Business Network of Ohio
Most business sales take 6 to 12 months, but the timeline can vary based on your preparation, financials, industry, and the quality of your advisory team. Selling a business isn’t like selling real estate. There are more moving parts, more scrutiny, and more confidentiality involved.
Below is a clear breakdown of the full process and what affects how long it takes.
Stage 1: Preparation (30–90 Days)
This is where a strong sale begins. Proper preparation shortens the total timeline significantly.
You’ll need to:
Organize financial records (monthly statements, tax returns, P&Ls)
Clean up books and eliminate personal expenses
Resolve legal or compliance issues
Reduce owner dependency
Work with a broker on valuation and marketing materials
Businesses with clean financials move quickly. Businesses without them slow down or stall in due diligence.
Stage 2: Marketing & Confidential Buyer Outreach (60–120 Days)
Unlike listing a home, you can’t publicly advertise that your business is for sale. Employees, customers, and competitors must be protected.
A broker will:
This stage is where a good broker earns their fee by presenting your business in a way that attracts qualified, motivated buyers.
Stage 3: Buyer Qualification (Varies)
Not every “interested buyer” can actually close.
Before sharing sensitive details, your broker should require:
Unqualified buyers waste time and leak confidential information. Buyer vetting is one of the biggest time-savers in the entire process.
Stage 4: Offers & Negotiation (30–60 Days)
This stage involves reviewing offers, negotiating terms, evaluating contingencies, and addressing risks such as:
You may also encounter earnouts: payment structures where part of the purchase price is paid over time, often tied to future performance. Earnouts are common when risk factors are present.
An attorney-led brokerage team is especially valuable in this stage because negotiation is where deals often rise or fall.
Stage 5: Due Diligence (45–90 Days)
This is the most intensive (and often slowest) part of the process.
Buyers and their advisors will review:
If your books aren’t clean, this stage can drag on or collapse entirely.
Stage 6: Closing (30 Days)
This involves:
With a strong team in place: broker, CPA, and transaction attorney, the closing process stays on track.
What Slows Down the Process?
The most common delays include:
Every one of these delays is avoidable with proper preparation and experienced guidance.
FAQ: Understanding the Timeline
How do you determine the right asking price?
Our Broker’s Opinion of Value uses real sales data and industry reporting. Overpricing leads to stalled listings; accurate pricing attracts qualified buyers.
Who should be on my professional team?
A business broker, a CPA, and an experienced business transaction attorney. Each plays a critical role in keeping the deal moving.
What makes Business Network of Ohio different?
Our team is led entirely by licensed attorneys with deep experience in transactions, valuation, and structured deal-making—providing mid-market owners with M&A-level expertise.
Ready to Understand Your Timeline?
Every business is unique. The best way to understand how long your sale will take is to start with a confidential discussion with an experienced broker.
Contact Ohio Business Brokers today to get a realistic timeline and a clear next step toward a successful exit.