minute call